Vol. 77 2025

ARTICLES

Hoverflies (Diptera, Syrphidae) in the Danube Gorge, Carpathian Mountains, Romania: Zoogeographical, Ecological and Conservation Significance

Amalia-Raluca Dumbravă1,2 & Diana Cupșa3*

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1Iron Gates Natural Park, Orşova, 225200, Mehedinţi County, Romania
2Doctoral School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Oradea, Oradea, Romania
*3University of Oradea, Faculty of Informatics and Sciences, Department of Biology; 1, Universităţii, Oradea 410087, Romania

https://doi.org/10.71424/azb77.4.002930

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Abstract

Among pollinating insects, hoverflies are an important group that offers many ecosystem services; however, they are less studied in some areas of Eastern Europe. In this context, we analyzed the hoverfly fauna of a natural protected area with rich biodiversity in southwestern Romania, in the Danube Gorge area (Iron Gates Natural Park). The field work was conducted between 2021 and 2024, but we also collected hoverflies in 2007 only from a single location. We identified 111 species, of which the most common were Sphaerophoria scripta (Linnaeus 1758), Episyrphus balteatus (De Geer 1776), Melanostoma mellinum (Linnaeus 1758), and Syritta pipiens (Linnaeus 1758). In the Iron Gates Natural Park, we encountered mountainous species at relatively low altitudes (Sericomyia silentis (Harris 1778), Neoascia annexa (Müller 1776)), which populate narrow, wet valleys, situated in areas covered with beech forests. Alongside these, there are southern species with a small distribution range, which are present in the Iron Gates Natural Park at, or near, their northern distribution range limit, such as Milesia crabroniformis (Fabricius 1775). Thus, our data indicate that the biogeographical particularities of the Danube Gorge are also evident in hoverflies, as cold-climate and southern species at their distribution range limit meet in the region. The high number of species with saproxylic larvae is a consequence of the large area occupied by forests in the Iron Gates Natural Park. Therefore, protecting the region’s forests is crucial for these insects, and confirms the value and importance of native forests in the Carpathians. Despite the high number of species, the park’s wide area and our study period overlapping with pandemic restrictions make the data preliminary, confirming the precarious knowledge about this group in the region.

Key words

altitude, distribution, diversity, forests, habitats, pollinators, Iron Gates Natural Park

How to Cite
Dumbravă A. R. & Cupșa D. 2025. Hoverflies (Diptera, Syrphidae) in the Danube Gorge, Carpathian Mountains, Romania: Zoogeographical, Ecological and Conservation Significance. Acta zoologica bulgarica 77 (4): 545-562.

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