Revision of the Hoverflies of <em>Cheilosia longula</em> (Zetterstedt, 1838) Group from the Iberian Peninsula (Diptera: Syrphidae)

Abstract

With 400+ species described, Cheilosia Meigen, 1822 is one of the largest genera of Syrphidae worldwide, and the largest in the Palaearctic Region. These hoverflies, due to their high species diversity and abundance in ecosystems, are supposed important pollinators. There are 56 species of Cheilosia reported from Spain, but they have not been revised yet in the framework of recent taxonomic advances in this genus. There are several species groups of Cheilosia recognised in literature, one of which is that of Cheilosia longula (Zetterstedt, 1838). This group consists of six species sharing bare eyes, connected antennal sockets, bare face, and tibiae pale at least basally and apically. The C. longula group is represented in the Iberian Peninsula by Cheilosia longula, Cheilosia scutellata (Fallén, 1817) and Cheilosia soror (Zetterstedt, 1843). The present study aims to better understand the distribution of the species of C. longula group in the Iberian Peninsula, as well as to assess the intraspecific variability observed in Cheilosia soror. Both collection and recently caught specimens of Cheilosia were examined. Financial support was provided by the Fauna Iberica project (PGC2018-095851-A-C65) and Vicerrectorado de Investigación y Transferencia de Conocimiento, University of Alicante (UATAL05).