[Syrphidae] Toxomerus floralis samples from N,C and S America ?

Kurt Jordaens kurt.jordaens at africamuseum.be
Wed Aug 21 21:45:22 BST 2019


Hi all,

You may have heard about Toxomerus floralis being introduced in the Afrotropics (see: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/284551109_A_second_New_World_hoverfly_Toxomerus_floralis_Fabricius_Diptera_Syrphidae_recorded_from_the_Old_World_with_description_of_larval_pollen-feeding_ecology). The first record of the species was from Cameroon (December 2013).

The list of countries where we have found the species is still growing (13 countries so far), and we have recently (2018-2019) found the species at several localities in southern South Africa. The means that the species has spread over a large part of the Afrotropics in about six years. In order to figure out whether there was one, or more, introductions, we would like to compare COI barcode diversity in Aftrotropical populations compared to diversity in native American populations. I'm therefore looking for anyone who could sample some American populations for this species and who can send either ethanol preserved or pinned material to me. We already know that COI barcode variation is very low in Afrotropical populations (which may hint at a single introduction) but we have no idea on COI variation in native populations (if this would be equally low, then we cannot say very much on the number of introductions)....

By the way, MaxEnt simulations now predict that India and a large part of SE Asia are suitable habitat for the species, so that is something to keep an eye on....

For those who will attend the symposium in Lesvos, John Midgley from the KwaZulu-Natal Museum will talk a bit more on this.

Anyhow, I hope that some people are able to send me some specimens....

Very best wishes and many thanks in advance!
Kurt

Kurt Jordaens
Department of Biology - Invertebrates
[cid:image010.png at 01D3FD05.DE5347E0]
ROYAL MUSEUM FOR CENTRAL AFRICA
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KURT.JORDAENS at AFRICAMUSEUM.BE
WWW.AFRICAMUSEUM.BE

P  Before printing, think about the environment

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