Kaszab Zoltán (szerk.): A Magyar Természettudományi Múzeum évkönyve 68. (Budapest 1976)
Papp, L. ; Plachter, H.: On cave-dwelling Sphaeroceridae from Hungary and Germany (Diptera)
zone (about 10 m from the entrance) there are specimens of L. silvatica, L. penetralis and L. claviventris and possibly some of the specimens of the two troglophilous species, which live in the aphotic inner parts (max. at 18 m). In summer many specimens of C. (Fungobia) nitida and some specimens of the three C. (Crumomyia) species live near the entrance. The second peak (about 10 m) indicates the specimens of C. glabrifrons and C. glaciális, with the latter giving the last peak (20 m) (Fig. IB). In winter (Dec. — Febr.) there are almost no Copromyza specimens in the caves. Only those hemitroglophilous species of the genus Limosina, which tend to be troglophilous (L. silvatica, L. penetralis, L. claviventris) can be found in the caves at 10-20 m from the entrance in winter. In that season the true troglophilous species live and breed from 40-50 m from the entrance (Fig. 1A). Thus, the real distribution of the species is entirely different from the one, which we may except by the superficial glance: the Sphaerocerid species generally do not take cover in the frost-free caves in winter, but contrarily, the species in the forests, which are psychropilous, scotophilous and which like high humidity, live in the caves temporarily in summer. These species are found near the entrance, where they can find free space and favourable ecological conditions sometimes even for the breeding of their larvae (cf. Fig. 2). So the Sphaerocerids may be so frequent near the entrance in summer that we can find some thousand specimens in one place (300-800 spec./ m 2 ). They are living at 1-20 m from entrance under stones, among and under treeleaves, which the wind whirls into the caves. In the interior of the caves the Sphaerocerids live during the whole year, but they are only the true troglophilous species. These latter can be found mainly isolated, but in some places their abundance may reach the value of 20-50 specim./m 2 . In every place where they were collected some kinds of dead organic material were found (mainly rotten wood, sometimes cadavers of dead animals). 51 dead mice were placed into the caves as decoys, and Brachyceran fly larvae were detected in most of them some two months later. Fig. 2. Average number of the Sphaerocerid specimens in the four biggest caves (C 9, A 56. D 195, H 2) during one year (Nov. 1974—Oct. 1975, Germany); white columns = = Limosina species, black columns = Coprornyza species.
