Review of the Genus Sciara Meigen, 1803 (Diptera, Sciaridae) in Ukraine

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Sciarids (Diptera, Sciaridae) are small, mostly dark-colored insects whose larvae usually develop in decaying remains of plants that are penetrated by fungal hyphae. Typical habitats for sciarids are shady forests and wet meadows, but some species can migrate from natural biotopes to anthropogenic ecosystems and live as synanthropes. The genus Sciara Meigen, 1803 is an original genus of the Sciaridae family and includes 55 valid Sciara species in the world fauna. Sciara species play an important role as detritivores, facilitating the decomposition of decaying wood and leaf litter in biotopes. In the paper, the diversity of Sciara in Ukraine is analyzed with some remarks on their ecology, phenology and distribution. ABSTRACT: On the territory of Ukraine during the field seasons 2015–2022, we collected eight Sciara species—S. analis Schiner, 1864, S. flavimana Zetterstedt, 1851, S. hebes (Loew, 1869), S. helvola Winnertz, 1867, S. hemerobioides (Scopoli, 1763), S. humeralis Zetterstedt, 1851, S. incerta Winnertz, 1867 and S. ruficauda Meigen, 1818. All specimens are kept in the collections of the Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology NAS of Ukraine (SIZK). According to the results of our research, the four species S. flavimana, S. hebes, S. helvola and S. incerta are being registered for the first time in Ukraine. New localities are given for S. analis, S. hemerobioides, S. humeralis and S. ruficauda. The distribution, morphological peculiarities, ecology and phenology of registered species are also briefly discussed. A key to 12 European Sciara species is given.