Many insects perform high-speed aerial maneuvers in which they navigate through visually complex surrounds. Among insects, hoverflies stand out, with males switching from stationary hovering to high-speed pursuit at extreme angular velocities [1]. In dipterans, 50-60 large interneurons -- the lobula-plate tangential cells (LPTCs) -- detect changes in optic flow experienced during flight [2-5]. ...

Glutathione S-transferases (GST) play an important role in the detoxification of many substances including organic pollutants and plant secondary metabolites. We compared the GST of two syrphid species, the aphidophagous Syrphus ribesii and the saprophagous Myathropa florea to assess the relation between feeding type and GST patterns. Differences between the GST of the hoverfly species were obs...

Recently (2013-2014), several hoverfly specimens from two localities in Benin and Cameroon (West and Central Africa) were caught from a species that we could not identify using existing identification keys for Afrotropical Syrphidae. Specific identification as Toxomerus floralis (Fabricius) was accomplished using morphology and various Neotropical identification keys. Corroboration of this iden...

Facility horticulture plays a crucial role in modern agriculture by utilizing the environment efficiently and ensuring food supply. The hoverfly Eupeodes corollae (Fabricius) (Diptera: Syrphidae) performs dual ecological function facility as larvae prey on aphids adults pollinate, but it is not widely applied due to lack of large-scale breeding technology. In this study, we investigated effects...

Abstract Urbanisation drives overall declines in insect pollinators. Although urban green spaces can provide suitable habitat for pollinators much remains to be learned about how landscapes either promote or negatively impact We investigated backyard design, local (100 m) and landscape (500 scale vegetation cover human population density were associated with non-eusocial native bee species, eus...

1. Pollination interactions comprise a network of connections between flowers and insect visitors. They are crucial for reproductive success in many angiosperms but are threatened by intensive agricultural practices. Although less intensive approaches, including organic farming, could improve farmland biodiversity, it is not clear whether or not these approaches enhance wild plant pollination a...

The genus Eumerus Meigen, 1822 (Diptera: Syrphidae) is one of the most diverse hoverfly genera in west Palaearctic Region with 140 confirmed species and 80 occurring European continent. It also highly Iberian Peninsula plus Balearic Canary Islands 43 species. Recent works on this have increased number endemic to up five. Nowadays, taxonomy, distribution biology taxonomy are still far be fully u...