Sepsidae Walker, 1833

Small to medium-sized flies (body length 2.0-7.0 mm). Head rounded to slightly elongate, antennal arista bare, diverging postvertical setae always present as well as inner vertical and ocellar setae. Vibrissae absent, but strong peristomal setae may be present, palpi nearly always minute. Thorax elongate; arrangement of thoracic bristles and extent of microtomentose parts are useful taxonomic characters. Metathoracic spiracle with one to several setae along posterior and lower margin. Fore legs, especially in males, often with peculiar armature consisting of strong bristles, tubercles, and emarginations, hind tibia often with an osmeterium. Wing clear or with a smoky tip, often with a dark spot near tip or with a somewhat milky-white tip. Costa unbroken, subcosta complete, anal vein short and ending well before wing margin. Abdomen usually narrowed at base, giving rise to the ant-like appearance of the flies. Male ventrites often modified; epandrium large, shape of surstyli species-specific. Female ovipositor short, cerci short, two spermathecae. For further details on the adult morphology, see Pont and Meier (2002). The eggs are oval, with long respiratory horns. The larva is white or yellowish-white, maggot-like, cylindrical, with a somewhat bulbous posterior end. The larvae are saprophagous, coprophagous or necrophagous. The food of the larval Sepsidae includes a wide range of decaying organic materials, excrements of mammals and birds, dead snails, carrion and rotting fungi. For further details on the larvae, see Meier (1996), and Ozerov and Meier (1995).

Altogether 44 species are known to occur in Europe (Pont & Meier 2002); 31 are listed in the present checklist; 30 in the Czech Republic (29 in Bohemia, 23 in Moravia), and 27 in Slovakia. Since the ECV1, the number of species has increased by two in the Czech Republic (both in Bohemia) and by one in Slovakia (Preisler & Barták 2007, Barták 2009, Barták & Roháček 2009). The species-richness of the sepsid fauna is moderately well known in both the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

The basic characteristics of the family have been given by Pont and Meier (2002). All the Central European species may be identified using the keys and figures in that monograph. The nomenclature of the Fauna Europaea (Meier 2007) is used in the present checklist.

This paper was partly supported by IRP MSM 6046070901 (Ministry of education, youth and sports).