Ante Vujic

• University of Novi Sad

The European species of the Cheilosia subgen. Neocheilosia Barkalov, 1983 (Diptera, Syrphidae) are revised. The identities of Cheilosia morio (Zetterstedt, 1838) and of its synonyms are reviewed, and C. scanica Ringdahl, 1937 is established as a junior synonym of C. morio. Cheilosia luteicornis (Zetterstedt, 1838) is re-installed as the name for C....

Wild fauna and flora are facing variable and challenging environmental disturbances. One of the animal groups that is most impacted by this, concerns pollinators. Pollinators face multiple threats, but the spread of anthropogenic chemicals (i.e. pesticides) form a major potential driver of these threats. WildPosh is a multi-actor, transdisciplinary...

The hoverfly genus Merodon Meigen, 1803 (Diptera: Syrphidae) comprises five monophyletic lineages. Here, we describe two new species of the murorum species group and melanocerus species group from the desuturinus lineage. One species, Merodon spinolobus Vujić, Radenković & Likov sp. nov., belongs to the Afrotropical melanocerus species group, and i...

The Eumerus triangularis group (Diptera: Syrphidae: Merodontini), which is endemic to the Afrotropical Region, has been thoroughly reviewed. This study identifies nine species within the group, with four of them redescribed: E. rubidus Hull, 1964, E. tessellatus Hull, 1964, E. triangularis Hervé-Bazin, 1913, and E. villeneuvei Hervé-Bazin, 1913 and...

Motivation Pollinators play a crucial role in maintaining Earth's terrestrial biodiversity. However, rapid human‐induced environmental changes are compromising the long‐term persistence of plant‐pollinator interactions. Unfortunately, we lack robust, generalisable data capturing how plant‐pollinator communities are structured across space and time....

Understanding biodiversity dynamics in agricultural landscapes is essential for promoting sustainable land use and conserving wildlife. We examined butterfly communities in a monoculture‐dominated landscape, comparing remnant grassland sites surrounded by agricultural land (AGR), grasslands (GR), and forests (FOR). Data were collected from 30 sites...

Numerous wild bee (Hymenoptera, Apoidea, Anthophila) species show negative population trends, while the knowledge gaps on their occurrences and distributions prevent adequate conservation actions. The need for continuous updating of species records and reconfirmation of their presence has been recognized, especially in understudied areas. The prese...

Linear landscape elements play a crucial role in supporting many species by providing habitats and facilitating movement and genetic exchange. However, they can also act as barriers, disrupting these connections. The SPAS project (Serbian Pollinator Advice Strategy), funded by the Science Fund of the Republic of Serbia, monitors insect pollinators...

Linear landscape elements can have contrasting effects on organism population: 1) enhancing connectivity and 2) acting as potential barriers. Given the limited knowledge of their impact on hoverflies, the main objective of the present research is to evaluate the effect of linear landscape elements on diversity and abundance of hoverflies, with the...

The SPAS (Serbian Pollinator Advice Strategy) project (2022-2024), funded by the Science Fund of the Republic of Serbia deals with monitoring the status and trend of pollinating insects (wild bees, butterflies and hoverflies) in Serbia. This project formed the foundation for the present study, aiming to delve into the intricate relationship between...

Our research provides the first insights into temporal wing asymmetry for Syrphidae (hoverflies), revealing that these insects now face significantly more environmental pressure than they did in the 1980s. We conducted a detailed analysis of temporal populations from natural habitats, and our findings suggest that climate change and increased temp...

The genus Merodon Meigen (Diptera: Syrphidae) is one of the most species-rich hoverfly genera distributed across the Palaearctic and Afrotropical regions. In the Palaearctic, the genus Merodon boasts 195 described species, while its Afrotropical region pales in comparison, with a mere 17 species documented thus far. As a result of 8 years of fieldw...

Hoverflies play essential roles in ecosystems, serving as pollinators and valuable indicators of environmental modifications caused by climate change. Thus, they require an adequate conservation strategy, which in turn necessitates in-depth understanding of the distribution patterns of different species and their responses to climate changes over t...

Simple Summary Hoverflies are a diverse group of dipterans (6800+ species worldwide) of high relevance to pollination and the regulation of insect pest populations. With nearly 500 described species worldwide, Cheilosia represents the largest hoverfly genus in the Palaearctic, with larvae of most species feeding on flowering plants or fungal tissue...

This study focuses on the avidus–nigritarsis lineage within the genus Merodon, exploring morphological, genetic, and distributional aspects of two related assemblies within this lineage: the clavipes and pruni species groups. An integrative taxonomic approach was followed to ensure comprehensive species identification and validation, using adult mo...

This study was conducted in the provinces Antalya, Afyonkarahisar, Burdur, Isparta, and Konya, located in the Lakes Region of Turkey. Adults of Syrphidae were collected in the period between April and October 2014–2016, at least twice a season. In total 113 species belonging to three subfamilies and 39 genera were identified using morphological met...

Simple Summary In this paper, the Merodon avidus (Diptera, Syrphidae) species complex was revised, whereupon we discovered and described four new species for science. An integrative taxonomy approach was used to delimit species boundaries. The molecular analysis, the differences in the shape of the wings, the morphological characters of the adults...

Merodon triangulum Vujić, Radenković & Hurkmans, 2020 is a European endemic hoverfly species belonging to Merodon constans species-group, inside albifrons-lineage. The distribution of this species is known to be mostly central Europe and Balkan peninsula and it has been categorized as Near Threatened in the European IUCN red list of hoverflies; thi...

One of the largest families of the order Diptera - hoverflies, are at the same time one of the most prominent insect groups, being recognized as the second most important pollinator group, bioindicator species, as well as potential biocontrol agents. Thus, raising interest in their distribution, biology and ecology is not surprising. As a contribut...

Detection of morphologically indistinguishable cryptic species implies using an integrative taxonomic approach with a combination of molecular, contemporary morphological, ecological and other relevant analyses. Within a contemporary morphological analysis, two approaches are commonly used in hoverfly taxonomy: a geometric morphometric analysis of...

Numerous scientific projects have been initiated with the aim of tackling the decline in insect pollinators, a crucial group for the functioning of terrestrial ecosystems. One of the first steps is to address information gaps on species spatial distribution, diversity, and abundance that prevent effective conservation actions in Europe. Given that...

Pollinators play a crucial role in ecosystems globally, ensuring the seed production of most flowering plants. They are threatened by global changes and knowledge of their distribution at the national and continental levels is needed to implement efficient conservation actions, but this knowledge is still fragmented and/or difficult to access. As a...

Merodon triangulum Vujić, Radenković & Hurkmans, 2020 is a european endemic hoverfly species belonging to Merodon constans species group, inside albifrons lineage. The distribution of this species is known to be mostly central Europe and Balkan peninsula and it has been categorized as Near Threatened in the European IUCN red list of hoverflies (Jan...

This document provides the basis for a Conservation Action Plan for threatened European hoverfly species which are specialised on veteran trees or wet decaying wood, including the Orange-horned Wasp Fly (Sphiximorpha petronillae Rondani, 1850), the Red-legged Leafwalker (Chalcosyrphus pannonicus Oldenberg, 1916), the Royal Wasp Fly (Primocerioides...

This paper is an updated checklist of the hoverflies of Slovenia. Since the last checklist of 274 species published by de Groot & Govedič in 2008, a large number of additional specimens have been collected and studied. In the present study, 42 species are reported for the first time for the Slovenian hoverfly fauna. Sphegina sublatifrons Vujić, 199...

The first data on the interaction between a phytophagous hoverfly and holoparasitic broomrape plants in Europe is reported. Description of the new species Eumerus larvatus sp. nov. Aracil, Grković et Pérez-Bañón is presented from specimens feeding within the fleshy hypogeal stems of Cistanche phelypaea in different localities of Southeast of Iberia...

Amaç: Bu çalışma, Göller yöresinde predatör özellikte olan Syrphidae (Diptera) türlerinin saptanması ve yayılışlarının belirlenmesi amacıyla 2014-2016 yıllarında gerçekleştirilmiştir. Materyal ve Yöntem: Ergin bireyler tarım alanları, işlenmemiş araziler ve ormanlık alanlardaki ağaç, çalı ve otsu bitkiler üzerinden havanın açık ve güneşli olduğu za...

Intensively managed agricultural landscapes often lack suitable habitats to support diverse wildlife, particularly harming pollinator communities. Besides mass flowering crops, remnant patches of natural and semi‐natural vegetation may play a key role in maintaining and conserving biodiversity. Yet, the effects of different natural habitats, includ...

We studied α‐ and β‐diversity of pollinators, flowering plants and plant–pollinator interactions along the altitudinal gradient of Mt. Olympus, a legendary mountain and biodiversity hotspot in Central Greece. We explored 10 study sites located on the north‐eastern slope of the mountain, from 327 to 2596 m a.s.l. Insect surveys were conducted once a...

The phytophagous hoverfly genus Merodon Meigen, 1803 (Diptera, Syrphidae) presently comprises 205 described species distributed in the Palaearctic and Afrotropical regions, and it is differentiated into multiple species groups. In this work, we revise the Merodon tarsatus species group, providing an illustrated key to species, a detailed discussion...

Fire affects many critical ecological processes, including pollination, and effects of climate change on fire regimes may have profound consequences that are difficult to predict. Considerable work has examined effects of fire on pollinator diversity, but relatively few studies have examined these effects on interaction networks including those of...

This study was carried out by visiting the designated areas at least twice between the months of April and October of each year between 2014 and 2016 to determine the phytophagous Syrphidae species in Antalya (Korkuteli), Afyonkarahisar (Dazkırı, Dinar), Burdur, Isparta (all districts), and Konya (Beyşehir) located within the borders of the Lakes R...

In this paper, we revise the Merodon aberrans species group of the genus Merodon Meigen, 1803 (Diptera: Syrphidae), providing morphological diagnoses and descriptions, molecular data for three species, as well as an illustrated key and a discussion of the different taxonomic characters used. We also discuss distribution patterns for this species gr...

This European Red List of Hoverflies is an output of the Hoverfly Specialist Group of the IUCN Species Survival Commission, funded by the European Commission Service Contract ‘Status assessment of European Hoverflies (Syrphidae) – European Red List of Hoverflies (EU and pan-Europe)’ (No. 07.0202/2018/792937/SER/ENV.D.2).

Pollination is a vitally important process for global crop production and insect pollinators, providing this ecosystem service, represent a key component of global biodiversity. Thus, multiple reports on global insect declines and so-called pollination crisis have raised concern of both scientific community and the public. However, despite widespre...

Despite their environmental and economic significance, pollinator conservation efforts to date have been dominated by activities related to bees and butterflies. Fortunately, in 2018, the European Union (EU) launched a comprehensive Pollinators Initiative to extend action to all main pollinator groups. However, given their unusually diverse life-hi...

Further revision of material from the Merodon ruficornis group (Diptera: Syrphidae) revealed three new species, M. acutus Vujić et Radenković sp. nov. from Russia, M. fulvitarsis Vujić et Radenković sp. nov. from Iran, and M. trispinus Vujić et Radenković sp. nov. from Turkey. We provide an upgraded and illustrated identification key for the specie...

Hoverflies are known as pollinators, bioindicators, and some species are used as biological control agents. Due to these invaluable functions in the ecosystem, hoverfly research has seen a recent rise in the previous years. Bibliometric analysis represents a type of statistical analysis used to summarize academic literature in a quantitative way. T...

Considering the threat of pollinator decline to seriously affect ecosystem function and food security, the conservation of pollinating insects has become of utmost importance, entailing the accurate taxa identification in order to establish a long-term monitoring strategy. In addition to pollination service, hoverflies (Diptera: Syrphidae) also hav...

Merodon capi Vujić et Radenković, 2020 and Merodon roni Radenković et Vujić, 2020 are two cryptic species belonging to the Merodon planifacies Bezzi, 1915 species complex that have recently been described, with the differences between them being revealed by molecular and geometric morphometry studies of adult specimens. In the present study, the pr...

Recent studies warn of declining trends in insect pollinators (1, 2). Hence, their existing diversity must be discovered in order to develop effective protection strategies. Hoverflies are, after bees, the second most important insect pollinators. However, the diversity of hoverflies has not yet been fully addressed. Extensive work on hoverflies ta...

Hoverflies (Diptera, Syrphidae) are recognized as insect pollinators of exceptional importance (1). Considering the accelerating pollinators decline, the accurate identification of species within this insect family is prudent. Nonetheless, due to the high diversity and the presence of cryptic taxa, there are still undefined species boundaries withi...

This study was carried out for the determination of distribution, abundance, and species richness of hoverflies in the Lakes Region of Turkey between the years 2014–2016. Samplings were done between April and October of each year. A total of 6595 specimens belonging to 113 species, divided into two subfamilies (Syrphinae and Eristalinae) and 39 gen...

A new species Eumerus incisus Vujić et Malidžan sp. nov. is described from Montenegro, based on molecular and morphological data. This species is so far the only known close relative of the very divergent species among European species of the genus, Eumerus torsicus Grković et Vujić, 2015, known from Chios (Greece), Cyprus and Turkey. These two spe...

In this study, we examined the morphology, genetics and distribution of the members of the Merodon chalybeus subgroup (M. aureus species group): M. chalybeus Wiedemann in Meigen, 1822, M. minutus Strobl, 1893 and M. robustus Veselić, Vujić & Radenković, 2017. Two of the species, M. chalybeus and M. minutus, are morphologically very similar and ofte...

The diversity in the Eumerus tricolor group, the largest group within the genus in Southeast Europe, is investigated. Two new, locally distributed species are described, E. crispus Vujić & Grković, sp. n. from Serbia and E. nigrorufus Grković & Vujić, sp. n. from Montenegro. In addition to Southeast European members, one related species E. arctus v...

Habitat degradation, mostly caused by human impact, is one of the key drivers of biodiversity loss. This is a global problem, causing a decline in the number of pollinators, such as hoverflies. In the process of digitalizing ecological studies in Serbia, remote-sensing-based land cover classification has become a key component for both current and...

Merodon natans group (Diptera, Syrphidae) taxa are reviewed using an integrative taxonomic approach combining morphological, morphometric and molecular techniques. The approach substantiates recognition of the three species: M. calcaratus (Fabricius, 1794), M. natans (Fabricius, 1794) and M. pulveris Vujić & Radenković in Radenković et al. 2011, an...

The current work represents summarised data on the bee fauna in Serbia from previous publications, collections, and field data in the period from 1890 to 2020. A total of 706 species from all six of the globally widespread bee families is recorded; of the total number of recorded species, 314 have been confirmed by determination, while 392 species...

The hoverfly genus Merodon Meigen, 1803 (Diptera, Syrphidae), which comprises more than 200 species is distributed in the Palaearctic and Afrotropical Region, but one species, Merodon equestris, is a pest of flower bulbs and has been invasive into New Zealand and North America. In this work, the Merodon aurifer species group, a member of the M. avi...

In the present work, the Afrotropical species of the bombiformis species group, part of the aureus lineage, are revised. Six species are recognized, based on a combination of morphological and genetic features. Three of these species are new to science: Merodon lotus Vujić & Radenković sp. nov., M. vittatus Vujić & Likov sp. nov., and M. zebra Vuji...

To better understand the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, it is increasingly accepted that the focus of study needs to shift from taxonomic identity to the diversity of functional traits displayed by species within a community. Such an approach allows species to be grouped according to particular functional characteristi...

The genus Merodon Meigen, 1803 is distributed across the Palaearctic and Afrotropical Regions. The present work summarizes the knowledge from recent taxonomic and systematic revisions and includes an identification key for the five monophyletic lineages (namely albifrons, aureus, avidus-nigritarsis, desuturinus and natans), 24 species groups, two s...

Aracil, A., Rojo, S., Pérez, C., Campoy, A., Barkalov, A., Mazanek, L., Pennards, G.W.A., Popov, G., Speight, M. & Vujić, A. 2021. Anasimyia contracta. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021: e.T149166171A152281662. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-3.RLTS.T149166171A152281662.en.

The taxonomy of the syrphid genus Chrysotoxum Meigen, 1803 (Diptera: Syrphidae), is complex and currently under scrutiny. Two new species allied with Chrysotoxum vernale, one from the Western Mediterranean, Chrysotoxum hispanicum sp. n. and the other from the Eastern Mediterranean, Chysotoxum anatolicum sp. n., are described and illustrated. Chryso...

The European fauna of the genera Brachyopa Meigen, 1822 and Hammerschmidtia Schummel, 1834 is reviewed. The distribution and phenology based on extensive literature and database research are provided. The biology of adults as well as larval habitats are treated. An illustrated key is presented for easy identification of the adults, including three...

An ongoing investigation on the Greek hoverfly fauna using adult morphology has revealed new species within three genera. In this study, the knowledge of the Mediterranean hoverfly fauna has been enhanced by describing the following species: Cheilosia candida Vujić et Radenković sp. n. (Pindos Mountains), Paragus thracusi Radenković, Likov et Vujić...

This report presents the proposal for an EU Pollinator Monitoring Scheme (EU-PoMS), based on the findings of an expert group of 21 people from 12 European countries. The EU-PoMS delivers of a cost-effective Core Scheme, which includes the most relevant taxa, is able to detect changes in the status of pollinators, has EU-wide coverage, and uses stan...

Hoverflies (Syrphidae) represent an insect group of great importance in ecosystems and indicators of ecosystem change. The genus Merodon Meigen, 1803 (tribe Merodontini) is one of the most species-rich hoverfly genera, distributed across the Palaearctic and Afrotropical regions. The genus Merodon Meigen, 1803 is less diverse in the Afrotropical Reg...

Merodon is the richest genus of hoverflies in Europe with 120 recognized species. The adult species of this genus are important pollinators of diverse plants, while larvae are phytophagous and they develop in geophytes. Species discovery within genus is facilitated by the application of DNA barcoding approach in almost all recent studies. DNA barco...

Two new species of the genus Paragus Latreille, 1804 are described from the Republic of South Africa: Paragus longipilus Tot, Vujić et Radenković sp. nov. and Paragus megacercus Tot, Vujić et Radenković sp. nov. These new species belong to the subgenus Pandasyopthalmus Stuckenberg, 1954a. Paragus longipilus sp. nov. is a member of the P. jozanus gr...

We revise the Merodon constans species group of the genus Merodon Meigen, 1803 (Diptera: Syrphidae), provide morphological diagnoses and descriptions, as well as an illustrated key and a discussion on the different taxonomic characters used. In total, 15 species were studied, their geographic distributions are presented on maps, and nine new specie...

Climatic changes associated with Pleistocene glacial cycles had profound effects on the genetic diversification and distribution of many taxa, especially from environmentally sensitive habitats such as mountain regions. The DNA sequence data (mtCOI and 28S RNA genes) derived from the Merodon rufus group (Diptera: Syrphidae) in central, eastern, and...

In order to disentangle the currently confused interpretations and nomenclature of Merodon aureus and M. aeneus, we have reviewed all existing type material and species names known to us as assigned synonyms of these taxa. We resolve M. aeneus as being a junior synonym of M. aureus. We designate a lectotype for M. aureus and a neotype for M. aeneus...

The efficiency of protected areas (PAs) has often been questioned due to global decline of biodiversity. Invertebrates, especially insects, have been historically underrepresented in conservation studies. Our study focuses on hoverflies, an important group of insect pollinators and proven to be good bioindicators. Research was focused in Serbia, on...

The phytophagous hoverfly genus Merodon Meigen, 1803 (Diptera, Syrphidae), which comprises more than 160 species distributed in Palaearctic and Afrotropical regions, can be differentiated into multiple groups of species that harbor high levels of hidden diversity. In this work, the serrulatus species group of Merodon is revised, providing an illust...

The taxonomy of Merodon dobrogensis Bradescu, 1982 (Diptera: Syrphidae) species subgroup was reviewed. Multiple data sources (morphology, geometric morphometry of wings and surstylus, molecular data, and distributional data) were used to investigate the species subgroup in the manner of integrative taxonomy. Merodon dobrogensis Bradescu, 1982 and M...

In preparation for the IUCN workshop on the European Red List of Syrphidae from April 4th-16th 2019, a total of 59 hoverfly species were collected in Novi Sad and on Fruška Gora Mountain (Serbia). Among the identified species, one species is possibly new to science, Brachypalpus aff. valgus, and six other species are new to the fauna of Serbia: Bra...