The first confirmed records of Riponnensia insignis (Loew, 1843) (Diptera, Syrphidae) for Europe and an identification key to the European Riponnensia species

Abstract

The genus Riponnensia Maibach, Goedlin de Tiefenau & Speight, 1994 currently consists of four European species. Riponnensia insignis (Loew, 1843) is a rare species of hover fly that was previously only known from Turkey. There are some published records of this species from Europe, but these are not verified or erroneous. Here we report the first confirmed records of the fifth species of Riponnensia from Europe, namely from Lesvos (Aegean archipelago, Greece). A detailed morphological description of R. insignis is given and an identification key to all European species of the genus Riponnensia is presented.