Italian Syrphidae (Dipt,)

ENTOMOLOGISCHE BERICHTEN, DEEL 29, 1.V.1969 89

Italian Syrphidae (Dipt,)

by

V. S. VAN DER GOOT

In the course of six years I visited several localities in Italy with some colleagues:

the Sila region in Calabria, the Apennine mountains between Florence and Bo¬

logna, the Abruzzi mountains east of Rome, Aosta In N.W. Italy, the Julian Alps

around Tarvisio in N.E. Italy and Mount Etna and the Nebrodici mountains in

Sicily. All regions were visited during July or August. For information about the

Sicily excursion I refer to the literature references.

In the Sila region we collected many specimens near Camigliatello (1200 m),

and upwards towards the summit of Monte Scuro (1650 m). In the Abruzzi moun¬

tains we found our material near Ovindoli (1300 m) and upwards on the slope of

Monte Sirente (2200 m), also near AssergI (900 m) and upwards by telpher line

to the environment of the Albergo Gran Sasso (2300 m). In the Apennines we

collected most specimens near Castiglione dei Pepoli, and upwards towards the

Abetaia forest (1000 m). In Aosta we caught many species near Courmayeur

(1200 m), and upwards by the telpher lines of Courmayeur and Entrêves (2400

m) ; also near Breull (Vai Tournandie, 2000 m) and on the mountain passes of

Gran and Piccolo San Bernardo. In the environments of Tarvisio we collected in

two succeeding years, also upwards on the slopes of Cima dei Cacciatorl (2000 m)

and on Jof Fuart (1700 m).

In a publication, written in Dutch, miss J. Dijkstra (botanist), Br. Dr. Theo-

wald (Tipulidae, Dipt.) and V. S. van der Goot (Dipt., Syrphidae) showed

that climatical conditions on 1100 m near Castiglione del Pepoli are not character¬

istically mediterranean. The drought during the summer months is not so severe,

e.g. In Sestola mean rainfall in July 55 mm, in August 60 mm, compared with

mean rainfall over the whole year in Holland 63 mm. The mean summer

temperatures are not exceptionally high, e.g. Sestola, July 19° C, August 13° C,

compared with Holland, July 17° C, August 13° C. But the winter temperatures

are high in comparison with Alpine circumstances (Villach, near Tarvisio, 538 m),

and they are about the same as the mean temperatures in the Atlantic climate of

Holland. Therefore it is not astonishing that we found several characteristic

Central European species on 1000 m, e.g. Chrysotoxum jasciolatum Deg., Lampetia

cinerea F., Syrphus lapponicus Zett. and S. vittiger Zett. Nevertheless the large

number of Lampetia and Eumerus species found in only six days, indicated the

presence of many bulb plants, characteristic for regions with a dry period in the

summer. We found Lampetia avida Rossi, L. oberrans Egg., L. cinerea F., L. con-

stans Rossi, L. longicornis Sack, L. pruni Rossi and L. spec.? (together 74

specimens), and Eumerus amoenus Loew, E. cretensis SziL, E. hungaricus SziL,

E. ornatus Mg., E. uncipes Rond., E. spec.? (together 106 specimens). If we com¬

pare these results with our list from Aosta and Tarvisio, we get for the southern

slope of the Alps (Aosta) four species of Lampetia: L. aenea Mg., L. avida Rossi,

L. cinerea F. and L. rufa Mg. (together 63 specimens), and one species of Eume¬

rus: E. annulatus Panzer (12 specimens). Near Tarvisio we collected during 20

90 ENTOMOLOGISCHE BERICHTEN, DEEL 29, 1.V.1969

days about 800 specimens of nearly 100 species. Nevertheless we found only one

species of Lampetia: L. cinerea F. (41 specimens), and one species of Earner us:

E. flavitarsis Zett. (1 specimen).

Mediterranean species, found near Castiglione, were Milesia semiluctifera VilL,

Paragus quadrifasciatus Mg. and Chrysotoxum intermedium Mg. As the authors,

mentioned above, remarked, not all species restricted to the Mediterranean region

can be called mediterranean species, strictly termed. Some of them will be

characteristic for mountainous regions of the Balkan and Greece, and of the Apen-

nine and Iberian peninsulas, representing the Ice Age réfugia.

In the Abruzzi mountains, with peaks of nearly 3000 m, we expected to find

some alpine species, which live there isolated from corresponding or the same

species of high altitudes in the Alps. We found Paragus productus Schiner, also

taken at 2100 m in the Mont Blanc region. Furthermore Cheilosia laeviventris

Loew and Ch. gigantea Zett. A near relative of Lampetia ruficornis Mg. (found in

Austria) was captured too. All at about 2300 m, on grass vegetation, alternated

with Urtica, Scrophularia and other inedible plants for cattle. At 900 m Cheilosia

harbata Loew, a common species in the Alpine mountains, was the most frequent

Cheilosia, on flowers along a small river. On the slopes of Monte Sirente, on

Ranunculus, Earner us sabulonum Fall, was captured in number. This species can be

found in dry sandy localities, especially in dunes along the Atlantic coast, even in

Sweden. Males of Platycheirus manicatus Mg. hovered over the snow. This species

occurs at low altitudes in England, Holland and northern Germany and can be

found in number at 2000 m in the Alps. Near Monte Sirente, at 1500 m, Cheilosia

correcta Becker, a southern representative of the proxima-group, was the most

common Cheilosia. Mediterranean species, found in the Abruzzi mountains, were

Paragus quadrifasciatus Mg., Earner us amoenus Loew, Eumerus argyropus Loew

and Chrysotoxum intermedium Mg. Lampetia aberrans Egg. was very common in

meadows near Ovindoli.

Farther to the south we visited the Sila region. Relatively low mountains

(1600—1800 m) with beech scrubs on their tops and big pine forests at lower

altitudes. Near the summit of Monte Scuro (1650 m) we found a number of

Central European species, e.g. Arctophila bombiformis Fall., A. fulva Harr., Cin-

xia lappona L., C. silentis Harr, and Cheilosia canicularis Panzer. These five species

were not found in Sicily. Near Monte Oliveto we caught moreover a clearly

distinguishable variety of Er is tali s alpina Panzer. The latter species is not alpine.

It can be found along the eastern border of Holland and in adjacent Germany at

sea level. I found the species (typical form) in Saraj near Skopje and 30 km SW

of Gradsko, both southern Yugoslavia.

In the list below I only incorporate the more important species. Pipizella virens

F. , Melanostoma mellinum L., Neoascia podagrica F., Syrphus corollae F., S. ribesii

L., S. vitripennis Mg., S. balteatus Deg., Scaeva pyrastri L., Paragus tibialis Fall.,

Sphaerophoria scripta L., Lampetia avida Rossi, Myiatropa florea L., Eristalis

arbustorum L., E. tenax L. and Syritta pipiens L. are common everywhere. In the

city of Rome I took two specimens of Cerioides conopoides L. Along the coast

Eristalodes taeniops Wied. and Lathyrophthalmus aeneus Scop, are common.


List of Species

Cast. Tarv. Aosta Abr. Sila

Pipiza austriaca Mg. P. festiva Mg. .........

+

+ P. quadrimaculata Panzer. + + Chrysogaster chalybeata Mg. .... + + + Chr. solstitialis Fall. .......

Chr. viduata L. ........ +

-f +

Orthoneura nobilis Fall. ..... + + + + 0. plumbago Loew.. .

0. splendens Mg. ....... +

f Cheilosia albitarsis Mg. .....

Ch. bar bat a Loew. + + + +

Ch. caerulescens Mg. ...... si Ch. canicularis Panzer ...... + + + Ch. conops Becker ....... + + Ch. correcta Becker..

Ch. crassiseta Loew. +

'+ +

Ch. derasa Loew . .. + Ch. frontalis Loew ....... + Ch. ga gate a Loew .. + Ch. gigantea Zett. ........ + + Ch. illustrât a Harr. ....... + + Ch. impress a Loew ....... + + + + Ch. intonsa Loew ..

Ch. laevis Becker. +

+ Ch. laeviventris Loew ......

Ch. longula Zett. ........ + + +

Ch. melanura Becker .......

Ch. mutabilis Fail. .......

Ch. pagana Mg. ........

_i_

+

+

Ch. personata Loew. Ch. proxima Zett. ....... + Ch. scutellata Fall. ....... + + + Ch. soror Zett. Ch. variabilis Panzer ....... +

+

Pelecocera tricincta Mg. ..... + Chamaesyrphus scaevoides Fall. .

Neoascia dispar Mg. +

+ N. floralis Mg. .. + + N. obliqua Coe. + Sphegina clunipes Fall. + + -f

Sph. cornifera Becker ...... + Rhingia camp es tris Mg. ......

R. rostrata L.

P ar a gu s al bi frons Fall. +

+

! T

+ + P. bicolor F. ......... •+ + + + P. ein du s Schin. & Egg. .....

P. productus Schiner ....... + + +

P. quadrifasciatus Mg. ...... + + + Pyrophaena rosarum F. ..... . + + Platycheirus albimanus F. .... -1- + + + P. angustatus Zett. + P. clypeatus Mg. ........ + + P. manic at u s- Mg. + 4- +


P. melanopsis Loew.

P. peltatus Mg.

P. scutatus Mg. . . Melanostoma abruzzensis nov. spec. . .

M. scalare F.. Xanthandrus comtus Harr. Ischyrosyrphus glaucius L.

I. liophthalmus Schin. & Egg.

Eriozona syrphoides Fall.

Leucozona lucorum L. ......

Didea alneti Fall. .. D. fas data Macq.

D. intermedia Loew.

Scaeva albomaculata Macq.

Sc. selenitica Mg. ..

Syrphus albostriatus Fall. ......

S. annul at us Zett.

S. annulipes Zett.

S. arcuatus Fall. .........

S. auricollis Mg.

S. cinctellus Zett.

S. cinctus Fall.. . . .

S. compositarum Verr. .......

S. diaphanus Zett..

S. friuliensis van der Goot.

S. grossulariae Mg.

S. guttatus Fall. ..

S. labiatarum Verr. .........

S. lapponicus Zett.

S. latifasciatus Macq.

S. latilunulatus Collin.

S. lineola Zett.. . . . .

S. Inniger Mg. .........

S. lunulatus Mg.. . . . .

S. torvus Osten Sacken .......

S. umbellatarum F. .......

S. pittiger Zett.

Sphaerophoria menthastri L. S. rueppellii Wied.

Xanthogramma citrofasciatum Deg. .

X. pedissequum Harris .......

Baccha elongata F.

B. obscuripennis Mg.

Spathiogaster ambulans F.

var. coarctata Schummel

Chrysotoxum arcuatum L.

Chr. bicinctum L. ..

Chr. cautum Harr. ..

Chr. cisalpinum Rond.

Chr. elegans Loew.

Chr. fasciolatum Deg. .. Chr. jestivum L.

Chr impressum Becker.

Chr. intermedium Mg.

Cast. Tarv. Aos'a Abr. Sila

+ +

+

+ + +

+ -h + + +

+

+

+ -h

+

+ + +

+ + +

+

+ + + + + +

+ +

+ +

+ + + + +

+ + + + + +

+

+ +

+

+

+. +

+

+ + + +

+ + + +

+

+ + + + + +

+ +

+ + + +

+

+ + +

+ +

+

+

+

+ + +

+

+ + + + +

+ + +

+ + + + +

+ +

+ +

+ +

+ + + +

+ +


Cast. Tarv. Aosta Abr. Sila

Chr. octomaculatum Curt. .... . . + +

Chr. vernale Loew ...... . . + + + + +

Volucella bombylans L. . . + + + +

V. inanis L... . . + + + +

V. pellucens L. ....... . . + + + +

V. zonaria Poda .. . . + + +

Eris talin us sepulchralis L. . . . + + + +

Eristalis alpina Panzer ..... + +

Er. horticola Deg. ...... + + + Er. jugorum Egg. + Er. nemorum L. ...... + + + Er. pertinax Scop. ...... . . + + + ~b + Er. pratorum Mg. + + + Er. rupium F. + + Eurinomyia lineata F. ..... + Tu bi fera pendula L. .. • . + + T. trivittata F. . . + + Lampetia aberrans Egg. ..... • • + + + + L. abruzzensis n. sp. . . . . . . + L. aenea Mg.. + + + L. albifrons Mg. ....... + L. cinerea F. ...... . . + + + L. clavipes F. + L. constans Rossi ....... . . + L. equestris F. ...... + L. longicornis Sack ...... . . + L. pruni Rossi. . . + L. rufa Mg. ........ + Penthesilea asilica Fall. ..... ~h Cynorhina fallax L. -T + Eurnerus amoenus Loew .... . . + + E. annulatus Panzer ...... + + E. argyropus Loew. +

E. er et en sis Szil. . . + +

E. flap it arsis Zett. ...... + E. hungaricus Szil. .. . . + E. nudus Loew. +

E. olivaceus Loew ...... +

E. ornatus Mg. ....... 4-

E. sabulonum Fall. ...... + E. sulci tibi us Rond. .. + E. uncipes Rond.. . -4-

Zelima flor um F. ...... + + Z. ignava Panzer. + + Z. len ta Mg. ........ + Z. segnis L. ........ • • + + + + +

Z. sylvarum L. ....... . . + + +

Z. tarda Mg.. + Ferdinandea cuprea Scop. .... + Milesia semiluctifera Vill. 4-

Arctophila bombiformis Fall. . + -r A. fulva Harr. ....... + + + einxia lappona L.. + f C. silentis Harr. +

94 ENTOMOLOGISCHE BERICHTEN, DEEL 29, 1.V.19P9

1. Paragus productus Schiner, $, head in profile. 2. P. hicolor F., 2 idem. 3. Melanostoma

ambiguum Fall., $, head in front. 4. M. abruzzensis nov. spec., 2, head in profile. 5. M.

ambigu um Fall., 2 , idem. 6. M. abruzzensis nov. spec., $ , head in front. 7. Neoascia floralis

Mg., 2, abdomen. 8. idem, $, head in profile. 9. idem, $, abdomen. 10. Lampctia

abruzzensis nov. spec., $, hind leg. 11. idem, third antennal joint. 12. idem, 2, part of

tibia and aberrant tarsal joints of leg I. 13. Neoascia dispar Mg., $, head in profile.

Descriptions

Melanostoma abruzzensis nov. spec.

This species resembles M. ambiguum Fall., in many respects, but differs in

having clear whitish abdominal spots, in contrast with M. ambiguum Fall. Further¬

more the structure of the head is different, especially in the male.

Male. Angle of frons at approximation of eyes approximately 90 degrees,


distinctly narrower than in M. ambiguum Fall. Frons not inflated. Face distinctly

narrower, undusted part not restricted to the facial knob as in 714. ambiguum Fall.,

but spreading downwards along the mouth margin and spreading sidewards on the

face. Fig. 6 in comparison with fig. 3.

Legs, wings and thorax as in 714. ambiguum Fall. On femur I the peculiar long

curled hair.

Abdominal spots of the same form as in 714. ambiguum Fall., but the colour yel¬

lowish white and therefore resembling Syrpbus auricollis Mg. var. maculicornis

Zett. Venter shining black.

Female. Face not inflated as in 714. ambiguum Fall.: fig. 4 in comparison

with fig. 5. Thorax, legs and wings as in 714. ambiguum Falk Abdominal spots

whitish, of the same form as in the male. Therefore female not with broad shining,

bars as in 714. ambiguum Fall., but with isolated clear side spots on tergites 2—4.

$ holotype, $ allotype and 12 $ $ and 6 $ $ paratypes all labelled “Italia,

prov. Aquila, Abruzzi, Funivia Gran Sasso, 1200—1300 m, 24.'VII-1.'VIII.I960,

leg. V. S. van der Goot”.

One paratype in the collection of the Zoological Museum, Amsterdam.

Paragus productus Schmer, $ .

The original description by Schiner is very short. He only says that in the

female the abdominal markings are unclear and that the face has a dark median

stripe. The species is characterized in having a face protruding over a distance

equal to half the diameter of an eye: fig. 1 in comparison with fig. 2. Scute!him

often entirely dark, without a yellow hind margin (as in my specimens).

I found that the abdominal markings are very characteristic. Tergites 4 and 5

are entirely aeneous metallic, of the same colour as scu.te.llum and mesonotum.

Tergite I blackish, tergite 2 in the middle, over two thirds of its width, reddish:

side margins and adjacent part of the tergite black. The reddish coloured part on

tergite 2 connected with the reddish part on the basal two thirds of tergite 3. Distal

third of tergite 3 black. The reddish colour of the basal part of tergite 3 extends

over the side margins.

Femora black, except top fourth on femora I and II and top sixth on femora III.

Tibiae III with dark ring. Tibiae I and II entirely yellowish. Metatarsus thickened,

much more than in P. bicolor F. Tarsi a little darker than tibiae.

Lampetia abmzzensis nov. spec.

A near relative of L. ruficornis Mg., but subapical knob on inner side of tibiae

III not reaching towards the apex of tibiae III: compare fig. 10 with Sack in

Lindner, Taf. XIV, fig. 112. Third joint of antennae fig. 11. Legs entirely black,

knees very narrowly reddish, tarsi black, reddish on the three basal joints, but only

below. In L. ruficornis Mg. the basal tarsal joints are reddish above and below,

and basal part of tibiae more extensively reddish. My only female specimen has

aberrant tarsi with at most four joints: fig. 12.

$ holotype, 9 allotype and 9 male paratypes labelled “Italia, prov. Aquila,

Albergo Gran Sasso, 2000—2300 m, 24.VII-1.VIII.I960”. One male paratype

labelled “Italia, prov. Aquila, Monte Sirente, 2000—2200 m, 18-23.VII.I960”


One paratype is in the collection of the Zoological Museum Amsterdam, another

paratype in the collection of the Vienna Museum.

Eristalis alpina Panzer, var.

Among my specimens from the Sila region there is a 9 specimen with yellow

femora and tibiae. Femora III have a subapical dark spot and there is a dark

posterodorsal stripe on femora I. The $ $ from Sila have femora III extensively

yellow: on basal third or on basal half. The females have reddish brown side spots

on tergite 2. These spots larger and more clear in the males.

Neoascia floralis Mg.

In 1940 Collin, in his review of the genus Neoascia, changed the name of the

common Neoascia reed-species from N. floralis Mg. into N. dispar Mg. The species

hitherto known as N. dispar Mg. got the name N. aenea Mg. The species then

called N. floralis Mg. was not British and Collin referred to only one specimen

in the collection Kowarz, caught in Marienburg (Maribor, Yugo-Slavia). He

gives as characteristics the less projected epistome, and the cross band on tergite 2,

extending widely over the side margins.

I found several specimens near the Austrian border in Italy (Tarvisio), and the

species appeared to be common near Assergi (Abruzzi Mountains). It is relatively

large and slender (Sphegina-like), compared with N. dispar Mg., N. aenea Mg.,

N. obliqua Coe. It can easily be identified when determined on the structure of the

first half of tergite 2. On the border between tergites 1 and 2 there is, in the

middle, a small circular pit. Left and right of this pit, on the beginning of tergite

2, there are two depressions. From each depression backwards, along the side

margin, there is a lateral beading, extending backwards until the yellow cross

band. Perhaps this structure represents a chordotonal organ: fig. 7 and 9. The

structure, with lateral beading is absent in other European Neoascia species. In N.

podagrica the depressions are present, but there is no beading.

The narrowest part of the female abdomen is in tergite 2: fig. 7. In N. dispar

the narrowest part is on the border between tergites 1 and 2.

The less projected epistome has been figured in fig. 8, in comparison with fig.

13. Moreover the frons is a little produced: at most halfway from the ocelli to the

implantation of the antennae. The wings are clear.

Cheilosia crassiceta Loew, var. meridionalis, nov. var.

Specimens of Cheilosia eras sis eta Loew with a reddish third antennal joint. Many

specimens caught on the mountain pass of Piccolo San Bernardo, and some

specimens on the pass of Gran San Bernardo.

Holotype: $ , allotype: 9 , both labelled: “Italia, Aosta, Picc. San Bernardo,

2100 m, 27.VII.i962”, in collection van der Goot.

Literature

Collin, E., 1940, Notes on Syrphidae (Diptera). IV. Ent. mo. Mag. 76 : 150—158.

Dijkstra, J., V. S. van der Goot & Br. Theowald, 1958, Biologische excursie naar

Castiglione dei Pepoli, juli 1957. Lev. Nat. 61 : 211—215, 239—240. Goot, V. S. van der, 1964, Summer records of Syrphidae (Diptera) from Sicily, with field

notes and descriptions of new species. Zool. Meded. Leiden 39 : 414—432.

Italian Syrphidae (Dipt,)

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