A second survey of Surinam Syrphidae (Diptera): introduction and Syrphinae Menno Reemer A faunistic study of the Syrphidae of Surinam was published by Van Doesburg (1962, 1966), based on material collected in the years 1957–1963. The present paper constitutes the first part in a series of papers presenting the results of a second faunistic survey of Surinam Syrphidae, mostly based on recently collected material. This part contains a general introduction and accounts of the species of the subfamily Syrphinae. Historical records are reviewed and, when necessary, modified according to present taxonomic knowledge. When available, ecological and biological information is given. Pictures of all recorded species are included. A total number of 60 species of Syrphinae is recorded. Compared with the checklist of Van Doesburg (1966), 22 species are added and 16 are removed. Two new species are described: Leucopodella guianica sp. n. and Ocyptamus icarus sp. n. The following new synonyms are proposed: Baccha cultrina Curran, 1939 = B. cultrata Austen, 1893; B. satyra Hull, 1943b = B. cultrata Austen, 1893; B. prunella Hull, 1943b = B. funebris Macquart, 1834; Mesogramma flaviplurus Hall, 1927 = Syrphus costalis Wiedemann, 1830. Six potentially new species in Ocyptamus Macquart, 1834 and two in Trichopsomyia Williston, 1888 are left unnamed, pending revisions of (the relevant parts of) these genera. A key to the species of Ocyptamus known from Surinam is given. Menno Reemer, Netherlands Centre for Biodiversity Naturalis, P.O. Box 9517, 2300 RA Leiden, the Netherlands. [email protected] Introduction of the Syrphidae of southeastern Brazil. Obvious Worldwide, around 6000 species of Syrphidae are reasons for the low number of published studies in known. More than 1600 of these were described this field are the limited (but increasing) number of from the Neotropics, but this might be only half or entomologists working on the Neotropical fauna, even less of the actual number of species occurring and the large taxonomical problems one faces when in this region (Thompson 1999). The lack of knowl- trying to get Neotropical material identified. Never- edge is strikingly illustrated by the recent review theless, faunistic data are potentially very valuable, of Copestylum species with bromeliad-dwelling lar- as their results can be used for all kinds of purposes, vae: of the 23 species treated in that paper, 22 were including biogeographic studies and range and status described as new (Rotheray et al. 2007). assessments in relation to conservational issues. The number of published faunistic studies on Neo- Surinam is a small (163.000 km2) country on the tropical Syrphidae is low. The few available are Guyana shield in the northern part of South America. often several decades old, such as the ones by Cur- More than 80% of the country is covered by primary ran (1934) and Van Doesburg (1962, 1966). More rainforest. Compared with other South American recently, Thompson (1981) gave a comprehensive countries, the syrphid fauna of Surinam is relatively account of the West Indian syrphid fauna, and well known. This is mainly the result of the com- Marinoni & Thompson (2003) published a review bined efforts of P.H. van Doesburg Sr. (Fig. 1) and Tijdschrift voor Entomologie 153: 163–196, Figs 1–96, Table 1. [ISSN 0040–7496]. http://www.nev.nl/tve © 2010 Nederlandse Entomologische Vereniging. Published 1 December 2010. Downloaded from Brill.com10/04/2021 02:27:03PM via free access 164 Tijdschrift voor Entomologie, volume 153, 2010 Fig. 1. Portrait of P.H. van Doesburg Sr. (1892–1971), Fig. 2. Portrait of P.H. van Doesburg Jr., Leiden 2001 Baarn 1939 (photo P.H. van Doesburg Jr.). (photo Dr. Jürgen Deckert). Fig. 3. Collecting localities of Syrphidae in Surinam. Blue dots: localities recorded by Van Doesburg (1962, 1966); pur- ple dots: recent localities. Acro- nyms indicate names of districts: BR = Brokopondo; CM = Com- mewijne; CR = Coronie; MA = Marowijne; NI = Nickerie; PA = Para; PM = Paramaribo; SA = Saramacca; SI = Sipaliwini; WA = Wanica. alt -10-200 200-400 400-600 600-900 900-1105 100 km his son, P.H. van Doesburg Jr. (Fig. 2). From 1957 to some fine illustrations by his son. These papers also 1963, P.H. van Doesburg Jr. collected insects in Suri- include the results of collecting with malaise traps by nam, among which many Syrphidae, which he sent Geijskes (1968) and a small number of additional to his father in the Netherlands. Van Doesburg Sr. records by others. identified the specimens and published his results in Before Van Doesburg published his papers, hardly two papers (Van Doesburg 1962, 1966), containing anything was known about the Syrphidae of Downloaded from Brill.com10/04/2021 02:27:03PM via free access Reemer: Second survey of Surinam Syrphidae 165 Surinam. Maria Sybille Merian (1705) did not The material collected by Van Doesburg Jr. during include any syrphids on her paintings of Surinam the years 1957–1966 is deposited in the RMNH- insects. Linnaeus (1758) described a few species of collection, together with a small number of speci- Diptera based on specimens collected in Surinam by mens collected by other Dutch entomologists, his pupil Daniel Rolander, but there were no Syr- including D.C. Geijskes. In total, this amounts to phidae among them (Dobreff 2010, Papavero 1971). more than 1500 specimens. Both the recent and the The only records of Syrphidae from Surinam prior historical material is being recorded in a database, to Van Doesburg’s papers consisted of descriptions which will be completed after the last paper in this of six species by Hull (1944: Ceriogaster arethusa), series is published. Copies of the database will be Macquart (1846: Eristalis fuscipennis, E. pygmaea) kept by the collection department of the RMNH and Wiedemann (1830: Eristalis inversa, Syrphus cos- and by the author. Whether and how the database talis, Volucella ardua). Van Doesburg (1962, 1966) will be maintained and supplemented in the future recorded a total number of 140 species from the is presently unclear. In the present paper, all recently country, 10 of which he described as new. recorded specimens are collected by the author and From the 29th of December 2005 until the 28th of deposited in the RMNH-collection, unless otherwise April 2006, a second survey of Syrphidae from Suri- stated. The following acronyms are used to indicate nam was carried out by the present author. The first entomological collections: part of the results, containing accounts of the species belonging to the subfamily Syrphinae, is presented AMNH American Museum of Natural History, in this paper. The records of Van Doesburg (1962, New York 1966) are reviewed and, when necessary, modified BMNH British Museum (Natural History), Lon- according to present taxonomic knowledge. When don available, ecological and biological information is CNC Canadian National Collection, Ottawa given. At least two more parts are in preparation, MNHN Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, containing the records of Eristalinae and Microdon- Paris tinae. The last part will present a revised checklist, as MCZ Museum of Comparative Zoology, Cam- well as a discussion of the syrphid fauna of Surinam. bridge MRSN Museu Regionale di Scienze Naturali, Torino Material and methods MTD Museum für Tierkunde, Dresden In order to prevent the current study to become little NMW Naturhistorisches Museum Wien, Vi- more than just another list of names and localities, enna the following matters were given special attention: NZCS National Zoological Collection of Suri- 1) the literature used for identification is indicated name, Paramaribo for each genus, and often additional sources are indi- OSUC Ohio State University Collection, Co- cated for identification of particular species (groups); lumbus 2) type specimens were studied for many of the taxa OUMNH Oxford University Museum of Natural involved; 3) pictures are included for all recorded History, Oxford species, in order to give future students of the Suri- RMNH National Museum of Natural History, nam fauna a first indication as to the used interpre- Leiden tation of the names, and also to provide an aid for SMF Senckenbergisches Museum, Frankfurt identification. USNM United States National Museum (Smith- Most of the recent material recorded in the present sonian Institutions), Washington D.C. paper was collected by the author between Decem- ZMB Zoologisches Museum der Humboldt- ber 2005 and May 2006. Approximately 1000 speci- Universität, Berlin mens of Syrphidae were collected during this period. ZMUC Zoological Museum, University of Co- For collecting, three methods were employed: hand penhagen netting of adults, searching for larvae, and malaise traps. Additional recent material was obtained by For identification to genus level Thompson (1999) sorting out malaise trap material collected in Perica was used. Identification to species level was done by and in the Brownsberg Nature Reserve between 1997 studying various literature sources, including unpub- and 2001 by staff of the NZCS in Paramaribo. Most lished keys by F.C. Thompson, as well as many type of the recent material is conserved in the RMNH- specimens. Details are mentioned in the species collection, except for a small reference collection in accounts below. Despite the effort put into identi- the NZCS. fication, several specimens could not be identified. Downloaded from Brill.com10/04/2021 02:27:03PM via free access 166 Tijdschrift voor Entomologie, volume 153, 2010 Although these may well belong to undescribed spe- Apoema (04°36’19”N-54°25’11”W). – District cies, for now it seems better to refrain from describ- Sipaliwini. ing them until a comprehensive revision of the Auca (05°21’N-55°02’W). – District Brokopondo. involved genera is done. In this paper, these species Awarradam (03°50’41”N-55°36’48”W). – District are given preliminary codes instead of a specific epi- Sipaliwini. Village along Gran Rio river. thet (e.g. Ocyptamus SUR-01), which are also stated Babunsanti (05°47’45”N-54°00’28”W).