Updated checklist of hover flies (Diptera: Syrphidae) of the Azores archipelago with taxonomic notes and the description of a new species, Eristalis azorensis sp. nov.

Sander Bot, Lenze Hofstee, Ximo Mengual

Pages	215–232
DOI	10.37520/aemnp.2025.017
Keywords	Diptera, Syrphidae, Eristalis, Xanthandrus, hover flies, DNA barcoding, endemism, faunistics, identification key, new species, Azores archipelago
Type of Article	Peer-reviewed
Citation	BOT, Sander, HOFSTEE, Lenze a MENGUAL, Ximo. Updated checklist of hover flies (Diptera: Syrphidae) of the Azores archipelago with taxonomic notes and the description of a new species, Eristalis azorensis sp. nov. Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae Prague: National Museum, 2025, 65(1), 215–232. DOI: https://doi.org/10.37520/aemnp.2025.017. ISSN 0374-1036 (print) 1804-6487 (online). Also available from: https://www.nm.cz/en/periodicals/acta-entomologica-musei-nationalis-pragae/65-1/updated-checklist-of-hover-flies-diptera-syrphidae-of-the-azores-archipelago-with-taxonomic-notes-and-the-description-of-a-new-species-eristalis-azorensis-sp-nov

Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae | 2025/65/1

We report the results of a field expedition to the Azores archipelago. A total of 13 species of hover flies were collected, including several species new to certain islands of the archipelago. The records of the expedition are supplemented with new island records found on iNaturalist and observation.org websites. A species new to science, Eristalis (Eoseristalis) azorensis sp. nov., was collected in our survey and is described here in full. DNA barcodes of this species were sequenced and compared to other European species of the genus. The new species was restricted to the mountainous region on the western side of São Miguel Island. Furthermore, we provide identification tools for the new species, as well as for Palaearctic species of Xanthandrus Verrall, 1901, including the endemic Macaronesian taxa. Our findings raise the total number of the Azorean hover fly fauna to 24 species.

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