Syrphidae Latreille, 1802

Libor Mazánek

Department of Zoology, Natural Science Faculty, Palacký University, Tř. Svobody 26, CZ-771 46 Olomouc, Czech Republic; mazanek@prfnw.upol.cz

Medium-sized to large (4.0-25.0 mm), abundant and conspicuous Diptera, often mimicking various aculeate Hymenoptera. Head without bristles; eyes usually holoptic in males, always dichoptic in females; ocelli present; antenna varying greatly in shape, consisting of three segments and a two-segmented arista or, rarely, stylus. Wing venation characterised by an unattached longitudinal spurious vein, running across radial-medial cross-vein. Almost all adults visit flowers and are able to hover motionless in flight and to move in various directions. The larvae are very variable in structure, habits and feeding mode. They exhibit three main feeding modes: entomophagy (mainly aphidophagy), phytophagy and saprophagy in a wide range of wet to aquatic habitats. The larvae of some species exhibit other special feeding modes, such as mycophagy, myrmecophily, coprophagy, or they live in wasp nests. Many species associated with endangered and vanishing habitats are the subject of active conservation measures, e.g. saproxylic saprophages (Speight 2006).

About 6000 species of Syrphidae in 188 genera are known worldwide (Thompson & Rotheray 1998). Although 916 species are currently listed as occurring in Europe, only 700 species are regarded as taxonomically stable and recognizable (Speight 2006). The rest of the recently validated taxa are of uncertain or unstable status and may be valid. A total of 424 species are listed in the present checklist (401 in the Czech Republic, 368 in Bohemia, 375 in Moravia, and 383 in Slovakia). Since the last version of the checklist (Holinka & Mazánek 1997), the number of species in the Czech Republic has increased by 43 (59 in Bohemia, 39 in Moravia) and in Slovakia by 27; another 10 species from the previous version were omitted as erroneous. The species-richness of the Syrphidae in the Czech Republic and Slovakia is comparatively well known and the species list is almost complete.

A survey of our knowledge of the biology of Central European species is given by e.g. Speight (2006), Barkemeyer (1994) and Röder (1990). Almost all the species listed here may be identified with the key compiled by Veen (2004). For some genera it is useful to use the special keys recommended by Speight (2006). The nomenclature of the Fauna Europaea (Speight 2004) is used in the present checklist, with a few exceptions recommended recently by Speight (2006). The higher classification of the Syrphidae is in a state of flux and probably for this reason it was omitted from the Fauna Europaea (Speight 2004). Here the traditionally defined groups, as proposed by Thompson and Rotheray (1998) are followed.

References

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