TAXONOMIC STUDY OF SYRPHIDAE (DIPTERA) OF NORTHERN DRY MOUNTAINS REGION OF PAKISTAN
The current study deals with the taxonomic study of family Syrphidae of Northern Dry Mountains of Pakistan. Extensive field survey to collect syrphid fauna in one of the Agro Ecological Zones (AEZ's) of Pakistan (Northern Dry Mountains) was conducted during 2012 2014. More than 500 specimens of the family Syrphidae were examined. A total of 10 genera and 24 species under two subfamilies (Syrphinae and Eristalinae) are recognized in the present study. Three species, viz, Eristalinus (Eristalodes) paria, Spilomyia manicata (Rondani) and Chrysotoxum antiquum Walker are reported first time from Pakistan. Subfamily Eristalinae includes genus Eristalinus Rondani, Eristalis Latreille and Spilomyia Meigen while Syrphinae consist of Chrysotoxum Meigen, Episyrphus Matsumura, Ischiodon Sack, Eupeodes Osten Sacken, Paragus Latreille, Scaeva Fabricius, and Sphaerophoria Lepeletier and Serville. Genus Eristalinus Rondani is represented by three species namely, Eristalinus (Eristalodes) paria (Bigot) Eristalinus (Lathyrophthalmus) aeneus (Scopoli) and E. (Lathyrophthalmus) obscuritarsis (de Meijere) Eristalis Latreille is represented by three species i.e. Eristalis (Eoseristalis) arbustorum (Linnaeus) E. (Eoseristalis) cerealis Fabricius and E. (Eristalis) tenax (Linnaeus) Genus Spilomyia Meigen is very rare and represented by single species, Spilomyia manicata (Rondani) which had not previously been collected from Pakistan. The Subfamily Syrphinae include the following species: Chrysotoxum antiquum Walker, C. baphyrum Walker and C. Intermedium Meigen; Episyrphus balteatus De Geer) Episyrphus viridaureus (Wiedemann) Ischiodon scutellaris (Fabricius) Eupeodes (Metasyrphus) bucculatus (Rondani) Eupeodes (Macrosyrphus) confrater (Wiedemann) Eupeodes (Metasyrphus) corollae (Fabricius) Paragus (Pandasyopthalmus) politus Wiedemann and Paragus (Serratoparagus) serratus (Fabricius) Scaeva albomaculata (Macquart) Scaeva latimaculata (Brunetti) and Scaeva pyrastri (Linnaeus) Sphaerophoria bengalensis Macquart, Sphaerophoria indiana Bigot and Sphaerophoria scripta (Linnaeus) Almost all species are newly recorded to the said region. Illustrated keys, bibliography and synonymy are provided for each species. The distribution, host range, male and female description and economic importance of these syrphids are also given. The male genitalia of almost all the species are figured. Species identifications were confirm by male genitalic dissection of the species.