Toxomerus hieroglyphicus (Schiner)

Mengual, Ximo, 2011, Black-tie dress code: two new species of the genus Toxomerus (Diptera, Syrphidae), ZooKeys 140, pp. 1-26 : 13

Toxomerus hieroglyphicus (Schiner) Figures 1122

Mesogramma hieroglyphica Schiner 1868: 348. Type locality: South America [LT ♂, NMW].

Differential diagnosis.

Species with yellow face in male, sometimes with a brownish macula on tubercle. Scutum black, bronze pollinose medially and a medial bluish pollinose vitta, with a continuous lateral yellow vitta from postpronotum to scutellum, narrowed on notopleuron and supra-alar area. Scutellum black with yellow lateral and apical margins. Wing partially bare basally, costal cell bare on basal half or a bit more. Abdomen with medial yellow markings on terga 3 to 5; tergum 1 with yellow lateral margins, tergum 2 black with a yellow macula on anterolateral half extending narrowly towards the center of the tergum, and with a roundish black pollinose macula in the center; tergum 3 and 4 black with anterolateral yellow maculae and two submedial curved yellow vittae that divides a central black pollinose area; tergum 5 black with anterolateral yellow maculae and two submedial short yellow vittae.

Toxomerus hieroglyphicus is close in the key to the two new species, Toxomerus picudus and Toxomerus hauseri , but they are very different as already noted in the key.

Length

(4): body, 5.6-6.2 (5.9) mm; wing, 5.0-5.7 (5.2) mm.

Distribution.

Venezuela, Ecuador, Colombia*.

Material examined.

♂ lectotype, ♂ paralectotype, 3♂.

Remarks.

Toxomerus hieroglyphicus has usually yellow markings in the center of the abdomen. Thus, it should not be included in the present key. However, the study of a dark specimen prompted me to tentatively include this species in case darker specimens might appear with completely black abdomen with lateral yellow maculae.