Description of two new species of Lycopale (Diptera: Syrphidae) from the northwestern Tropical Andes hotspot, with the redescription of Lycopale magnifica
Montoya Augusto León
Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 64(2): 307-325, 2024
Published online: 24th November 2024
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Abstract: Lycopale Hull, 1944 is a small Neotropical flower fly genus (Syrphidae:
Eristalinae: Eristalini: Helophilina) with six described species. Recent surveys
in the Colombian and Ecuadorian Andean Forest and Paramo ecosystems revealed the
discovery of two species new to science: Lycopale mendozai sp. nov. and Lycopale
radioheadi sp. nov. Simultaneously, the species Lycopale magnifica (Bigot, 1880)
was rediscovered and is redescribed here, nearly a century after its original
description, including photographs of its habitus and illustrations of the male
genitalia. A new key is proposed, including illustrations of thoracic and
abdominal patterns of all known species to distinguish them from the new taxa.
Distributional patterns are illustrated and discussed. Mitochondrial cytochrome
c oxidase subunit I (COI) sequences are provided for the three species, L.
magnifica, L. mendozai sp. nov., and L. radioheadi sp. nov. The discovery of
these two new species suggests that the Tropical Andes diversity of flower flies
is still underestimated and many more unnamed species remain to be discovered
and described from this biodiversity hotspot.
Key words: Diptera, Syrphidae, Eristalinae, Eristalini, Helophilina, cloud forests, description, distribution patterns, high lands, Paramo endemic, taxonomy, Colombia, Ecuador, Neotropical Region