Abstract

MORALES, José; GONZALEZ, Rafael  and  ARCAYA, Evelín. Species of Eristalinae (Diptera: Syrphidae) found in Center-Western States of Venezuela. Bioagro [online]. 2014, vol.26, n.1, pp.63-68. ISSN 1316-3361.

The Eristalinae, known as flower flies, are important pollinators in natural ecosystems and agricultural crops, which has direct impact on conservation of biodiversity and food production. To study their presence and distribution, specimens were collected between 1966 and 2010 in Lara, Falcón, Yaracuy, Portuguesa, and Trujillo States. A few specimens were obtained by larvae or pupae hand collection. At the laboratory, adult flies were pinned, labeled and deposited in the collection of the Museum of Entomology José M. Osorio (MEJMO) of Universidad Centroccidental Lisandro Alvarado, in the city of Barquisimeto, Venezuela. From the taxonomic review it was possible to identify the following species: Ornidia obesa (Fabricius, 1775) (present in Lara, Falcón, Trujillo and Yaracuy States) and Quichuana picadoi Knab, 1913 (present in Lara, Portuguesa, Trujillo and Yaracuy). O. major (Curran, 1930) and Copestylum isabellina (Williston, 1887) recorded in Lara and Falcón, whereas Rhingia nigra (Macquart, 1846) in Lara and Trujillo, and C. rurale (Curran, 1939) in Lara and Yaracuy. The species C. sica (Curran, 1953), C. musicanum (Curran, 1930), C. punctiferum (Bigot, 1875), Lejops mexicanus (Macquart, 1842), Nausigaster meridionalis (Townsend, 1897), Palpada mexicana (Macquart, 1847), P. pusila (Macquart, 1842), P. ruficeps (Macquart, 1842), P. solennis (Walter, 1852), and Sphiximorpha barbipes (Loew, 1853) were found only in Lara State. The results indicate that these insects are well distributed in those states, constituting 40 % of the total of genera reported for Venezuela.

Keywords : Pollinators; museum of entomology; Venezuelan states.

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