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Title: MESOAMERICAN MEROMACRUS FLOWER FLIES (DIPTERA: SYRPHIDAE)

Author
item BLATCH, SYDELLA - UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND
item Thompson, F
item ZUMBADO, MANUEL - ENTOMOLOGIA, COSTA RICA

Submitted to: Studia Dipterologica
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/1/2002
Publication Date: 1/20/2003
Citation: Blatch, S.A., Thompson, F.C., Zumbado, M.A. 2003. Mesoamerican meromacrus flower flies (diptera: syrphidae). Studia Dipterologia. 10: 13-36

Interpretive Summary: Flower flies are pollinators. Flower fly maggots occupy diverse niches, from predators of plants pests to filter-feeders cleaning aqueous media. Due to their broad range of life-histories, the group is a good indicator of the health of these unique habitats. This paper describes four new species and places them in the context of our modern classification. This information, along with the included identification key, will be useful to scientists studying flies, and to action agency personnel charged with identifying flies.

Technical Abstract: The species of the genus Mallota found in Mesoamerica are revised. A key to species along with synonymies, descriptions, distributions, and figures for all species are given. Four new flower flies are described (anniae Zumbado (Costa Rica), apis Thompson (Costa Rica), fuca Thompson (Mexico, Costa Rica) and klepsvikae Zumbado (Mexico, El Salvador, Costa Rica).