Seasonal population dynamics of Diptera families in deciduous forests of Central European Russia

Abstract

Seasonal rhythms have been found in practically all groups of insects, but in Diptera they have been studied to a lesser extent. In deciduous forests of the European part of Russia (Republic of Mordovia, Temnikov district) seasonal dynamics of Diptera abundance was studied in 9 families (Tipulidae, Lonchaeidae, Aulacigastridae, Milichiidae, Heleomyzidae, Anthomyiidae, Muscidae, Fanniidae, Calliphoridae). Two peaks in seasonal abundance dynamics were characteristic of Tipulidae, Heleomyzidae, Fanniidae. Anthomyiidae had one peak in early June. Milichiidae had one peak in July. Muscidae had one peak in mid-August. Lonchaeidae and Aulacigastridae had a three-peak pattern with the highest abundance in June. Calliphoridae experienced a gradual increase in abun-dance from June and had a peak in early September. Numbers of Phaonia pallida (Muscidae) were at a minimum in June at different heights from the soil surface and gradually increased with peaks in August and September. The first individuals of Thricops simplex (Muscidae) did not appear in the traps until the first half of July. Thereafter its numbers increased very rapidly and reached a maximum in early September.