Abstract

TORRETTA, Juan P.; LOPEZ, María C.  and  MARRERO, Hugo J.. Flower flies (Diptera: Syrphidae) in Pampean agroecosystems: a study case. Rev. Soc. Entomol. Argent. [online]. 2021, vol.80, n.2, pp.23-34. ISSN 0373-5680.  http://dx.doi.org/doi.org/10.25085/rsea.800205.

Agroecosystems produce profound alterations on the structure and functioning of the original environment, mainly due to the reduction of biodiversity. Flower flies (Diptera: Syrphidae) are potentially useful organisms for the diverse ecosystem services they provide. We studied syrphids collected in a Pampean agroecosystem to assess richness, abundance, host plants, and the ecosystem services they could offer. Flower flies were represented by three subfamilies, eight tribes, 17 genera, and 26 species/morphospecies. Adults of these flies visited flowers of 44 species of wild and/or cultivated plants and exhibited a generalist interaction pattern. Larvae of the most abundant species were predators (mainly soft-bodied Hemiptera) and/or decomposers/aquatic filters. Only one species was pollinivorous. Our results, together with the scarce published bibliography, suggest that the syrphid communities of the highly modified Pampean region are composed of a few very abundant species and many rare or low representative species.

Keywords : Beneficial insects; Biodiversity; Conservation; Ecosystem services; Semi natural habitats.

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