Muscaphis (Muscaphis) musci Börner, 1933

Muscaphis (Muscaphis) musci Börner, 1933 View in CoL

( Figs 2–3 View Figures 1–5 , 7, 9 View Figures 6–9 )

Material: Hungary, Heves county, Bükk Mts, Eger, Nagy Eged, open karst forest, Hypnum cupressiforme colonies on the bark of Quercus pubescens Wild. , 440 m a.s.l., N 47.9259° E 20.4104°, leg. Gy. Dudás, J. Varga, 22.i.2024, 6 viviparous apterous females and 7 larvae.

Morphology. Apterae BL 758μm, pale brown or dark olive- green. Siphunculi reddish brown, cylindrical; apex truncate without constriction or flange; aperture terminal.

Distribution and ecology. Recorded from several countries in Europe ( Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Poland, Switzerland, UK) and in the USA. The life cycle is uncertain: alate males have been collected in Germany and Poland ( Wilkaniec & Borowiak-Sobkowiak 2009) and it is possibly heteroecious holocyclic with an unknown primary host, but collection of active stages in the cold season ( Müller 1973 - under the name M. stammeri Börner, 1952 ) indicates that it can be partially anholocyclic. Muscaphis musci has been recorded from the mosses Atrichum undulatum (Hedw.) P.Beauv. , Amblystegium serpens (Hedw.) Schimp. , Barbula Hedw. sp. , Brachytheciastrum velutinum (Hedw.) Ignatov & Huttunen , Brachythecium rutabulum (Hedw.) Schimp. , Bryum Hedw. sp. , Calliergon (Sull.) Kindb. sp. , Calliergonella cuspidata, Hyocomium armoricum (Brid.) Wijk & Margad. Loeskeobryum brevirostre (Brid.) M.Fleisch. , Plagiomnium undulatum , Polytrichum commune Hedw. , Polytrichum juniperinum Hedw. , Pseudoscleropodium purum, Rhynchostegium confertum (Dicks.) Schimp., Rhytidiadelphus squarrosus, Tortula muralis Hedw. (compiled from Albrecht 2015 and Blackman & Eastop 2024, nomenclature updated according to Hodgetts et al. 2020).

It was collected together with Pseudacaudella rubida from the same colonies of their new host plant, Hypnum cupressiforme . The two species were coexisting in samples taken both from ground level of the bark, and from one meter high on the stem. Several specimens, both adults and larvae were found despite the winter season. Ants were not found in the samples, and the community was poor both in species and specimens ( Table 1); however, several predators were present, e.g., juvenile spiders and pseudoscorpions.