A taxonomic review of the Palpada ruficeps species group, with the description of a new flower fly from Colombia (Diptera: Syrphidae)

A new species of flower flies, Palpada prietorum Mengual spec. nov. (Diptera: Syrphidae: Eristalinae) is described from Cali, Colombia. The new species belongs to the ruficeps subgroup in the vinetorum species group. An identification key is provided for the species of the ruficeps subgroup, as well as a comparison of morphological diagnostic characters to separate these taxa. Fragments of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene, the D2-3 region of the nuclear 28S rRNA gene and the nuclear internal transcribed spacer (ITS2) are supplied for two species, Palpada prietorum spec. nov. and Palpada ruficeps (Macquart, 1842)

Attracted to feed, not to be fed upon – on the biology of Toxomerus basalis (Walker, 1836), the kleptoparasitic ‘sundew flower fly’ (Diptera: Syrphidae)

The complete life history of the kleptoparasitic ‘sundew flower fly’, Toxomerus basalis, is presented and illustrated. Adults of this species are photographed alive for the first time, including video recordings of larval and adult behaviour. Adult flies of both sexes visit Drosera (sundews) and show territorial behaviour around the plants, avoiding the dangerous sticky traps and demonstrating recognition of their larval host plant. Females lay eggs directly on non-sticky parts of the Drosera host plants, such as on the lower surface of the leaves and flower stalks, but apparently also on other plants growing in close proximity with the sundews.2018 fieldwork in Minas Gerais by AF and PMG was supported by travel funding from the project ‘SNSB-Innovativ 2018’ by the SNSB – Staatliche Naturwissenschaftliche Sammlungen Bayerns (Bavarian Natural History Collections, Germany) to AF. PMG thanks The Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund for financial support for field work at Serra do Padre Ângelo (grant 192522325). Fieldwork was conducted under research permit granted by the Authorization and Information System in Biodiversity (SisBio), from the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio) (#67026-1) to PMG

What's inside the hole? A review of European dendrolimnetic moth flies (Diptera: Psychodidae: Psychodinae)

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Integrative taxonomy of Iberian Merodon species (Diptera, Syrphidae)

The genus Merodon Meigen, 1803 (Syrphidae, Diptera), with more than 50 European species, is primarily distributed in the Mediterranean region, there being 34 species that occur in the Iberian Peninsula. The morphological variation found within some species from the Iberian Peninsula prompted us to test their taxonomic status by integrating morphological and molecular data. We generated partial sequences of the mitochondrial, protein-coding gene cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI), the nuclear, internal transcribed spacer (ITS2) region, and the D2 region of thenuclear 28S rRNA gene. COI and ITS2 sequences were obtained for most included taxa. The variability of the COI sequences showed great differences between the studied species groups, exhibiting an interspecific range from 0.29% to 12.5% between ingroup taxa. Closely related taxa of the aureus complex (e.g. M. quercetorum and M. legionensis) presented identical COI sequences. The obtained ITS2 sequences showed low intraspecific variability, and only a few taxa presented more than one genotype. Species status and delimitation were discussed for all taxa in the light of available morphological and molecular character information. Using the obtained sequence data for COI and 28S we inferred the phylogenetic relationships of the included taxa, using parsimony analysis. Separate analysis of the COI sequences identified four, quite well supportedclades within Merodon, the desuturinus, albifrons, nigritarsis and aureus groups. Combined analysis of the COI and 28S genes produced a topology similar to the COI topology.Ministry of Science and Environmental Protection of Serbia (Grant Number 143037), the Provincial Secretariat for Science and Technological Development (Maintenance of biodiversity–“Hot spots” on the Balkan and Iberian Peninsula), the Spanish Ministerio de Medio Ambiente (MMA-040/2002), the Spanish Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia (CGL2005-0713/BOS and grant number AP2003-3998) and Generalitat Valenciana (ACOMP06/063)

Species of Syrphidae (Insecta: Diptera) of the UCLA University Park, Lara State, Venezuela

Los Syrphidae constituyen una de las familias del orden Diptera con mayor abundancia y riqueza de especies en diferentes tipos de hábitats. Existen unos 202 géneros y más de 6000 especies descritas, agrupadas en las subfamilias Eristalinae, Microdontinae, Syrphinae y Pipizinae. Las larvas de la mayor parte de las especies de la subfamilia Syrphinae son depredadoras de una amplia gama de hemípteros de cuerpo blando. Las principales presas son los áfidos (Aphididae), escamas (Coccoidea) y aleuródidos (Aleyrodidae). El objetivo del trabajo fue conocer las especies de Syrphidae (Insecta: Diptera) presentes en el Parque Universitario de la Universidad Centroccidental Lisandro Alvarado (UCLA) en el Estado Lara, Venezuela. En el campo, los sírfidos adultos fueron capturados con red entomológica y trampa Malaise, con una frecuencia quincenal desde enero de 2013 hasta diciembre de 2015, mientras que la obtención de los estados inmaduros se realizó cortando ramas y hojas que contenían huevos y larvas junto a sus presas (en el caso de las especies con larvas depredadoras). Todos los ejemplares fueron montados, etiquetados y depositados en el Museo de Entomología José Manuel Osorio (MJMO), Decanato de Agronomía de la UCLA. El muestreo dio como resultado la obtención de 458 individuos representantes de la familia Syrphidae agrupados en 10 géneros y 32 especies. Las especies Ocyptamus aff. arx, Ocyptamus pumilus (Austen), Palpada albifrons (Wiedemann) y P. pusio (Wiedemann) se registran por primera vez para Venezuela. Cabe destacar que se citan también por primera vez para Venezuela los géneros Lepidomyia Loew, Paragodon Thompson y Polybiomya Shannon.Syrphidae is one of the families of the order Diptera with greatest abundance and richness of species in different types of habitats. There are about 202 genera and more than 6000 described species, grouped in the subfamilies Eristalinae, Microdontinae, Syrphinae and Pipizinae. Adults are often associated with flowers from which they obtain pollen and nectar as a source of energy and food. The larvae of the Syrphidae present a very varied morphology and a great diversity of ways of life. Larvae of most species of the subfamily Syrphinae are predators of a wide range of soft-bodied Hemiptera. The main prey are aphids (Aphididae), scale insects (Coccoidea) and whiteflies (Aleyrodidae).The present research was carried out in order to survey the species of Syrphidae (Insecta: Diptera) present in the University Park of the Universidad Centroccidental Lisandro Alvarado (UCLA), in the State of Lara, Venezuela. In the field, adult flower flies were collected with an entomological hand-net and with the help of Malaise traps every 15 days from January 2013 until December 2015, while the sampling of the immature stages was done by cutting branches and leaves containing eggs and larvae next to their prey (in the case of species with predatory larvae). Adult individuals were pinned, properly labeled and deposited in the Museum of Entomology José Manuel Osorio (MJMO), Deanery of Agronomy, UCLA. The study resulted in 458 specimens of Syrphidae from ten different genera, representing 32 species. Ocyptamus aff. arx, Ocyptamus pumilus (Austen), Palpada albifrons (Wiedemann) and P. pusio (Wiedemann) are species reported for the first time for Venezuela. Genera Lepidomyia Loew, Paragodon Thompson and Polybiomya Shannon are documented for Venezuela for the first time.Consejo de Desarrollo Científico, Humanístico y Tecnológico (CDCHT-UCLA) [proyecto 006-AG-2013]

Revision of the morphology, phylogenetic relationships, behaviour and diversity of the Iberian and Italian ant-like Tachydromia Meigen, 1803 (Diptera: Hybotidae)

Phylogenetic inference, based on five molecular markers (COI, 28S, AATS, 12S, PGD), corroborates the synonymy of the flightless genera Pieltainia Arias, 1919 and Ariasella Gil, 1923 with Tachydromia Meigen, 1803. The secondary structure of the 28S rRNA gene is used for the first time in this family to align the multiple sequences. Molecular and morphological data are largely congruent for all known species of flightless Tachydromia. This paper treats ten western Mediterranean species (nine Iberian and one Italian) in detail, including the description of four new species: T. ebejeri Gonçalves, Grootaert & Andrade sp. nov., T. stenoptera Gonçalves, Grootaert & Andrade sp. nov., T. cantabrica Gonçalves, Grootaert & Andrade sp. nov. and T. nigrohirta Gonçalves, Grootaert & Andrade sp. nov. The male of Tachydromia pieltaini (Gil Collado, 1936) and the female of Tachydromia apterygon Plant & Deeming, 2006 are described for the first time, while a lectotype is assigned to Tachydromia pandellei (Séguy, 1941). A key to all non-macropterous Tachydromia is supplied. Knowledge on the geographic distribution of most species is considerably enhanced. The mating behaviour of Tachydromia semiaptera (Gil Collado, 1923) and Tachydromia iberica (Arias, 1919) is documented for the first time, and we propose a change in the definition of terms apterous and micropterous to properly accommodate the diversity of wing states in this cluster of species.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

A conspectus of the flower fly genus Allograpta (Diptera: Syrphidae) with description of a new subgenus and species

A new subgenus [Allograpta (Costarica Mengual & Thompson), type Allograpta zumbadoi Thompson], and one new species [Allograpta (Costarica) nishida Mengual & Thompson; type-locality: Costa Rica, type-depository: Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad de Costa Rica] of flower flies (Diptera: Syrphidae) are described from the Neotropical biotic region. A checklist of the world species of Allograpta including synonyms is provided, and a key to and diagnoses of the subgenera are also supplied. The phylogenetic relationships among Allograpta species, representing all hitherto detected morphological diversity of the genus, and related genera were studied under parsimony based on morphological characters

Filling gaps in flower fly distributions: first record of Aneriophora aureorufa (Philippi, 1865) (Diptera, Syrphidae) from Argentina

The genus Aneriophora Stuardo & Cortés 1952, previously considered endemic to Chile, is recorded for the first time from Argentina. Specimens of Aneriophora aureorufa (Philippi, 1865) were collected in Neuquén Province and deposited in the entomological collection of the Instituto Argentino de Zonas Áridas, Mendoza, Argentina. A diagnosis, distribution map, and photographs of A. aureorufa are provided.Fil: López García, Guillermo Pablo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas. Provincia de Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas; ArgentinaFil: Barahona Segovia, Rodrigo Moisés. Laboratorio de Ecología de Ambientes Fragmentados; Chile. Citizen Science Program; Chile. Centro de Estudios en Ecología Espacial y Medio Ambiente; ChileFil: Maza, Noelia. Universidad Nacional de Tucuman. Facultad de Agronomia y Zootecnia. Cátedra de Zoología Agrícola; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Dominguez, Martha Cecilia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas. Provincia de Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas; ArgentinaFil: Mengual, Ximo. Zoologisches Forschungsmuseum Alexander Koenig; Alemani

Where Is My Food? Brazilian Flower Fly Steals Prey from Carnivorous Sundews in a Newly Discovered Plant-Animal Interaction

A new interaction between insects and carnivorous plants is reported from Brazil. Larvae of the predatory flower fly Toxomerus basalis (Diptera: Syrphidae: Syrphinae) have been found scavenging on the sticky leaves of several carnivorous sundew species (Drosera, Droseraceae) in Minas Gerais and São Paulo states, SE Brazil. This syrphid apparently spends its whole larval stage feeding on prey trapped by Drosera leaves. The nature of this plant-animal relationship is discussed, as well as the Drosera species involved, and locations where T. basalis was observed. 180 years after the discovery of this flower fly species, its biology now has been revealed. This is (1) the first record of kleptoparasitism in the Syrphidae, (2) a new larval feeding mode for this family, and (3) the first report of a dipteran that shows a kleptoparasitic relationship with a carnivorous plant with adhesive flypaper traps. The first descriptions of the third instar larva and puparium of T. basalis based on Scanning Electron Microscope analysis are provided