Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses Graduate School 1939 Syrphidae of Louisiana. Lise Vige Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses Part of the Life Sciences Commons Recommended Citation Vige, Lise, "Syrphidae of Louisiana." (1939). LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses. 7807. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses/7807 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. MANUSCRIPT THESES Unpublished theses submitted for the master*s and doctor*s degrees and deposited in the Louisiana State University Library are available for inspection* Use of any thesis is limited by the rights of the author. Bibliographical references may be noted* but passages may not be copied unless the author has given permission, Credit must be given in subsequent written or published work. A library which borrows this thesis for use by its clientele is expected to make sure that the borrower is aware of the above restrictions, LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY j H 9 - a s m m m m of iotism a A Dissertation Sub&ltted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State Daivereity and Agricultural ISsehanical College in partial fiilfillaent of the re«£tire»ftsts for the degree of Setter of Philosophy in The Department of Zoology end ftetoaology By Lied VigS M. S., Louisiana State University, 1989 19 2 9 UMI Number: DP69185 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. UMT Dissertation Publishing UMI DP69185 Published by ProQuest LLC (2015). Copyright in the Dissertation held by the Author. Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code ProQuesf ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 R3 • "7 tto vlltr wishes to extend «isewe thanks to all who kete assisted la saklag the writing of this dissertation possible, including all the various i B s t m t o n S o have guided bis many courses in under** graduate asd graduate stud lee. Bapeolal thanks css due Doctor G. 1. nuke of the University of Wisconsin for bln assy suggestions and constructive critic less and particularly far tbs nee of bis seat up-to-date bibliography on Syrphidae end for M s checking of the identification of all the spec lee* With his generous help the probles was made many tines more enjoyable* In vies of the fbot that much lane than half of tbs material treated mas not available for examination, keys from the papers of the % foUeelBt vriters mere need freely; Guijan, Hoke, Fluke and Curran, Bdil, Johnson, Shannon, and Wllllstea. Thanks to Doctor 0 . W. Rosewall end Doctor J. H. Roberts of Louisiana State University for their careful consideration of the entire problem; to Mr. D. C. Elliott of Southwestern Louisiana Institute for the identification of all the aphids mentioned in this paper; to Doctor C. F. W. linsebeok of the Bureau of Entomology and Plant Quarantine for bavins competent specialists identify predators end parasites; to Doctor Chss. T* Greene for copying valuable literature which was not otherwise available to the writer; to Doctor Elizabeth M,. Holes for identification of grist alia sp. (Fig. 46), Metagyrphug sp* (Fig. 6©) flHirtj MetnsyTT^f sp. (Fig. 69) larvae; and to all those other generous peepla she have given assistance by furnishing separatee of their ;i 40ij so •J / & t |b 4 4 l=\36,_L 0 . 2 - m s OF O0 IOTOT Pag© i* Msmmmmms ... .. u XI* A8S53JA0T y!ii III. XmOBBOTIQN ............................................ 1 IV. HISTORICAL ............. ................................. 4 V . LEOTOGRaPHIC APPAEA.15JS........ *..... 6 TE. BIGLOCICAL CONSIDERATION .... 7 VII. CHARACTERISTICS GF AB0LT SSRPHIBAS ....... 11 vin. issr to m s a m m & ... is ix. m m of m B m r a m collected in otisxana ................. 25 X. ALLOGRAPH ..... 52 XX. BkCCHA y>.«* a . .. 36 X U . ERAGHYOPA ... 48 mi. CALLICERA ... 49 XIV. CABTOSIEFB&S .... 50 XV. CSSXOIDES ... 55 XVI. CHAlCEKSCXLa ... 5? XVII. CHRTSOGa STER ... 58 XVIII. CHHTSOSOMIDIA ..... 64 XIX. CHHY30T0XCM 65 XX. COPSSmtJH .... 66 XXI. CRIORHIHA ......................... *..... 67 XXII. CYN0RHINA .......... 63 m u . sLomnus ................... ?o i n XXXY. ffiEST&Oms M. WISTJ&IS *.* x m . HSTOBSS x m i . FmDINAHDKa XXVIII. H s a o p a m s XXIX. w o r n 3XX. M W C 8 A XQX* m u m & i m k XXXII > M m & i Q i m B XSXIII. u m c M A m m . x z m . MSSOGSiiiffla xxxv. ICTASSBH1BS x m x . MXCEQDOJf XXXfll* hxx^ s i a x o t i i i . MXX0&SP& HAUSIGASTEE XL* OEHIBIA XU. PAlLiGlTS •***. XLXI* PJffiHELOEmHJS XLIII. p n » m XLI7* HPIZELLA XLV. UATZCHEIHDS XLVi* PGLTBIOMHA 2LVII. PSILOTA XLTXXX* FPSRALIa STES x u x * m m o i A ..................... .............i m l* m & m m & m m ..... ............. im LI. SGAETA ........ ..... 185 U I. SERICQMYIA .............. ............ .. 1 86 LIU. W •••••••«..*..•*..... *..... 187 LIT* MWmiU 188 ly. s m s o m r i A ..... .. m lyi. s m m m k * ................... 1 9 2 LYII. SPILCm i k ............ *************.. 194 l y i h * s m m .... 198 lxx* s m m j s 1 9 9 LX. TSmOSTO&A. ..... *.... 809 X2X* TEHTHESDCaTTIA ••**•*•«..................... 2 1 1 mi. TsocHocmis ................ * . *. 2 1 2 m u . T0X0ME8US ...... ••».•.•..•••••••.... 213 Lxnr. •moPiDiA .......... 222 LX7. YOHJCSLL& .... 824 l o t . 7 t m m < x m m k ..... 2 3 4 LOTI. BIBLIQGKAFHY ............ 2 4 2 LO TH . BIOGRAPHY ................ 24? ▼ DESCRIPTIONS OF KGtJRES I* Flsaral Divisions of STSPBUS, Fig. 1 .................... 29 II. Dorsal View of Male SSBEBtJS, Fig. 8 ..... 31 i n . a e l o g ®a m , Figs. s-6 ..... ss-s? IT. BACCEA, Figs. 7-14 ..... 43-4? V. CARTOSIRPHBS, Figs. 1 6 - 1 7 .......... 54 VI. CHRTSOGASTER, Figs. 18-20 ...................... 62-63 VII. ELOPBXIQB, Figs. 2 1 - 8 2 ............... 7 3 Till. ffilSTaLIS, Figs. 23-46 .................... 8 6 - 9 5 IX. HJPBODSB, Figs. 47-48 ..... 98-99 X. HaiQPHUJOS, Figs. 49 -50 .... 105-106 XI. HAELOTA., Figs. 5 1 -53 .............. 111-112 X U . VBEtmCBSS, Fig. 5 4 ........... 118 mi. HE80QBA18JA, Figs. 55-63 .. 1 29-131 XTV. MEI4SIKP0I8, Figs. 64-71 ............................ 139-141 XT. MCRODOH, Figs. 72-74 ............... 148-150 X7Z. KILESIA, Figs. 75-76 ....... 154-155 XVII. HUOXEPTA, Figs. 77-78 ............ 159 XFIXI. PA8AGBS, Figs. 79-83 ......... 167-168 TTY, PARHEL0FHHU8, Figs. 84-85 .......................... 171 XX. KtmCHEIEBS, Fig. 8 6 ............ 17? XXI. SEHAXROPHCBIA, Figs. 87-88 ......... 190 XXII. SHLOMEU, Fig. 8 9 ............. 197 v i m i l . SXESOTS* Fig*. 90-100 .... £05-208 3217. T0XQMMJ3, Figs. 101-106 ♦ ,......................... 210-221 XXV. 7COJCELLA, Figs. 107-114..... 231-253 XOT. 1EEDAT0ES, Figs. US-121 ... 237-239 S C m . CAMERA, Figs. 122-123......... 241 v i i ABSTRACT Heretofore there has been no comprehensive report on the Syrphidaa Louisiana, although mention of several species has been made in a few scattered papers on Syrphidae. The fact that many of these flies are considered beneficial as predators of aphids, as pollinators, or as scavengers suggests the practical aspects of a study of them* The importance of correct identification of species in such a study has necessitated a taxonomic review of those now known to occur in the state as well as certain species in neighboring states* To a compiled list of the 13 species previously recorded from Louisiana the writer has added 35 determined and 4 undetermined species, and has verified the occurrence of those previously recorded except for 5 species. These, along with 123 other species which the writer ejects will probably be collected eventually in Louisiana, are treated in keys prepared to facilitate the identification of Louisiana Syrphidae. Hotes on the observations by the author, as well as original photographs of Louisiana Syrphidae, have also contributed much to our knowledge of these files. The seasonal occurrence, the precise localities, and miscellaneous notes on behavior are recorded for many of the species. Mesogramma marginata Say, for example, has been collected daring all months of the year and in a large number of localities (indicating cosmopolitan distribution). In captivity specimens were kept alive for as long as 43 days, their food during that time being pollen and honey. A single female was observed to viii copulate fifteen times at intervals varying from one to five days, ike deration of emulation being as long as 13 hours, in some eases, cheeked by observations every two hours* The total number of eggs laid by a single female was observed to be 288 during a period of 27 days* The duration of the egg stage varied according to the moisture conditions, but when kept dry longer than sir days the eggs failed to hatch* The eggs were deposited on plants where the young larvae fed at first on pollen or bloom, later on aphids* The larva attained its growth in about nine days, attached itself to a leaf or other support and pupated* The duration of the