Smiljka Šimić

Two new species of the genus Merodon Meigen 1803 (Diptera: Syrphidae) from the island of Lesvos (Greece), in the eastern Mediterranean

Abstract Descriptions are given of two new species of Merodon Meigen (Diptera: Syrphidae) from the island of Lesvos (Greece): Merodon papilius Vujić, Radenković & Pérez-Bañon n. sp. from the ruficornis group species and Merodon sapphous Vujić, Pérez-Bañon & Radenković 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.

The saproxylic hoverflies (Diptera: Syrphidae) of Serbia

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.