Siirt province Pervari district Syrphidae family (Diptera) fauna and systematics

The Syrphidae family, which is included in the Cyclorrhapha suborder of the Diptera order and is rich in species diversity, has a widespread distribution in the world and throughout our country. Syrphid adults visit flowering plants and play an active role in the pollination process, while the larvae of some species feed on aphids and play an active role in natural pest control, thus syrphids play important ecological roles in terms of pollination and biological control. This study was conducted on 820 Syrphidae specimens collected using a trap at different altitudes and localities in the Pervari district of Siirt province between April and October 2024. The specimens were pinned and glued in appropriate positions so that the taxonomic characters important in the identification process would be visible, and they were made ready for identification by turning them into standard museum material in the Entomology Laboratory of the Plant Protection Department of Siirt University. The specimens were examined under a stereo microscope according to their morphological characters and their species were identified by looking at the relevant literature. According to the results of the study, 5 genera and 7 species belonging to the Eristalinae subfamily and 6 genera and 11 species belonging to the Syrphinae subfamily, a total of 18 species belonging to 11 genera (Episyrphus balteatus, Eristalis arbustorum, Eristalis tenax, Eumerus amoenus, Eupeodes corollae, Legogaster tarsata, Melanostoma mellinum, Neoascia podagrica, Paragus bicolor, Paragus haemorrhous, Paragus pecchiolii, Paragus tibialis, Paragus quadrifasciatus, Sphaerophoria rueppelli, Sphaerophoria scripta, Syritta pipiens, Syritta flaviventris, Xanthogramma dives) were identified. In this study, identification keys of the subfamily, genus and species, morphological descriptions of the species, top and side photographs, locality information of the places where they were collected, and their distribution in the world and in Turkey are given. Three of the species identified (Paragus quadrifasciatus, Syritta flaviventris and Xanthogramma dives) were recorded for the first time for the Siirt fauna. When the seasonal distribution in the research area was examined, it was observed that the number of samples was highest in June and the species diversity was highest in August. The main reasons for these differences are air temperatures, vegetation status and habitat suitability, and the findings show that the distribution and density of syrphid species are closely related to environmental factors.