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Pre-imaginal morphology of the flower fly species Graptomyza signata (Walker) is described and figured in detail based on specimens collected on a decomposed Aloe-like plant in KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa. Third-instar larva is described for the first time and the puparium morphology is re-described using both light (optical) and electron microscopy. The present work represents the second larval description for a species of the genus Graptomyza, after the description of the larva of G. alabeta Séguy. The immatures of these two Graptomyza species were examined and compared to the pre-imaginal stages of the other members of the tribe Volucellini, pointing out the possible diagnostic characters of the genus Graptomyza. Moreover, new DNA barcodes are provided for G. signata and deposited in the NCBI GenBank. The study was funded by the project of the European Union: Horizon 2020, Marie Skłodowska-Curie action, Research and Innovation Staff Exchange (RISE) Programme: FlyHigh – “Insect-plant relationships: insights into biodiversity and new applications”.

© 2018 The Linnean Society of London. For the first time in more than 30 years, a new European hoverfly genus has been discovered, Katara gen. nov. Its type species Katara connexa sp. nov. (Diptera: Syrphidae) is described from the Pindos Mountains (Greece), and the systematic position of the monotypic taxon within the tribe Rhingiini is analysed using morphological and molecular data. Phylogenetic analyses resolved Katara connexa gen. et sp. nov. as sister taxon to Pelecocera latifrons. We assert based on the molecular phylogenetic results and the morphological distinctness of Pelecocera latifrons that this taxon merits a generic rank, thus we erect the genus Pseudopelecocera gen. nov. and also place Pelecocera persiana in this new genus based on shared characteristics. Based on our results, we place Chamaesyrphus in subgeneric rank and as a sister group to the nominal subgenus Pelecocera. We provide an identification key to the Rhingiini genera. Our phylogenetic analyses recovered all speciose Rhingiini genera as monophyletic and support existence of three main lineages within the tribe: (1) genus Rhingia with two groups, Palaearctic+Neotropical and Afrotropical taxa, (2) genus Cheilosia with its subgenera, and (3) lineage with remaining genera (Pseudopelecocera gen. nov., Katara gen. nov., Ferdinandea, Psarochilosia, Psarus, Portevinia and Pelecocera).

Due to raising environmental pressures, the number of species exposed to risk of extinction is also increasing. One of the first steps in species preservation is their legal protection. However, it is impossible to protect all species, therefore, conservation priorities are to be established. The aim of this study was to analyze the environmental niches of species from two genera: Eumerus Meigen, 1822 and Platycheirus le Peletier et Serville, 1828 recognized as important for conservation in Serbia (strictly protected and protected according to national legislation or ones to be suggested for future protection). For species of genera Eumerus and Platycheirus, distributional patterns in relation to altitude, annual precipitation and annual mean temperature were established. In order to compare environmental niches of these species, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was carried out, which indicated partial overlap of the environmental niches of these two genera, but Platycheirus species seemed to be better adapted to harsher conditions. Species richness maps indicated that for Eumerus the most species-rich areas were Bačka and mountains of Eastern Serbia, while Dinaric mountains in Western Serbia were rich in species of both genera. Protecting habitats with different combination of climatic conditions will contribute to protection and conservation of species with different environmental preferences. [Project of the Serbian Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, Grant no. OI173002 and Grant no. III43002]

In this study, we investigated 3,086 adult specimens (974 females and 2,112 males) of the genus Paragus collected in the period 1950-2017 and deposited in the collections of the Department of Biology and Ecology, University of Novi Sad (FSUNS). All four subgenera of Paragus are present in the FSUNS collection. We provide data on 59 species, most of which belong to the subgenus Paragus (37), followed by Pandasyopthalmus (16), Serratoparagus (5) and Afroparagus (1). We conclude that some taxa of this genus require revision because of unresolved taxonomic problems.

Pollination is a required process for survival of numerous plant species and crops. Hoverflies (Diptera: Syrphidae) play a significant role in this phenomenon. Due to raising environmental pressures, pollinator diversity and pollination services are at risk. Faunistic studies and biodiversity research are the essential elements and steps in the process of species preservation. This study aimed to analyze diversity of hoverflies in two CORINE land cover types (Broad-leaved forest and Natural grasslands), based on a recent one-year study. To achieve this goal, Shannon?s diversity index (H), Shannon?s equitability (EH), and Jaccard similarity coefficient (Jt) were calculated. Values of indices and coefficients indicate which parts of Vojvodina and what land cover types can be considered as hoverfly reservoirs.

Responses of hoverflies (Diptera: Syrphidae) to climate change remain mostly unexplored. Here, for the first time, we investigate the impact of climate change on both presence/absence and abundances of hoverfly species. We used generalized linear models to analyse the relationships of climatic and soil variables with the occurrence and abundance of Cheilosia species on the Balkan Peninsula. Our results show that the ranges of all and the abundances of many species are projected to decrease in the future. Climatically suitable conditions for mountainous species are predicted to generally shift northwards. Species adapted to high mountains are projected to almost vanish from the Balkans and only regions of the Alps would remain suitable for them. We found climatic variables were more important in determining abundance than occurrence. Given that environmental factors differed in terms of their impact on abundance and occurrence, we highlight the importance of monitoring both parameters to ensure effective conservation. Considering the different projected responses of hoverflies to future climate change, as well as their value as pollinators and the increasing threats they currently face, knowledge on their responses to the major drivers of their life-histories is indispensable for proper management and conservation action. We reveal that nationally-designated protected areas are insufficient to conserve the species considered here, both currently and under projected climate change. We recommend implementation of an integrated conservation management plan that can provide a continuum of protected areas along the Dinaric mountain chain to facilitate movement of species to enhance species survival.

Hoverflies are a valuable group of species in need of conservation and monitoring, due to their large contribution to pollination, biological control, and role as indicators of ecosystem change. Though hoverflies are a well-known group of insects, there has been little documentation of their current conservation status. Using long-term hoverfly monitoring data, this study reports on their prevalence in Serbia and presents priority areas for their conservation. An expert-generated, criteria-driven approach was used to identify core areas for conservation of hoverflies, named Prime Hoverfly Areas (PHA); 34% of the identified area lies outside of a national protection area (NPA) network. A systematic conservation approach (gap and irreplaceability analysis) was then applied to evaluate: 1) sufficiency of the NPA for hoverfly conservation, and 2) degree of improvement in hoverfly conservation conferred by the expert-generated PHA network. The networks were evaluated for the achievement of predefined representation targets for each of the 155 hoverfly species identified as important for conservation. We found that the NPA network is insufficient, as it does not cover the ranges of 18% of considered species. The area of the proposed PHA outside of the NPA is small (1.36% of the national territory), but its protection would greatly improve hoverfly conservation by increasing the inclusion of hoverfly habitats for previously unprotected species and by including hoverfly biodiversity hot spots. The suggested PHA network was then compared to a similarly designed habitat network aimed to conserve butterflies. There was partial overlap between the two networks, highlighting the importance of considering multiple groups in planning comprehensive conservation strategies for pollinators.

A list of 25 species of the genus Eumerus Meigen (Diptera: Syrphidae) from the eastern Mediterranean islands is presented. Descriptions are given for three new species: Eumerus aurofinis Grković, Vujić & Radenković n. sp. from Lesvos, Samos, Rhodes islands (Greece) and Bozdağ mountain (Turkey), E. torsicus Grković & Vujić n. sp. from Chios Island (Greece) and Cyprus; E. crassus Grković, Vujić & Radenković n. sp. from Lesvos Island (Greece). In addition to classical morphological characters, mitochondrial COI barcode sequences were generated for several specimens of two available taxa. The status of Eumerus alpinus Rondani, 1857 is revised, and the taxon is resurrected from synonymy of E. olivaceus Loew, 1848. The zoogeographical significance of the described endemic taxa to the biodiversity of the Aegean islands is discussed.

The revision of the saproxylic hoverflies collected in Serbia from 1950 to 2010 has revealed a total of 56 species, of which Sphiximorpha subsessilis (Illiger in Rossi) is new to the Balkan Peninsula and Arctophila superbiens (Muller), Blera fallax (Linnaeus), Brachyopa panzeri Goffe, Brachyopa testacea (Fallen), Brachyopa vittata Zetterstedt and Chalcosyrphus piger (Fabricius) are new to Serbia. According to “Syrph the Net, the database of European Syrphidae”, 16 of the 56 species are threatened with extinction in Europe, while 6 species are “strictly protected” and 13 are “protected” under Serbian legislation. Distribution maps for each species, as well as new data on adult habitats, are provided. The conservation status of the saproxylic hoverflies of Serbia is discussed. The present study attempts to provide a basis for the conservation of the saproxylic hoverflies of this Balkan country.

DNA barcoding has become a useful system for linking different biological life stages, and for identification of species within a known taxonomic framework. In this study, we generated mitochondrial DNA COI barcodes using adult specimens of all 22 species of the hoverfly genus Merodon (Diptera, Syrphidae) occurring on Lesvos island (Greece). The generated COI barcodes could well discriminate between all Merodon taxa of Lesvos, except for M. loewi and M. papillus that shared the same haplotype, despite their clear morphological differences. In addition, the barcodes revealed two cases of hitherto unknown morphologically cryptic species close to M. avidus and M. nigritarsis, respectively. Because only few successful rearings of immature stages of Merodon hoverflies are available, the larval host plant remains unknown for these phytophagous taxa. The obtained COI barcode library for the Merodon spp. of Lesvos will constitute a tool to link any unknown immature stages with already known species, and thus provide important life-history information and promise for ecological studies.

Many hoverfly species of faunal and zoogeographical interest are found in Serbia's northern province of Vojvodina due to the diversity of its biotopes. In this paper, the presence of 252 species of hoverflies (Diptera: Syrphidae) from 69 genera is documented. Five species are here recorded for the first time in Serbia: Anasimyia contracta Claussen & Torp Pedersen, 1980; Anasimyia transfuga (Linnaeus, 1758); Eristalinus megacephalus (Rossi, 1794); Helophilus hybridus Loew, 1846; and Mallota fuciformis (Fabricius, 1794). One species is recorded for the first time in Vojvodina: Cheilosia brunnipennis (Becker, 1894). The records of 12 species from Vojvodina Province are the only ones on the Balkan Peninsula, while the records of 15 species are the only ones in Serbia.

An on-going study of the hoverfly fauna of the Northern Aegean Islands (Greece) has revealed the presence of four species of the genus Brachyopa Meigen. During the survey the following species were found: B. bicolor (Fallen), B. quadrimaculosa Thompson in Kaplan & Thompson, B. minima Vujic & Perez-Banon sp. nov. and an unidentified species very close to B. pilosa (Collin). Morphological characters and mitochondrial COI barcodes were used to link different life stages of B. minima , and to identify a larval specimen of B. bicolor . In this study adult and larval morphology and habitat preferences for B. minima are described. The description of larval morphology of B. bicolor and Brachyopa sp. aff. pilosa is amended too . An identification key to the adults of the B. quadrimaculosa group sensu Kassebeer (2002) in the Eastern Mediterranean (Greece, Israel and Turkey) is provided. The importance of specific microhabitats for the continued existence of these taxa is discussed.