Platypalpus aliterolamellatus Kovalev (Diptera, Hybotidae) new to Britain and Norway

The hybotid Platypalpus aliterolamellatus Kovalev, 1971 is recorded as a species new to the British Isles and Norway based on material obtained from exposed riverine sediments. The key to British Platypalpus is modified to accommodate this species. Whilst collecting flies from river shingle on the River Tummel in 2015, I swept two female specimens of Platypalpus aliterolamellatus Kovalev, 1971, which were identified using the key by Grootaert and Chvála (1992). This is the first record of this species in Britain. Both specimens were swept from the vegetated sand and shingle toe of Ballinluig Shingle Island (NN9753, MidPerthshire V.C. 88) on 9.vii.2015. Ballinluig Island is an extensive deposit of cobble, shingle and sand with various stages of vegetational development from bare substrate to closed canopy woodland. The site is well-known for its diverse assemblage of specialist insects of exposed riverine sediments. Other species of Platypalpus collected from the immediate area were P. candicans (Fallén) and P. interstinctus (Collin), whilst a single P. optivus (Collin) was swept off thinly vegetated loose sand higher up the bar; P. minutus (Meigen), P. notatus (Meigen), P. pallidiventris (Meigen), P. albifacies (Collin) and P. interstinctus were collected off nearby cobbles with scattered vegetation