Fungus gnat diversity in a semi-urban habitat in Slovakia: insights from an unconventional trapping method

This study presents the first comprehensive dataset of fungus gnats (Diptera: Bibionomorpha) collected with BG-Sentinel traps baited with CO2. Sampling was conducted from July to October 2023 in Zoo Košice, a semi-urban area in eastern Slovakia. In total, 121 species were recorded, including eight newly documented for the Slovak fauna, viz., Mycomya (Mycomyopsis) permixta Väisänen, 1984, Brevicornu intermedium Santos Abreu, 1920, Exechia repandoides Caspers, 1984, Exechiopsis (Xenexechia) seducta Plassmann, 1976, Mycetophila abiecta (Laštovka, 1963), Phronia coritanica Chandler, 1992, Trichonta icenica Edwards, 1925, and Trichonta comica Gagné, 1981. These results considerably broaden current knowledge of fungus gnat diversity in Slovakia and highlight the effectiveness of non-standard trapping methods in revealing hidden biodiversity within semi-urban habitats.