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Seven species of the genus Pipiza, collected throughout the southern and western Balkans, were used for the analysis of habitat preferences and potential geographical distribution on the Balkan Peninsula. The analyzed species show a wide and uneven distribution across the delineated geographical-biogeographical regions. The highest number of species noted is from two regions - the Dinaric mountain chain and the Pannonian and subpannonian regions (seven and six). Land cover patch analysis revealed that forests dominate the landscape surroundings of the analyzed species. “Presenceonly models” developed by Maxent support the understanding of the distribution and ecology of each analyzed species. The low probability values of current potential distribution correspond to large non-forested and fragmented forest areas, where, on the other hand, relatively high probabilities overlap with areas of deciduous forests across the peninsula. Results confirm species preference to forest landscapes and emphasize the need for local scale analysis. The studies are of importance in developing regional monitoring schemes and conservation strategies.

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.

In the Petrovaradinski Rit marsh region, the composition, dynamics and importance of the food components of three syntopic anuran species of the genus Pelophylax were analyzed through all the seasons of their activity in order to determine the vulnerability of each species in the trophic competition. The results of the studies have shown that the trophic niche breadth, according to the importance index of contents, was the smallest for the species Pelophylax kl. esculentus and largest for the species Pelophylax ridibundus, meaning that the species Pelophylax kl. esculentus has the most uniform diet and is therefore most vulnerable to competition by other species. .

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.

This paper describes two related species of the subgenus Paragus (Paragus) Latreille 1804 from two remote regions. The study of material from the Bohart Museum (Davis, California, United States) resulted in the discovery of an undescribed Nearctic species, P. vockerothi sp.nov. Simultaneously, one similar new European species, P. glumaci sp.nov., is reported among material collected from the Balkan Peninsula. The description of both species, with figures of male genitalia and diagnostic characters, is given. The zoogeographical significance of the discovery of these species is emphasized.

The aim of this work was to determine the content of the residues of the most commonly detected organohalogens and polychlorinated biphenyls in biomaterial. It is also the introduction of frogs as a new fine indicator of pollution in aquatic and terrestrial systems, due to their abundance all over Europe and their habitats in still and running waters. The residues of organohalogens and polyaromatic hydrocarbons in frog liver samples were taken from four sites - the river Danube and canal DTD in Vojvodina (northern part of Serbia), from the river Dubasnica near the town of Bor and in the Zlot canyon, Serbia, Yugoslavia. They were determined using gas chromatography with mass detector (GC/MS) and they indicate the high level of contamination of the chosen aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems by HCH, PCB, PAH and herbicides.

Descriptions are given of three new cryptic species of Merodon Meigen (Diptera: Syrphidae) from the island of Lesvos (Greece): Merodon latifemoris Radenkovic et Vujic n. sp. from the nigritarsis species group, Merodon pulveris Vujic et Radenkovic n. sp. from the natans species group and Merodon puniceus Vujic, Radenkovic et Perez-Banon n. sp. from the aureus species group. In addition to classical morphological characters, mitochondrial COI barcode sequences were generated for several specimens of each taxon.

After many years studying hoverflies (Diptera: Syrphidae) throughout Macedonia we have compiled a list of 262 taxa from 69 genera. This comes from reviewing collections in the Macedonian Museum of Natural History – Skopje (SKO) and Department of Biology and Ecology – Novi Sad (DBE), and reviewing all references in the literature to Syrphidae in Macedonia. Thirty eight (38) taxa are now published for the first time in Macedonia: Chamaesyrphus escorialensis (Strobl, 1909), Cheilosia frontalis Loew, 1857, Cheilosia grisella (Becker, 1894), Cheilosia hypena Becker, 1894, Cheilosia melanura Becker, 1894 ssp. melanura sensu Vujić, 1996, Chrysotoxum intermedium Meigen, 1822, Criorhina pachymera Egger, 1858, Epistrophe grossulariae (Meigen, 1822), Eristalinus megacephalus (Rossi, 1794), Eristalis jugorum Egger, 1858, Eumerus argyropus Loew, 1848, Eumerus clavatus Becker, 1923, Eumerus sulcitibus Rondani, 1868, Eupeodes lapponicus (Zetterstedt, 1838), Eupeodes latifasciatus (Macquart, 1829), Ferdinandea ruficornis (Fabricius, 1775), Helophilus pendulus (Linnaeus, 1758), Mallota fuciformis (Fabricius, 1794), Megasyrphus erraticus (Linnaeus, 1758), Meligramma cingulata (Egger, 1860), Meligramma euchroma (Kowarz, 1885), Merodon nanus Sack, 1931, Microdon miki Doczkal et Schmid, 1999, Myolepta obscura Becher, 1882, Neoascia meticulosa (Scopoli, 1763), Orthonevra frontalis (Loew, 1843), Paragus albifrons (Fallen, 1817), Paragus constrictus Šimić, 1986, Parasyrphus punctulatus (Verrall, 1873), Parasyrphus vittiger (Zetterstedt, 1843), Pipizella annulata (Macquart, 1829), Pipizella speighti Verlinden, 1999, Riponnensia longicornis (Loew, 1843), Riponnensia morini Vujic, 1999, Sphegina clavata (Scopoli, 1763), Sphegina elegans Schummel, 1843, Spilomyia triangularis van Steenis, 2000, Temnostoma meridionale Krivosheina et Mamayev, 1962., Nakon višegodišnjih istraživanja faune muha pršilica (Diptera: Syrphidae) u Makedoniji je utvrđeno 262 taksona iz 69 rodova,a na osnovi pregledanih zbirki Prirodonaučnog muzeja Makedonije - Skopje (SKO) i Zavoda za biologiju i ekologiju - Novi Sad (DBE) te revizije svih literaturnih podataka koji su se odnosili na muhe pršilice s područja Makedonije. Trideset i osam taksona prvi put je utvrđeno za faunu Makedonije: Chamaesyrphus escorialensis (Strobl, 1909.), Cheilosia frontalis Loew, 185.7, Cheilosia grisella (Becker, 1894.), Cheilosia hypena Becker, 1894., Cheilosia melanura Becker, 1894. ssp. melanura sensu Vujić, 1996., Chrysotoxum intermedium Meigen, 1822., Criorhina pachymera Egger, 1858., Epistrophe grossulariae (Meigen, 1822.), Eristalinus megacephalus (Rossi, 1794.), Eristalis jugorum Egger, 1858., Eumerus argyropus Loew, 1848., Eumerus clavatus Becker, 1923., Eumerus sulcitibus Rondani, 1868., Eupeodes lapponicus (Zetterstedt, 1838.), Eupeodes latifasciatus (Macquart, 1829.), Ferdinandea ruficornis (Fabricius, 1775.), Helophilus pendulus (Linnaeus, 1758.), Mallota fuciformis (Fabricius, 1794.), Megasyrphus erraticus (Linnaeus, 1758.), Meligramma cingulata (Egger, 1860.), Meligramma euchroma (Kowarz, 1885.), Merodon nanus Sack, 1931., Microdon miki Doczkal et Schmid, 1999., Myolepta obscura Becher, 1882., Neoascia meticulosa (Scopoli, 1763.), Orthonevra frontalis (Loew, 1843.), Paragus albifrons (Fallen, 1817.), Paragus constrictus Šimić, 1986., Parasyrphus punctulatus (Verrall, 1873.), Parasyrphus vittiger (Zetterstedt, 1843.), Pipizella annulata (Macquart, 1829.), Pipizella speighti Verlinden, 1999., Riponnensia longicornis (Loew, 1843.), Riponnensia morini Vujic, 1999., Sphegina clavata (Scopoli, 1763.), Sphegina elegans Schummel, 1843., Spilomyia triangularis van Steenis, 2000., Temnostoma meridionale Krivosheina et Mamayev, 1962.

We studied the phylogeny and systematics of the tribe Paragini (Diptera: Syrphidae) using morphological and molecular data. The paper presents separate parsimony analyses of both adult morphological characters and partial DNA sequence data from mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I and nuclear ribosomal 28S rRNA gene, as well as a combined analysis of all the data. The data set of morphological characters included some features of the male terminalia (i.e. shape of the ejaculatory apodeme; relative position of elements of the aedeagal complex; shape of surstylar apodeme; shape of the aedeagal apodeme) not previously used in the systematics of the Paragini. The trees obtained from separate parsimony analyses of molecular and morphological data produced almost identical topologies. Four lineages are supported by the combined data set, and we establish two new subgenera, i.e. Serratoparagus Vujic et Radenkovic subgen. nov., and Afroparagus Vujic et Radenkovic subgen. nov., and redefine Pandasyopthalmus Stuckenberg, 1954 stat. rev. and Paragus Latreille, 1804, stat. rev. The monophyly of the Pandasyopthalmus clade, including the species fitting neither of the current species groups (jozanus-group) of Paragini, is established. Diagnoses of all known species groups are presented, including a new arrangement of almost all valid species of Paragini. Carl Cedercreutz Foundation, Helsinki (Finland); Ministry of Science and Environmental Protection (project number 143037) and Provincial Ministry of Science and Technological Development, Autonomous Province of Vojvodina – project: Maintenance of Biodiversity – Hotspots on the Balkan and Iberian Peninsula (Insecta, Diptera, Syrphidae) (Republic of Serbia); and Ministry of Environment (project number 040/2002) and University of Alicante (project number GRE04-25) (Spain).

Eristalis tecta sp. n. is described, based on material from the Macedonian Museum of Natural History (Skopje, Macedonia, former Republic of Yugoslavia). This species is closely related to E. interrupta (Poda, 1761). Diagnostic characters of the species, together with figures of the male terminalia, are given. A checklist ofthe Eristalis species known from the Balkan Peninsula is presented.

Descriptions are given of two new species of Merodon Meigen (Diptera: Syrphidae) from the island of Lesvos (Greece): Merodon papillus Vujić, Radenkovic & Pérez-Bañón n. sp. from the ruficornis group species and Merodon sapphous Vujic, Pérez-Bañón & Radenkovic n. sp. from the aureus group. In addition to classical morphological characters, partial sequences of the mitochondrial COI gene are generated for each taxon as DNA ‘barcodes’. Main characteristics of the species habitats are reported. The zoogeographical significance of these endemic taxa to the biodiversity of the island is discussed. European Commission Framework 6 Integrated project ALARM (Assessing LArge scale environmental Risks for biodiversity with tested Methods) (GOCE-CT-2003-506675) & Ministry of Science, Technology and Development of Republic Serbia (project number 143037).