Description of two new species of Lycopale (Diptera: Syrphidae) from the northwestern Tropical Andes hotspot, with the redescription of Lycopale magnifica

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