Unmasking the bycatch: New records and faunistic value of Phoridae from CO₂-baited traps in Slovakia

Bernd Grundmann; Katarína Loziaková Peňazziová; Tomáš Csank; Zuzana Pačanská; Soňa Pivka; Jozef Oboňa

doi:10.2478/cszma-2026-0004

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Unmasking the bycatch: New records and faunistic value of Phoridae from CO₂-baited traps in Slovakia

Acta Musei Silesiae, Scientiae Naturales

Volume 75 (2026): Issue 1 (July 2026)

By: Bernd Grundmann , Katarína Loziaková Peňazziová , Tomáš Csank , Zuzana Pačanská , Soňa Pivka and Jozef Oboňa

Open Access

|Jul 2026

Abstract

Carbon dioxide–baited BG-Sentinel 2 traps are widely used for mosquito surveillance, but their bycatch (often dismissed as irrelevant) can reveal surprising biodiversity. In this study, we analyzed the non-target captures from 414 such traps deployed at 16 localities across Slovakia in 2024, focusing on the scuttle fly family Phoridae. Despite a modest detection rate of 6.52 %, we identified 44 phorid species, including five recorded in Slovakia for the first time: Conicera similis, Diplonevra freyi, Pseudacteon lundbecki, Megaselia insons, and M. mimodensior. These findings raise the known national phorid fauna from 254 to 259 species. Several species such as Megaselia albocingulata, M. verralli, and M. involuta were widespread and abundant, suggesting ecological generalism. Others appeared only once, highlighting the value of broad and sustained sampling. Our results underscore the untapped potential of repurposing CO₂ trap bycatch for biodiversity research – an efficient, cost-effective tool to uncover hidden insect diversity.

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Articles in this issue

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/cszma-2026-0004 | Journal eISSN: 2336-3207 | Journal ISSN: 2336-3193

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Language: English

Page range: 40 - 48

Published on: Jul 14, 2026

Published by: Silesian Museum in Opava

In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services

Publication frequency: 3 issues per year

Keywords:

traps,

Related subjects:

Zoology,

Ecology,

Life sciences, other

© 2026 Bernd Grundmann, Katarína Loziaková Peňazziová, Tomáš Csank, Zuzana Pačanská, Soňa Pivka, Jozef Oboňa, published by Silesian Museum in Opava
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Volume 75 (2026): Issue 1 (July 2026)