Cheilosia ( Eucartosyrphus ) ruffipes ( Preyssler, 1793 )

Bot, Sander, Mengual, Ximo, Meutter, Frank Van de & Skevington, Jeffrey H., 2025, Review of the genus Cheilosia Meigen, 1822 (Diptera: Syrphidae) from the Caucasus, with the description of 14 new species, European Journal of Taxonomy 1023, pp. 1-181 : 127-129

Cheilosia ( Eucartosyrphus) ruffipes ( Preyssler, 1793)

Fig. 64

Syrphus ruffipes Preyssler, 1793: 216 .

Eristalis soror Zetterstedt, 1843: 809 . Syn. by Rozkošný et al. (1982).

Cheilosia ( Eucartosyrphus) soror – Stackelberg & Richter 1968: 249. — Stackelberg 1970: 58. Cheilosia rufipes Preyssler, 1793 [sic] – Peck 1988: 115.

Cheilosia rufipes ( Preyssler, 1793) [sic] – Barkalov 1993: 712.

Cheilosia soror Zetterstendt, 1843 [sic] – Gujabidze 2002: 245.

Cheilosia ruffipes – Mengual et al. 2020: 23. — Żóralski & Bystrowski 2021: 26.

Differential diagnosis

Cheilosia ruffipes shares the following set of characters only with the very similar C. scutellata : face and eye bare, arista long pilose (pile longer than width of arista at base) and facial tubercle broad, semicircular in dorsal view. It can always be distinguished from C. scutellata by the pilose posterodorsal corner of the anterior anepisternum (bare in C. scutellata ), and usually postpedicel bright orange ( Fig. 64B, D) (in C. scutellata variable, ranging from dark orange to dark brown).

Material examined

Not collected in 2018, but collected in 2019, 2021, 2022 and 2023.

ARMENIA – Yerevan • 1 ♂; Yerevan Botanical Garden ; 40.21197° N, 44.55889° E; 1237 m a.s.l.; 14–21 May 2022; B. Rulik, B. Müller leg.; Malaise trap; ZFMK, ZFMK-DIP-00094193 .

GEORGIA – Kakheti • 4 ♂♂; Dedoplis Tskaro ; 41.4884° N, 46.0957° E; 752 m a.s.l.; 1 Jul. 2021; S. Bot leg.; SBA, SB.002810 to SB.002813 • 4 ♀♀; same data as for preceding; SBA, SB.002806 to SB.002809 ; SBA • 4 ♂♂; Batsara Nature Reserve ; 42.22238° N, 45.30352° E; 806 m a.s.l.; 28 May 2022; X. Mengual leg.; ZFMK, ZFMK-DIP-00093952 , ZFMK-DIP-00093957 = ZFMK-TIS-8014593 , ZFMK-DIP-00093958 to ZFMK-DIP-00093961 • 7 ♀♀; same data as for preceding; ZFMK, ZFMKDIP-00093968 , ZFMK-DIP-00093969 , ZFMK-DIP-00093974 to ZFMK-DIP-00093976 , ZFMKDIP-00093977 = ZFMK-TIS-8014594 , ZFMK-DIP-00093979 • 5 ♂♂; Batsara Nature Reserve ; 42.22246° N, 45.30369° E; 807 m a.s.l.; 28–29 May 2022; X. Mengual leg.; Malaise trap; ZFMK, ZFMK-DIP-00094230 , ZFMK-DIP-00094231 , ZFMK-DIP-00094233 to ZFMK-DIP-00094235 • 3 ♀♀; same data as for preceding; ZFMK, ZFMK-DIP-00094236 , ZFMK-DIP-00094237 , ZFMKDIP-00094240 • 1 ♂; Batsara Nature Reserve ; 42.222385° N, 45.303528° E; 806 m a.s.l.; 29 May 2022; X. Mengual leg.; ZFMK, ZFMK-DIP-00094006 • 2 ♀♀; same data as for preceding; ZFMK, ZFMKDIP-00094009 , ZFMK-DIP-00094010 = ZFMK-TIS-8014643 • 4 ♂♂; Dedoplis Tskaro ; 41.488° N, 46.094° E; 780 m a.s.l.; 30 April 2023; S. Bot leg.; SBA, SB.002802 to SB.002805 • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; SBA, SB.002801 • 4 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀; Dedoplis Tskaro ; 41.4856° N, 46.0947° E; 750 m a.s.l.; 30 April 2023; F. Van de Meutter leg.; FMT • 3 ♂♂; Dedoplis Tskaro ; 41.4852° N, 46.0950° E; 750 m a.s.l.; 30 April 2023; W. Opdekamp leg.; WOR, C006 , C011 , C018 • 1 ♀; Dedoplis Tskaro ; 41.336° N, 45.8402° E; 300 m a.s.l.; 1 May 2023; F. Van de Meutter leg.; FMT • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; Heretiskari ; 41.7144° N, 46.0531° E; 215 m a.s.l.; 2 May 2023; F. Van de Meutter leg.; FMT • 1 ♀; Dedoplis Tskaro ; 41.4848° N, 46.0947° E; 750 m a.s.l.; 5 May 2023; S. Bot leg.; SBA, SB.002800 • 1 ♂; Heretiskari ; 41.7125° N, 46.0515° E; 220 m a.s.l.; 5 May 2023; W. Opdekamp leg.; WOR, B006 . – Kvemo Kartli • 2 ♂♂; Gardabani Monastery ; 41.8341° N, 44.8762° E; 600 m a.s.l.; 9 May 2023; W. Opdekamp leg.; WOR, A003 , A002 . – Mtskheta-Mtianeti • 1 ♀; Saguramo ; 41.89° N, 44.75° E; 550 m a.s.l.; 21 Jun. 2019; J. van Steenis leg.; JSB, 2019-00.836 • 1 ♂; 41.8811° N, 45.0206° E; 1251 m a.s.l.; 22 Jun. 2019; S. Bot leg.; SBA, SB.002814 • 1 ♂; Tbilisi National Park ; 41.8808° N, 45.0204° E; 1270 m a.s.l.; 22 Jun. 2019; X. Mengual leg.; ZFMK, ZFMK-DIP-00066225 • 2 ♀♀; same data as for preceding; ZFMK, ZFMK-DIP-00066200 = ZFMK-TIS-8006803 , ZFMK-DIP-00066201 = ZFMK-TIS-8006804 • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; F. Van de Meutter leg.; FMT • 1 ♀; Mtskheta-Mtianeti, Tbilisi National Park ; 41.8784° N, 45.016° E; 1249 m a.s.l.; 22 Jun. 2019; J.H. Skevington leg.; CNC1392958 ; CNC . – Tbilisi • 3 ♂♂; Mamkoda ; 41.8339° N, 44.8763° E; 920 m a.s.l.; 9 May 2023; F. Van de Meutter leg.; FMT

Genetics

DNA barcodes of C. ruffipes from Europe and Caucasus cluster together with high support (BS = 99.9%).

Remarks

This species appears in recent literature with the name C. soror ; but see Mengual et al. (2020).

Biology

During our expeditions, collected between 30 April and 1 July at an altitude between 301 and 1251 m a.s.l. Occurs in or near dry forests. Is often found on umbellifer flowers.

Distribution

Palaearctic. Within the Caucasus reported from Armenia, Georgia and Russia.