Sylvicola fenestralis

Sylvicola fenestralis
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Clade: Pancrustacea
Class: Insecta
Order: Diptera
Family: Anisopodidae
Subfamily: Anisopodinae
Genus: Sylvicola
Species:
S. fenestralis
Binomial name
Sylvicola fenestralis
(Scopoli, 1763)

Sylvicola fenestralis, the window gnat, is a medium gnat (6–10 mm) of the family Anisopodidae. It is found in the Palearctic[1][2][3] and inhabits filters of sewage treatment works.[4] Sylvicola fenestralis larvae has been reduced by up to 98% in biological filters by the microbial insecticide Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis[5].

Description

As adults, Sylvicola fenestralis are stout-bodied, long-legged Nematoceran flies. Their wings are long and narrow, with dark spots occurring from the subcostal to the medial cells. The anal cells are open.[6]

Sylvicola fenestralis possesses a hypoproct that is as wide as it is high with distinctively posterior emargination occurring behind the median pubescent lobes. The hypoproct of the female extends posteromedially and the genital fork lacks median sclerotized rods. The gonostyle is narrow. [7]

The surface of the ommatidium of the species displays distinctive "anastomosing and bifurcating ridges" in a cerebral cortex-like pattern[8].

Taxonomy

Sylvicola fenestralis was first described in 1763 by Giovanni Antonio Scopoli as Tipula fenestralis[9].

Additional invalid names or synonyms for the species include:

  • Sylvicola diversipes (Fitch 1923)[10]
  • Anisopus nebulosus (Meigen, 1804)[11]
  • Rhyphus infuscatus (Macquart, 1834)[11]
  • Sylvicola brevis (Harris, 1780)[11]
  • Sylvicola diversipes (Edwards, 1923; Finch 1923, Fitch 1923)[11]

Distribution and habitat

Sylvicola fenestralis range widely across Europe; from Ireland to north-west Russia[12][13]. Adult flies of Anisopodidae are often found in forest habitats[14] on decaying organic materials[15], or in and around house gardens and windows.

Life

Sylvicola fenestralis possesses four larval instars.[4] Larval S. fenestralis are beneficial grazers[16]. It is not until adulthood that these flies become nuisances, although they do not bite. S. fenestralis typically become nuisances in biological filters in the Spring and Summer[16].

References

  1. ↑ Fauna Europaea
  2. ↑ Bei-Bienko, G.Y. & Steyskal, G.C. (1988) Keys to the Insects of the European Part of the USSR, Volume V: Diptera and Siphonaptera, Part I. Amerind Publishing Co., New Delhi. ISBN 81-205-0080-6 ISBN 81-205-0081-4
  3. ↑ Séguy, E. (1940) Diptères: Nématocères. Paris: Éditions Faune de France.Faune n° 36 Bibliothèque virtuelle numérique
  4. 1 2 Coombs, R. M.; Cleworth, M. A.; Davies, D. H. (1997-01-01). "Determination of instar for the window gnat Sylvicola fenestralis (Diptera: Anisopodidae)". Water Research. 31 (1): 186–193. Bibcode:1997WatRe..31..186C. doi:10.1016/S0043-1354(96)00236-9. ISSN 0043-1354.
  5. ↑ Coombs, R. M.; Dancer, B. N.; Davies, D. H.; Houston, J.; Learner, M. A. (1991-05-01). "The use of Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis to control the nuisance fly Sylvicola fenestralis (Anisopodidae) in sewage filter beds". Water Research. 25 (5): 605–611. Bibcode:1991WatRe..25..605C. doi:10.1016/0043-1354(91)90133-B. ISSN 0043-1354.
  6. ↑ Kurina, O. (2006). "A review of Estonian wood gnats (Diptera: Anisopodidae)" (PDF). Sahlbergia. 11: 18–22.
  7. ↑ Kolcsár, Levente-Péter; Dvořák, Libor; Beuk, Paul (2016-02-08). "New records of Sylvicola (Diptera: Anisopodidae) from Romania". Biodiversity Data Journal. 4 (4) e7861. Bibcode:2016BioDJ...4.7861K. doi:10.3897/BDJ.4.e7861. ISSN 1314-2828. PMC 4759406. PMID 26929721.
  8. ↑ Anderson, Mark S.; Gaimari, Stephen D. (June 2003). "Raman-atomic force microscopy of the ommatidial surfaces of Dipteran compound eyes". Journal of Structural Biology. 142 (3): 364–368. doi:10.1016/S1047-8477(03)00026-1. PMID 12781663.
  9. ↑ Bánki, Olaf; Roskov, Yury; Döring, Markus; Ower, Geoff; Hernández Robles, Diana Raquel; Plata Corredor, Camila Andrea; Stjernegaard Jeppesen, Thomas; Örn, Ari; Pape, Thomas; Hobern, Donald; Garnett, Stephen; Little, Holly; DeWalt, R. Edward; Miller, Joe; Orrell, Thomas; Aalbu, Rolf; Abbott, John; Abreu, Cristina; Acero P, Arturo; Acevedo-Charry, Orlando; Adriaens, Tim; Aedo, Carlos; Aescht, E.; Agboola, Babajide; Agosti, Donat; Agudelo-Zamora, Henry D.; Ahlmer, Wolfgang; Ahyong, Shane; Akhoundi, Mohammad; Aldea, Cristian (2026). "Catalogue of Life | COL". Catalogue of Life Foundation. doi:10.48580/dgykv. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  10. ↑ "ITIS - Report: Sylvicola diversipes". www.itis.gov. Retrieved 2026-08-27.
  11. 1 2 3 4 "Sylvicola fenestralis (Scopoli, 1763) | COL". www.catalogueoflife.org. Retrieved 2026-08-27.
  12. ↑ "Sylvicola fenestralis | fauna-europaea". portal.cybertaxonomy.org. Retrieved 2026-08-22.
  13. ↑ "Window Gnat (Sylvicola fenestralis)". iNaturalist. Retrieved 2026-08-22.
  14. ↑ "Google Scholar". scholar.google.com. Retrieved 2026-08-20.
  15. ↑ Krivosheina, N. P. (October 2008). "Macromycete fruit bodies as a habitat for dipterans (Insecta, Diptera)". Entomological Review. 88 (7): 778–792. Bibcode:2008EntRv..88..778K. doi:10.1134/S0013873808070038. ISSN 0013-8738.
  16. 1 2 Coombs, R.M.; Cleworth, M.A.; Davies, D.H. (January 1997). "Determination of instar for the window gnat Sylvicola fenestralis (Diptera: Anisopodidae)". Water Research. 31 (1): 186–193. Bibcode:1997WatRe..31..186C. doi:10.1016/S0043-1354(96)00236-9.
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