Cheilosia ( Taeniochilosia ) lukashovae Barkalov, 1993

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 : 85-88

Cheilosia ( Taeniochilosia) lukashovae Barkalov, 1993

Fig. 43

Cheilosia lukashovae Barkalov, 1993: 702 .

Cheilosia lukashovae – Barkalov & Ståhls 1997: 40. — Barkalov & Mutin 2018: 486.

Differential diagnosis

Cheilosia lukashovae belongs to the subgenus Taeniochilosia by the combination of bare eye, black legs and the anterior process of lunula not broadly confluent with the face ( Barkalov & Ståhls 1997). The male C. lukashovae is easily distinguishable amongst those of the other Taeniochilosia occurring in the Caucasus by the combination of the pruinose parafacia, scutum and sterna, and the long surstylus ca three times as long as wide (at most two times as long as wide in the other species). The female is the only Taeniochilosia in the Caucasus with the combination of a narrow face (at level of antennal base narrower than eye) and scutum with erect yellow pile, with longer black pile intermixed (vs scutum with adpressed pile in the other species).

Material examined

Collected in 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2023, but 2018 records were not published in Mengual et al. (2020). Hence, all records are reported here.

GEORGIA – Imereti • 8 ♂♂; Abastumani, road Abastumani to Sairme ; 41.8245° N, 42.8482° E; 2165 m a.s.l.; 10 Jun. 2019; J.H. Skevington leg.; CNC, CNC1386098 , CNC1386110 to CNC1386113 , CNC1386115 , CNC1386116 , CNC1386120 • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; CNC, CNC1386117 • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; road Abastumani to Sairme ; 41.8242° N, 42.8472° E; 2150 m a.s.l.; 10 Jun. 2019; F. Van de Meutter leg.; FMT • 1 ♂; road from Abastumani to Sairme ; 41.8385° N, 42.8194° E; 2260 m a.s.l.; 10 Jun. 2020; X. Mengual leg.; ZFMK, ZFMK-DIP-00066342 = ZFMK-TIS-8008755 • 1 ♀; road from Abastumani to Sairme ; 41.8643° N, 42.7784° E; 1830 m a.s.l.; 10 Jun. 2020; X. Mengual leg.; ZFMK, ZFMK-DIP-00066347 . – Kakheti • 5 ♂♂; Batsara Nature Reserve ; 42.26493° N, 45.25918° E; 1955 m a.s.l.; 29 May 2022; X. Mengual leg.; ZFMK, ZFMK-DIP-00094022 = ZFMKTIS-8014590 , ZFMK-DIP-00094023 to ZFMK-DIP-00094025 , ZFMK-DIP-00094027 • 1 ♂; Batsara Nature Reserve ; 42.28654° N, 45.24221° E; 2065 m a.s.l.; 29 May 2022; X. Mengual leg.; ZFMK, ZFMK-DIP-00094031 = ZFMK-TIS-8014591 • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; ZFMK, ZFMKDIP-00094032 = ZFMK-TIS-8014592 . – Mtskheta-Mtianeti • 1 ♀; Kobi ; 42.5052° N, 44.4991° E; 2860 m a.s.l.; 14 Jul. 2019; A. Ssymank leg.; ASW, ZFMK-TIS-8009290 • 2 ♀♀; Tbilisi N.P. ; 41.880° N, 45.023° E; 1289 m a.s.l.; 4 May 2023; S. Bot leg.; SBA, SB.002395 , SB.002396 • 5 ♂♂, 1 ♀♀; Tbilisi N.P. ; 41.877° N, 45.0138° E; 1250 m a.s.l.; 4 May 2023; F. Van de Meutter leg.; FMT • 2 ♂♂; Tbilisi N.P. ; 41.8802° N, 45.0220° E; 1279 m a.s.l.; 4 May 2023; W. Opdekamp leg.; WOR, A015 , A053 • 2 ♀♀; same data as for preceding; WOR, A037 , A038 • 2 ♀♀; Tbilisi N.P. ; 41.8787° N, 45.0288° E; 1316 m a.s.l.; 9 May 2023; S. Bot leg.; SBA, SB.002393 , SB.002394 . – Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti • 1 ♂; 42.8880° N, 43.2330° E; 1900 m a.s.l.; 30 Jun. 2018; S. Bot leg.; SBA, SB.002383 . – Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti • 3 ♂♂; 42.9480° N, 43.0200° E; 2800 m a.s.l.; 25 Jun. 2018; S. Bot leg.; SBA, SB.002379 • 3 ♀♀; same data as for preceding; SBA, SB.002380 , SB.002381 • 7 ♂♂, 5 ♀♀; 14 km E of Mestia ; 43.0256° N, 42.8908° E; 2550 m a.s.l.; 13 Jun. 2019; F. Van de Meutter leg.; FMT • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; 43.0259° N, 42.9103° E; 2863 m a.s.l.; 13 Jun. 2019; J.H. Skevington leg.; CNC, CNC1386386 , CNC1386387 • 1 ♂; 43.0254° N, 42.8906° E; 2550 m a.s.l.; 13 Jun. 2019; X. Mengual leg.; ZFMK, ZFMK-DIP-00066341 • 7 ♀♀; same data as for preceding; ZFMK, ZFMK-DIP-00066344 , ZFMK-DIP-00066345 = ZFMK-TIS-8008757 , ZFMK-DIP-00066346 , ZFMK-DIP-00066348 to ZFMKDIP-00066351 • 7 ♂♂; Mestia ; 43.02° N, 42.87° E; 2350 m a.s.l.; 13 Jun. 2019; J. van Steenis leg.; JSB, 2019-00.912 to 2019-00.918 • 5 ♀♀; same data as for preceding; JSB, 2019-00.919 to 2019- 00.923 • 1 ♂; 43.0260° N, 42.8900° E; 2566 m a.s.l.; 13 Jun. 2019; S. Bot leg.; SBA, SB.002385 • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; SBA, SB.002386 • 1 ♂; 43.0280° N, 42.9100° E; 2834 m a.s.l.; 13 Jun. 2019; S. Bot leg.; SBA, SB.002387 • 3 ♂♂; 42.9471° N, 43.0671° E; 2257 m a.s.l.; 15 Jun. 2019; J.H. Skevington leg.; CNC, CNC1386539 , CNC1386555 , CNC1386556 • 5 ♀♀; same data as for preceding; CNC, CNC1386520 , CNC1386530 , CNC1386536 , CNC1386540 , CNC1386553 • 2 ♀♀; Ushguli ; 42.94° N, 43.05° E; 2220 m a.s.l.; 15–17 Jun. 2019; J. van Steenis leg.; Malaise trap; JSB, 2019- 00.924 , 2019-00.925 • 3 ♂♂, 1 ♀; hilltop 7 km W of Ushguli ; 42.9370° N, 42.9061° E; 2615 m a.s.l.; 16 Jun. 2019; F. Van de Meutter leg.; FMT • 2 ♂♂; 42.9062° N, 42.9370° E; 2615 m a.s.l.; 16 Jun. 2020; X. Mengual leg.; ZFMK, ZFMK-DIP-00066339 , ZFMK-DIP-00066340 = ZFMK-TIS-8008753 • 1 ♀; Ushguli ; 42.94° N, 43.07° E; 2300 m a.s.l.; 16 Jun. 2019; J. van Steenis leg.; JSB, 2019-00.926 • 1 ♀; S of Davberi ; 42.90° N, 42.93° E; 2600 m a.s.l.; 17 Jun. 2019; J. van Steenis leg.; JSB, 2019-00.927 • 1 ♂; 42.8980° N, 43.0080° E; 2601 m a.s.l.; 18 Jun. 2019; S. Bot leg.; SBA, SB.002382 • 2 ♀♀; pass from Ushguli to Tsana ; 42.9142° E, 43.0911° N; 2575 m a.s.l.; 20 Jun. 2019; F. Van de Meutter leg.; FMT • 1 ♂; 43.0275° N, 42.9115° E; 2887 m a.s.l.; 14 Jul. 2021; S. Bot leg.; SBA, SB.002384 . – Samtskhe-Javakheti • 5 ♀♀; Borjomi N.P.; 41.7280° N, 43.3640° E; 2327 m a.s.l.; 9 Jun. 2019; S. Bot leg.; SBA, SB.002388 to SB.002392 • 1 ♂; road from Sakire to Tsikhisjvari ; 41.7251° N, 43.3605° E; 2519 m a.s.l.; 9 Jun. 2020; X. Mengual leg.; ZFMK, ZFMK-DIP-00066343 • 2 ♀♀; same data as for preceding; ZFMK, ZFMK-DIP-00066352 , ZFMK-DIP-00066353 • 1 ♂; Borjomi ; 41.7299° N, 43.3684° E; 2245 m a.s.l.; 9 Jun. 2019; J.H. Skevington leg.; CNC, CNC1385983 • 5 ♂♂; Borjomi ; 41.72° N, 43.36° E; 2250 m a.s.l.; 9 Jun. 2019; J. van Steenis leg.; JSB, 2019-00.898 to 2019-00.902 • 5 ♀♀; same data as for preceding; JSB, 2019-00.903 to 2019-00.907 • 6 ♂♂, 4 ♀♀; road from Sakire to Tsikhisjvari ; 41.7251° N, 43.3605° E; 2519 m a.s.l.; 9 Jun. 2019; F. Van de Meutter leg.; FMT • 2 ♂♂; Abastumani ; 41.83° N, 42.81° E; 2260 m a.s.l.; 10 Jun. 2019; J. van Steenis leg.; JSB, 2019- 00.908 , 2019-00.909 • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; JSB, 2019-00.910 • 1 ♂; Abastumani ; 41.82° N, 42.84° E; 2100 m a.s.l.; 11 Jun. 2019; J. van Steenis leg.; JSB, 2019-00.911 • 10 ♂, 7 ♀♀; Kodiani ; 41.7305° N, 43.3537° E; 2160 m a.s.l.; 10 May 2023; F. Van de Meutter leg.; FMT • 3 ♂♂; Sakire ; 41.7301° N, 43.3306° E; 1820 m a.s.l.; 10 May 2023; F. Van de Meutter leg.; FMT • 7 ♂♂; Kodiani ; 41.7300° N, 43.3485° E; 2080 m a.s.l.; 10 May 2023; W. Opdekamp leg.; WOR, A014 , A020 , A026 , A028 , A040 , A045 , A047 • 4 ♀♀; same data as for preceding; WOR, A001 , A017 , A034 , A041 • 2 ♂♂; Kodiani ; 41.7268° N, 43.3490° E; 2150 m a.s.l.; 10 May 2023; W. Opdekamp leg.; WOR, B007 , B014 • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; WOR, B012 .

RUSSIA – North Ossetia-Alania • 2 ♂♂; W of Digoria, Chefandzar mire in Urukh River valley ; 43.5149° N, 42.9186° E; 2289 m a.s.l.; 2–3 Jun. 2018; A. Przhiboro leg.; yellow plates; ZFMK, ZFMKDIP- 00078666 = ZFMK-TIS-8009573, ZFMK-DIP-00078670 = ZFMK-TIS-8009577 • 7 ♀♀; same data as for preceding; ZFMK, ZFMK-DIP-00078661 = ZFMK-TIS-8009568, ZFMK-DIP-00078662 = ZFMK-TIS-8009569, ZFMK-DIP-00078664 = ZFMK-TIS-8009571, ZFMK-DIP-00078665 = ZFMKTIS- 8009572, ZFMK-DIP-00078667 = ZFMK-TIS-8009574, ZFMK-DIP-00078668 = ZFMKTIS- 8009575, ZFMK-DIP-00078669 = ZFMK-TIS-8009576.

Genetics

All DNA barcodes of C. lukashovae are resolved in a group with high support (BS = 100%).

Remarks

Reported from Georgia for the first time.

Biology

During our expeditions, collected between 4 May and 20 June at altitudes between 1250 and 2860 m a.s.l. Males have been found hovering and sitting on the ground near hilltops and at the upper margin of sloping meadows near forest. Both sexes visit flowers of Caltha palustris and Ranunculus sp.

Distribution

Northern Caucasus ( Russia) and Georgia.