The Nearctic species of Lonchoptera Meigen are reviewed, including three new species: L. barberi Klymko sp. nov. from Manitoba, Newfoundland, Ontario, Quebec, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, and New Hampshire, L. megaloba Klymko sp. nov. from British Columbia and California, and L. longiphallus Klymko sp. nov. from British Columbia and the Northwest Territories. Lonchoptera borealis Curran is proposed as a new junior synonym of L. impicta Zetterstedt, and L. occidentalis Curran is proposed as a new junior synonym of L. uniseta Curran. Lonchoptera nigrociliata Duda, formerly known only from the Palaearctic Region, is recorded from the Yukon and Alaska. Descriptions, a key, and Nearctic distribution maps are presented. Phylogenetic relationships are briefly discussed and two sister species pairs are documented.
Introduction Flower flies (Diptera: Syrphidae; also known as hoverflies) are important pollinators of wild and cultivated plants. Other pollinators such as bees have declined, and many flower flies in Europe and Chile have been documented to be threatened with extinction. The status of other flower fly faunas is currently unknown. Aims/Methods We assessed the rangewide conservation status of flower flies that occur in Northeastern North America where there is a diverse fauna of 323 native species. Over 150,000 records, drawn from a locality database compiled for a recently published field guide, additional museum records, recent field surveys, and citizen science records, informed the assessments. Results We found that a minimum of 11 species are at risk of rangewide extinction, 267 have lower extinction risk, and 45 had insufficient data to assess. Our best estimate is that 4.0% of species are at risk, assuming data-insufficient species are at risk at the same rate as data sufficient species. The range for this estimate is 3.4–17.3% at risk, assuming that none or all data-insufficient species are at risk, respectively. Discussion Factors causing extinction risk in the fauna we studied are poorly known, although habitat destruction likely explains the decline in one species. While at-risk species mostly have saprophagus or brood parasitic larvae, trophic relationships are confounded by phylogeny (the subfamilies Eristalinae and Microdontinae account for most saprophagus or brood parasitic species). The broad geographical ranges of most species likely contributed to the low rate of imperilment. Implications for insect conservation The small percentage of at-risk flower flies in northeastern North America bodes well for the health of ecosystems there. The results contrast with the situation in Europe, underscoring geographic heterogeneity in flower fly conservation status.
The New World species of the curtonotid genus Curtonotum Macquart are reviewed, and all species outside the vulpinum and murinum species complexes (as defined below) are revised. Descriptions and illustrations are provided for 24 species, including 13 newly described species: C. adusticrus sp. n., C. atlanticum sp. n., C. bivittatum sp. n., C. brunneum sp. n., C. curtispinum sp. n., C. desperatum sp. n., C. papillatum sp. n., C. gracile sp. n., C. hunkingi sp. n., C. flavisetum sp. n., C. floridense sp. n., C. nigrum sp. n., and C. scambum sp. n. Curtonotum nigripalpe Hendel is proposed as a new junior synonym of C. hendelianum (Enderlein). A key to these New World species is presented and the phylogenetic relationships between them are discussed. Lectotypes are designated for C. tumidum Enderlein, C. bathmedum Hendel, C. taeniatum Hendel, C. trypetipenne Hendel, C. impunctatum Hendel, 1913, nec impunctatum Hendel, 1932 and C. apicale Hendel. Curtonotum perplexum nom. n., is given as the replacement name for C. impunctatum Hendel, 1932 nec impunctatum Hendel, 1913. Two species complexes are left untreated at the species level (the C. murinum species complex, including C. murinum Hendel, C. coriaceum Hendel, C. perplexum nom. n., and C. decumanum Bezzi; and the C. vulpinum species complex including C. vulpinum Hendel and C. fumipenne Hendel). Both complexes are included in the phylogenetic analysis and key.
The five Central American and Mexican species belonging to the Curtonotum murinum species complex are described as Curtonotum abrelatas Lindsay sp. nov., C. irksum Lindsay sp. nov., C. notatum Lindsay sp. nov., C. prolixum Lindsay sp. nov. and C. transitus Lindsay sp. nov. Photographic images, a distribution map of species and an identification key are provided.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Copyright © 2025 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.