| Microdon | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Microdon mutabilis | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Diptera |
| Family: | Syrphidae |
| Subfamily: | Microdontinae |
| Genus: | MicrodonMeigen, 1803 |
| Type species | |
| Musca mutabilis | |
| Subgenera and species groups[1] | |
| |
| Synonyms[1] | |
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Hover flies (family Syrphidae) of the genus Microdon are unusual among the Diptera. Like other members of the subfamily, they are myrmecophiles, meaning they inhabit the nests of ants.
There are 249 species known worldwide, with the greatest diversity being from the tropics; 30 species are known from North America, though it is expected that many of these species will be placed in other genera in time, as Microdon has been used as a catch-all for various unrelated species not placed in other genera.[2][3]
Appearance
Microdon adults look more or less like typical flies. Like some other hoverflies, they are generally robust and very hairy, often closely resembling bees. They are between 8 and 15 mm long. The antennae are rather long, with the last (third) segment nearly as long as, or sometimes significantly longer than, the first segment; the antennae are nearly as long as the fly's face. These flies are covered in black or pale (white or golden) hairs, and are themselves either black or metallic green or blue. The scutellum is with apical calcars and wing vein R4+5 with an appendix. They have simple legs and abdomens.[2]
The real oddity of the genus Microdon is in its larvae and pupae. These are dome-shaped and look like stout little slugs. Their appearance originally led scientists to describe them as mollusks and scale insects.[4] They are slow-moving. Most have the spiracles on a peg-like protuberance extending from the end of their abdomens.
Behaviour
Adult Microdon flies do not behave like other syrphid flies; they do not hover around flowers, but instead remain very near the ant colonies which serve as larval hosts.
Larvae may be found very deep in ant colonies. Some species actively feed on ant larvae in the colony,[4] others are speculated to be scavengers.[5]Microdon larvae are more or less restricted in their ant host species. Some Microdon species have only ever been found in the colonies of a single ant species, while others are restricted to related ant species or genera. Because these flies have such cryptic life cycles, biological information on most species is limited.
Species
Microdon is divided into six subgenera (including Microdonsensu stricto), plus five species groups and some unplaced species in Microdonsensu lato.[1]
Subgenus Chymophila
Nearctic:
- Microdon fulgensWiedemann, 1830 (Synonyms: Microdon euglossoidesGray, 1832; Chymophila splendensMacquart, 1834)
Neotropical:
- Microdon angulatusHull, 1943
- Microdon argentinaeHull, 1937
- Microdon aurifaciusHull, 1937
- Microdon barbielliniiCurran, 1936
- Microdon bruchiShannon, 1927
- Microdon cyaneiventrisMacquart, 1846 (Synonym: Aphritis cyanoventrisWilliston, 1886 (misspelling))
- Microdon cyaneusPerty, 1833
- Microdon emeraldaHull, 1943
- Microdon flavolunaHull, 1943
- Microdon histrioWiedemann, 1830
- Microdon inaequalisLoew, 1866
- Microdon instabilisWiedemann, 1830 (Synonyms: Aphritis divesRondani, 1848; Microdon aurifexWiedemann, 1830; Microdon trochilusWalker, 1852)[6]
- Microdon limbatusWiedemann, 1830
- Microdon marceliCurran, 1936
- Microdon neroCurran, 1936
- Microdon nestorCurran, 1940
- Microdon opulentusBigot, 1883
- Microdon pulcherWilliston, 1887
- Microdon shannoniCurran, 1940
- Microdon splendensWiedemann, 1830
- Microdon stramineusHull, 1943
- Microdon superbusWiedemann, 1830
- Microdon tigrinusCurran, 1940
- Microdon willistoniMik, 1899 (Synonym: Microdon inermisWilliston, 1888 (nec Loew, 1858))
Oriental:
- Microdon aenoviridisCurran, 1931
- Microdon baramusCurran, 1942
- Microdon beatusCurran, 1942
- Microdon latiscutellarisCurran, 1931
- Microdon lativentrisMeijere, 1921 (Synonym: Microdon grandisCurran, 1928)
- Microdon lunduraCurran, 1942
- Microdon stilboidesWalker, 1849
Palaearctic:
- Microdon katsuraiMaruyama & Hironaga, 2004[7]
Subgenus Dimeraspis
- Microdon abditusThompson, 1981[8]
- Microdon adventitiusThompson, 1981[8]
- Microdon fuscipennis(Macquart, 1834)
- Microdon globosus(Fabricius, 1805)[9]
- Microdon marmoratumBigot, 1884[10]
- Microdon remotusKnab, 1917[11]
Subgenus Megodon
- M. planitarsusKeiser, 1971
- M. stuckenbergi(Keiser, 1971)
Subgenus Microdonsensu stricto
- Microdon abstrususThompson, 1981[3]
- Microdon albicomatusNovak, 1977
- Microdon aurulentus(Fabricius, 1805)
- Microdon cothurnatusBigot, 1883
- Microdon lanceolatusAdams, 1903
- Microdon manitobensisCurran, 1924
- Microdon megalogasterSnow, 1892
- Microdon newcomeriMann, 1924
- Microdon ocellarisCurran, 1924
- Microdon piperiKnab, 1917
- Microdon ruficrusWilliston, 1887
- Microdon tristisLoew, 1864
- Microdon xanthopilisTownsend, 1895
- Microdon aureopilisMarinoni, 2004
- Microdon barbouriHull, 1942
- Microdon bassleriCurran, 1940
- Microdon bonariensisLynch Arribalzaga, 1891
- Microdon brutusHull, 1944
- Microdon caesarCurran, 1940
- Microdon colakrikiReemer, 2014[6]
- Microdon crassitarsis(Macquart, 1848)
- Microdon eutristisCurran, 1925
- Microdon macquartiiLynch Arribalzaga, 1891
- Microdon moureiMarinoni, 2004
- Microdon remusCurran, 1941
- Microdon rufiventris(Rondani, 1848)
- Microdon violaceus(Macquart, 1842)
- Microdon virgoCurran, 1940
Oriental:
- Microdon aeneusKeiser, 1952
- Microdon alboscutatusCurran, 1931
- Microdon bellusBrunetti, 1923
- Microdon formosanusShiraki, 1930
- Microdon fulvopubescensBrunetti, 1923
- Microdon fumipennisHull, 1944
- Microdon metallicusMeijere, 1904
- Microdon sumatranusWulp, 1892
- Microdon sumbanusKeiser, 1952
- Microdon analis(Macquart, 1842)
- Microdon auricomusCoquillett, 1898
- Microdon dentigiganteusTian, Huo & Zhang, 2019[12]
- Microdon devius(Linnaeus, 1761)
- Microdon hauseriReemer, 2013[1]
- Microdon ignotusViolovitsh, 1976
- Microdon japonicusYano, 1915
- Microdon kidaiHironaga & Maruyama, 2004
- Microdon lateusViolovitsh, 1976
- Microdon lehriMutin, 1999
- Microdon macrocerusHironaga & Maruyama, 2004
- Microdon majorAndries, 1912
- Microdon mandarinusReemer, 2013[1]
- Microdon maritimusViolovitsh, 1976
- Microdon mikiDoczkal & Schmid, 1999
- Microdon murayamaiHironaga & Maruyama, 2004
- Microdon mutabilis(Linnaeus, 1758)
- Microdon myrmicaeSchönrogge, Barr, Wardlaw, Napper, Gardner, Breen, Elmes & Thomas, 2002
- Microdon mysaViolovitsh, 1971
- Microdon nigripesShiraki, 1930
- Microdon nigrodorsatusMutin, 2011
- Microdon novus(Schrank, 1776)
- Microdon oitanusShiraki, 1930
- Microdon podomelainusHuo, Ren & Zheng, 2007
- Microdon ursitarsisStackelberg, 1926
- Microdon yokohamaiHironaga & Maruyama, 2004
- Microdon yunnanensisReemer, 2013[1]
Subgenus Myiacerapis
Myiacerapis is a subgenus of the hoverflygenusMicrodon. It contains only one species, Microdon villosus.[1][2] It is native to Uganda, though an undescribed species is known from South Africa.[1]Larvae are found in ant nests.
Subgenus Syrphipogon
There are two species described in Syrphipogon:[1]
- M. fucatissimus(Hull, 1937)
- M. gaigeiSteyskal, 1953
Microdonsensu lato species groups
craigheadii-group
Nearctic:
- Microdon craigheadiiWalton, 1912
erythros-group
- Microdon erythrosBezzi, 1908
- = Microdon erytherusBezzi, 1921 (misspelling)
mirabilis-group
- Microdon bertoniiBezzi, 1910
- = Microdon arcuataCurran, 1941
tarsalis-group
Afrotropical:
- Microdon tarsalisHervé-Bazin, 1913
- = Microdon bequaertiCurran, 1929
Unplaced species
- Microdon harinhalai(Reemer, 2015)[13]
- Microdon berobak(Reemer, 2015)[13]
- Microdon ifanadiana(Reemer, 2015)[13]
- Microdon irwini(Reemer, 2015)[13]
- Microdon janne(Reemer, 2015)[13]
- Microdon sava(Reemer, 2015)[13]
- Microdon tsaraKeiser, 1971
- Microdon amabilisFerguson, 1926
- Microdon macquariensisFerguson, 1926
- Microdon nigromarginalisCurran & Bryan, 1926
- Microdon pictipennis(Macquart, 1850)
- = Microdon pictulipennisHull, 1944
- Microdon riekiParamonov, 1957
- Microdon waterhouseiFerguson, 1926
Oriental:
- Microdon carbonariusBrunetti, 1923
- Microdon pagdeniCurran, 1942
- Microdon trimaculaCurran, 1928
- Microdon unicolorBrunetti, 1915
References
- ^ abcdefghiReemer, Menno; Ståhls, Gunilla (2013). "Generic revision and species classification of the Microdontinae (Diptera, Syrphidae)". ZooKeys (288): 1–213. Bibcode:2013ZooK..288....1R. doi:10.3897/zookeys.288.4095. PMC 3690914. PMID 23798897.
- ^ abcCheng, Xin-Yue; Thompson, F. Christian (2008). "A generic conspectus of the Microdontinae (Diptera: Syrphidae) with the description of two new genera from Africa and China"(PDF). Zootaxa. 1879. New Zealand: Magnolia Press: 21–48. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.1879.1.3. ISSN 1175-5334. Retrieved 2009-09-11.
- ^ abThompson, F.C (1981). "Revisionary notes on Nearctic Microdon flies (Diptera: Syrphidae)". Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington. 83. Washington D.C.: Allen Press: 725–758. ISSN 0013-8797.
- ^ abDuffield, R.M (1981). "Biology of Microdon fuscipennis (Diptera: Syrphidae) with interpretation of reproductive strategies of Microdon species found north of Mexico". Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington. 83. Washington D.C.: Allen Press: 716–724. ISSN 0013-8797.
- ^Donisthorpe, H. St. J. (1927). The guests of British ants : their habits and life-histories. London: Routledge. p. 244.
- ^ abReemer, Menno (2014). "A review of Microdontinae (Diptera: Syrphidae) of Surinam, with a key to the Neotropical genera". Tijdschrift voor Entomologie. 157 (1): 27–57. doi:10.1163/22119434-00002035.
- ^Maruyama, Munetoshi; Hironaga, Teruhiko (December 22, 2004). "Microdon katsurai, a New Species of Myrmecophilous Hoverfly (Diptera, Syrphidae) from Japan, Associated with Polyrhachis lamellidens (Hymenoptera, Formicidae)"(PDF). Bulletin of the National Science Museum. 30 (4). Tokyo: National Science Museum, Tokyo: 173–179.
- ^ abThompson, F.C (1981). "Revisionary notes on Nearctic Microdon flies (Diptera: Syrphidae)". Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington. 83: 725–758.
- ^Fabricius, Johann Christian (1805). Systema antliatorum : secundum ordines, genera, species, adiectis synonymis, locis, observationibus, descriptionibus. Brunsvigae. p. 372.?
- ^Bigot, Jacques-Marie-Frangile (1884). "Diptères nouveaux ou peu connus. 22e partie, XXXII: Syrphidi (2e partie). espèces nouvelles, No 1er". Annales de la Société Entomologique de France. 3 (6): 315–356. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
- ^Knab, F. (1917). "On some North American species of Microdon (Diptera: Syrphidae)". Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington. 30: 133–143.
- ^Tian, Jing; Huo, Ke-Ke; Zhang, Chun-Tian; Ren, Bing-Zhong (2019). "Microdon dentigiganteum sp. nov. and other Microdontinae species (Diptera: Syrphidae) from Northeast China". Zootaxa. 4712 (1): 65–76. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4712.1.4. PMID 32230696. S2CID 212755775.
- ^ abcdefReemer, Menno (2015). "Six new species of Microdon Meigen from Madagascar"(PDF). Zootaxa. 4034 (1): 127–147. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4034.1.6. PMID 26624434. S2CID 44650485.
