Abstract
New data about the biology and distribution of the 22 West Palaearctic species of Anthomyzidae (Diptera) are given. Based on rearing and collecting records, new host plant species were recognized for Amygdalops thomasseti Lamb, 1914, Anagnota bicolor (Meigen, 1838), Anthomyza anderssoni Roháček, 1984, A. collini Andersson, 1976, A. dissors Collin, 1944, A. gracilis Fallén, 1823, A. neglecta Collin, 1944, A. pallida (Zetterstedt, 1838), A. paraneglecta Elberg, 1968, Stiphrosoma cingulatum (Haliday, 1855), S. laetum (Meigen, 1830) and S. sabulosum (Haliday, 1837). The first potential host plant of Anagnota major Roháček & Freidberg, 1993, viz. Scirpus sylvaticus L., also is noted. A total of 29 host plant species (each being a new host plant of at least one of the above anthomyzid species) belonging to Equisetaceae, Cyperaceae, Juncaceae, Poaceae and Typhaceae are presented. The development of S. laetum in Juncaceae and of S. sabulosum in Cyperaceae and Juncaceae is demonstrated, thus widening the polyphagy of these species. In several species of Anthomyzidae the preferred habitats are also discussed. The distributions of all presented species are reviewed, with the first records of Amygdalops thomasseti from La Palma (Canary Islands, new northwesternmost distributional limit), Anthomyza anderssoni from The Netherlands, Carexomyza caricis (Roháček, 1999) and Fungomyza albimana (Meigen, 1830) from Finland, Santhomyza inermis Roháček, 1984 from Cyprus and Stiphrosoma cingulatum from Sweden. The second records are given of A. pallida and S. sabulosum from Italy and of the very rare C. caricis from Sweden.