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Amidst a global biodiversity crisis, the word “biodiversity” has become indispensable for practical conservation, including as a normative term. Yet, biodiversity is often used as a buzzword in scientific literature. Resonant titles promoting to have studied “global biodiversity” may then be used to oversell research that is narrow-focused on a limited sample of taxonomic groups, regions, or habitats. We selected a random sample of ~900 papers with the word “biodiversity” in their title to take a long view of the use and misuse of this term. We analyzed the degree to which studies actually consider different taxonomic groups and biodiversity facets and how all of this translates to the impact of a paper. As many as 22% of the articles used the term biodiversity in the title but did not measure it at any level. Among the articles sampling biodiversity directly, the proportion of biodiversity investigated was systematically low. We documented a decrease in the taxonomic scope of articles in recent years, especially those relying on big data. This is in stark contrast with the parallel advances in analytical tools, monitoring technologies, and the availability of data. Importantly, studies with general titles (i.e., using the word “biodiversity” without mentioning any taxa, habitat, or region) attract more citations and online attention (Altmetric), but only when they also have a wider taxonomic scope. Our results have broad ramifications for understanding how the extrapolation from studies with narrow taxonomic scope shapes our view of global biodiversity patterns and poorly informs conservation practices.

While several recent studies have focused on global insect population trends, all are limited in either space or taxonomic scope. As global monitoring programs for insects are currently not implemented, inherent biases exist withinmost data. Expert opinion, which is often widely available, proves to be a valuable tool where hard data are limited. Our aim is to use global expert opinion to provide insights on the root causes of potential insect declines worldwide, as well as on effective conservation strategies that could mitigate insect biodiversity loss. We obtained 753 responses from 413 respondents with a wide variety of spatial and taxonomic expertise. The most relevant threats identified through the survey were agriculture and climate change, followed by pollution,while land management and land protection were recognized as the most significant conservation measures. Nevertheless, there were differences across regions and insect groups, reflecting the variability within the most diverse class of eukaryotic organisms on our planet. Lack of answers for certain biogeographic regions or taxa also reflects the need for research in less investigated settings. Our results provide a novel step toward understanding global threats and conservation measures for insects.

1. Dark diversity represents the set of species that can potentially inhabita given area under particular ecological conditions, but are currently ‘missing’ from asite. This concept allows characterisation of the mechanisms determining why speciesare sometimes absent from an area that seems ecologically suitable for them.2. The aim of this study was to determine the dark diversity of hoverflies insouth-eastern Europe and to discuss the role of different functional traits that mightincrease the likelihood of species contributing to dark diversity. Based on expertopinion, the Syrph the Net database and known occurrences of species, the studyestimated species pools, and observed and dark diversities within each of 11 definedvegetation types for 564 hoverfly species registered in south-eastern Europe. To detectthe most important functional traits contributing to species being in dark diversity acrossdifferent vegetation types, a random forest algorithm and respective statistics for variableimportance were used.3. The highest dark diversity was found for southwest Balkan sub-Mediterraneanmixed oak forest type, whereas the lowest was in Mediterranean mixed forest type. Threelarval feeding modes (saproxylic, and phytophagous on bulbs or roots) were found to bemost important for determining the probability of a species contributing to hoverfly darkdiversity, based on univariate correlations and random forest analysis.4. This study shows that studying dark diversity might provide important insights intowhat drives community assembly in south-eastern European hoverflies, especially itsmissing components, and contributes to more precise conservation prioritisation of bothhoverfly species and their habitats.

The Atlas of the Hoverflies of Greece is the first of a kind within the Mediterranean region. It is the result of decades of research, many travels into the fascinating habitats of Greece (a biodiversity hotspot), visits to world museums, and many people’s passion for hoverflies. The Atlas is a concise presentation of all 418 hoverfly species for Greece known so far. The species are documented with photos and distribution GIS-maps and they are preceded by a general introduction on the hoverflies and Greek nature, and a generic key. The Atlas of the Hoverflies of Greece is a handbook for insect aficionados, students and teachers, everyone interested in nature, and managers and conservationists aiming at raising public awareness of a nature nowadays threatened more than ever.

The genus Merodon Meigen, 1803 is the largest European hoverfly genus, widely distributed around the Palaearctic and Afrotropical regions. Larvae of Merodon are phytophagous, feeding on buried plant storage structures, often bulbs of plants pollinated by the adults. The larval morphology and habits of most species remain unknown. Merodon planifacies Bezzi, 1915, belongs to the Afrotropical lineage of the M. desuturinus species-group. The latest studies of Merodon in Africa have revealed the existence of two new species within the taxon previously known as Merodon planifacies, found exclusively in the Drakensberg Mountains in Republic of South Africa, specifically in the Cathedral Peak National Park and the Royal Natal National Park. These two new species are M. capi in litt. and M. roni in litt. The current study presents the general description of the pre-imaginal stages of M. capi and M. roni, together with the functional morphology of the cephalopharyngeal skeleton. Geometric morphometry and linear measurements were carried out on the spiracular openings of the Posterior Respiratory Process (PRP) of pupae. There were differences in the shape of the PRP and spiracular openings between the two species. The feeding requirements of adults of the two species were analysed and compared with a third species from the M. desuturinus species-group, found in the same valleys at the same time: M. drakonis Vujić & adenković, 2018. Pollen grains found on the body and in the gut were identified and counted; the morphology of the mouthparts of the adults was also described and compared., This study was funded by the project of the European Union: Horizon 2020, Marie kłodowska-Curie action, Research and Innovation Staff Exchange (RISE) Programme: FlyHigh – Insect-plant relationships: insights into biodiversity and new applications.

With environmental pressures on the rise, the establishment of protected areas is a key strategy for preserving biodiversity. The fact that many species are losing their battle against extinction despite being within protected areas raises the question of their effectiveness. The aim of this study was to evaluate established Priority Hoverfly Areas (PHAs) and areas that are not yet but could potentially be included in the PHA network, using data from new field surveys. Additionally, species distribution models have been created for two new species recognized as important and added to the list of key hoverfly species. Maps of potential distribution of these species were superimposed on maps of protected areas and PHAs to quantify percentages of overlap. The results of this study are not statistically significant, which could be influenced by a small sample size. However, the results of species distribution models and the extent of overlap with PHAs confirm the utility of these expert-generated designations.

During a three year systematic sampling of the hoverfly fauna in highlands of western Serbia, 150 hoverfly species of 51 genera were recorded for this region. Eumerus ovatus Loew, 1848, new to the fauna of Serbia, was recorded on mountain Zlatibor. Additionally, 4 new hoverfly species from the genus Merodon Meigen, 1803 were found, awaiting species descriptions. The most species-rich areas in the investigated region are SW part of Mt. Golija and SE part of Mt. Zlatar. These mountains also have the highest number of protected and strictly protected species. In order to preserve this high local diversity of hoverflies, protection of these areas, as well as proper conservation management are of crucial importance., {"references":["Ačanski, J., Vujić, A., Đan, M., Obreht Vidaković, D., Ståhls, G., & Radenković, S. (2016). Defining species boundaries in the Merodon avidus complex (Diptera, Syrphidae) using integrative taxonomy, with the description of a new species. 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Klecka, J., Hadrava, J., Biella, P., & Akter, A. (2018). Flower visitation by hoverflies (Diptera: Syrphidae) in a temperate plant-pollinator network. PeerJ Preprints, 6, e26516v1. Larson, B.M.H., Kevan, P.G., & Inouye, D.W. (2001). Flies and flowers: taxonomic diversity of anthophiles and pollinators. Canadian Entomologist, 133, 439-465. Mengual, X., Kazerani, F., Talebi, A. A., & Gilasian, E. (2015). A revision of the genus Pelecocera Meigen with the description of the male of Pelecocera persiana Kuznetsov from Iran (Diptera: Syrphidae). Zootaxa, 3947(1), 099-108. Nedeljković, Z. (2011). Taksonomska analiza vrsta iz podfamilije Syrphinae (Diptera: Syrphidae) u Srbiji. Doktorska disertacija. Prirodno-matematički fakultet, Univerzitet u Novom Sadu, 247 pp. Nedeljković, Z., Ačanski, J., Đan, M., Obreht Vidaković, D., Ricarte, A., & Vujić, A. (2015). 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Habitat manipulation to enhance biological control of brassica pests by hover flies (Diptera: Syrphidae). Journal of Economic Entomology, 88, 1171-1176."]}

U radu je izvršena podela 572 registrovane vrste osolikih muva sa područja jugoistočne Evrope na funkcionalne grupe, na osnovu registrovanih funkcionalnih karaktera. Zaodabrane 44 endemske i nativne ne-endemske vrste koje su svojim klimatskim nišama ograničene na istraživani prostor, kreirane su mape sadašnje i buduće potencijalne distribucije (za dva perioda, 2041 -2060 i 2061-2080) upotrebom MAXENT algoritma. Na osnovu dobijenih mapa, izračunata je potenijalna promena areala za odabrane vrste, čime je procenjen efekat klimatskih promena na distribuciju vrsta sirfida. Detektovane su vrste koje će najviše biti pogođene klimatskim promenama, kao i prostori sa najvećim potencijalnim bogatstvom vrsta u budućnosti i područja predviđena da će izgubiti deo diverziteta sirfida. Pokazano je da vrste sa ograničenim arealom neće u budućnosti iskusiti veće smanjenje areala u odnosu na široko rasprostranjene vrste. Takođe, na osnovu mapa potenicijalne sadašnje distribucije i procenjene retkosti vrsta, izvršena je prioretizacija područja značajnih za opstanak osolikih muva u jugoistočnoj Evropi. Primenom linearnih regresionih i linearnih modela sa mešovitim efektom ispitana je međuzavisnost funkcionalnih karaktera vrsta i procenjene promene veličine areala. Definisani su funkcionalni karakteri koji utiču na promenu veličine areala osolikih muva. Ustanovljeni koncept može biti upotrebljen za detekciju vrsta koje se još uvek ne smatraju ugroženim, ali zbog svojih biološko-ekoloških karakteristika imaju potencijal da to postanu, te stoga zaslužuju pažnju konzervacionista. Dobijeni rezultati mogu u velikoj meri poslužiti za kreiranje sistematskog konzervacionog plana za očuvanje osolikih muva na teritoriji jugoistočne Evrope., In this paper, the division of 572 species of hoverflies registered in Southeast Europe into functional groups was conducted, based on their functional traits. For 44 selected endemic and native non-endemic species that have their climatic niches limited in the study area, maps of current and future potential distributions were created (for the periods, 2041-2060 and 2061-2080) using MAXENT algorithm. Based on the obtained maps, changes in potential area of occupancy were calculated, in order to estimate the effect of climate change on the distribution of hoverfly species. Species that will be most affected by climate change were detected, as well as the areas with the greatest potential species richness in the future and areas predicted to lose part of the diversity of hoverflies. It is shown that species with limited distribution in the future will not experience a greater reduction of its area in relation to the widespread species. Also, based on the current maps of potential distribution and assessed rarity of species,priority areas important for the survival of hoverflies in Southeast Europe were established. By using linear regression and linear mixed effect models, the interdependence between functional traits and the estimated changes in the range size was tested. Traits affecting the changes in range size of hoverflies were determined. The established concept can be used for the detection of species that are not yet considered endangered, but because of their biological and ecological traits have the potential to become threatened, and therefore deserve the attention of conservationists. This results can largely be used to create a systematic conservation plan for the preservation of hoverflies in Southeast Europe.

R o d Merodon M e i g e n , 1803 pripada f a m i l i j i Syrphidae, p o d f a m i l i j i E r i s t a l i n a e. V r s t e i z o v o g roda su rasprostranjene u P a l e a r k t i k u i A f r o t r o p s k o m r e g i o n u sa u b e d l j i v o n a j v e c im d i v e r z i t e t om u j u z n o j E v r o p i i M e d i t e r a n s k o m basenu. Sa v i se o d 120 v r s t a r o d Merodon j e n a j b r o j n i j i u E v r o p i , n a k o n r o d a Cheilosia M e i g e n , 1822. P r e d s t a v n i c i roda Merodon naseljavaju r a z l i c i t e t i p o v e stanista do 3 0 0 0 m nadmorske v i s i n e . V e l i k i broj v r s t a i z o v o g roda predstavlja l o k a l n e endeme, najcesce v i s o k i h p l a n i n s k i h lanaca i i z o l o v a n i h v r h o v a . I n t e n z i v n i m p r o u c a v a n j em distribucije i d i v e r z i t e t a roda Merodon u p o s l e d n j ih deset g o d i n a b a v i l i su se r n n o g i a u t o r i . U radu s u p r i k a z a n i r e z u l t a t i v i s e g o d i s n j i h i s t r a z i v a n j a s p r o v e d e n i h na p o d r u c ju Srbije. N a o s n o v u p u b l i k a c i j a , baze p o d a t a k a i z e v r o p s k i h m u z e j s k i z b i r k i i n o v i h nalaza i z d o k t o r s k i h disertacija sastavljena j e l i s t a o d 3 4 vrste. D o sada j e z a t e r i t o r i j u Srbije b i l o p o z n a t o p r i s u s t v o 2 7 v r s t a i z r o d a Merodon. N o v a i s t r a z i v a n ja u t v r d i l a su p r i s u s t v o s e d am n o v i h v r s t a z a S r b i j u : M ambiguus Bradescu, 1986, M. austerus i n litt., M calidus i n litt., M. iliricus i n l i t t . , M. natans ( F a b r i c i u s , 1794), M. oromediterraneus i n l i t t . , i M. subnigrum i n litt.. O d u k u p n o g b r o j a vrsta deset i m a ogranicenu d i s t r i b u c i j u n a B a l k a n s k o m p o l u o s t r v u i predstavlja endeme o v og podrucja. T r i vrste o v o g r o d a pripadaju listi zasticenih v r s t a o s o l i k i h m u v a u S r b i j i, d o k t r i vrste pripada k a t e g o r i j i strogo zasticenih vrsta. L o k a l i t e t i k o j i se i s t i cu n a j v e c im b o g a t s t v om v r s t a i z o v o g r o d a su: K o p a o n i k , F r u s k a G o r a , istocna S r b i ja (Dubasnica, M a l i n i k i Stara p l a n i n a ) i d o l i n a r e k e Pcinje, k o j i se u j e d n o nalaze i unutar granica p o d m c j a znacajnih z a o s o l i k e m u v e ( P H A - P r i m e H o v e r f l y A r e a ) ( V u j i c i s a r . , 2 0 1 6 ).

Góss G.C., Duarte C.A., Leite C.T., Cogo A.B., Pereira E.P., Döwich G. & da Rosa L.R. [Carpal hygroma in one sheep - Case report.] Higroma carpal em ovino - Relato de caso. Revista Brasileira de Medicina Veterinária 38(4):445-448, 2016. Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Pampa, BR 472, Km 592, Caixa Postal 118, Uruguaiana, RS 97508-000, Brasil. E-mail: georgia_goss@hotmail.comThe carpal hygroma is characterized by an abnormal fluid accumulation in a dorsal surface of this region, that is presented with soft consistency, painless and doesn’t lead to lameness. The main cause of hygroma is a constant local trauma. This is a commom disease in horses who live in hard surface sites and, it can also affect ruminants. The diagnosis is achieved by clinical signs and additional tests such as cytological analysis, radiographic and sonographic. The early diagnosis is important because the therapeutic options vary with the degree of evolution of the disease. The treatment may vary from hygroma drainage, with or without application of corticosteroids, followed by compressive bandages to the surgical ablation of this. The objective of this case report is to account the occurrence of a carpal hygroma in sheep. This report is important because the sheeps are being widely created in intensive systems and diseases like hygroma are becoming common, because this is a fundamental supply subsidy to the clinicians, in the literature, to assist in their daily routine., RESUMO. Góss G.C., Duarte C.A., Leite C.T., Cogo A.B., Pereira E.P., Döwich G. & da Rosa L.R. [Carpal hygroma in one sheep - Case report.] Higroma carpal em ovino - Relato de caso. Revista Brasileira de Medicina Veterinária 38(4):445-448, 2016. Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Pampa, BR 472, Km 592, Caixa Postal 118, Uruguaiana, RS 97508-000, Brasil. E-mail: georgia_goss@hotmail.comO higroma de carpo caracteriza-se por aumento de volume na superfície dorsal dessa região que, apresenta-se de consistência mole, indolor e não leva a sinais de claudicação. A principal causa de higroma são traumas constantes no local. Esta é uma afecção comum em equinos criados em locais de piso duro que, pode acometer também ruminantes. O diagnóstico é realizado através dos sinais clínicos e de exames complementares como análise citológica, radiográfica e ultrassonográfica. É importante realizá-lo precocemente pois, as opções terapêuticas variam de acordo com o grau de evolução da afecção. O tratamento pode variar desde a drenagem do higroma, com ou sem aplicação de corticosteróides, seguida por bandagens compressivas até a remoção cirúrgica do mesmo. O objetivo do presente relato foi de descrever a ocorrência de um higroma carpal em um ovino. Este relato tem relevância, pois, sendo os ovinos amplamente criados em sistemas intesivos e, afecções como o higroma estão tornando-se frequentes, sendo fundamental fornecer ao clínico subsídios na literatura que auxiliem em sua rotina diária.

Only one species of the genus Callicera Panzer, 1806, Callicera aenea (Fabricius, 1777), has been recorded in Serbia so far. In addition to the recurring detection of this species, the first records of Callicera aurata (Rossi, 1790) and Callicera spinolae Rondani, 1844 are documented. Based on the collected and studied material, the distribution maps and identification key for Serbian species are provided.&nbsp

In Serbia according to the national legislation, 33 species of hoverflies (Diptera, Syrphidae) are declared as strictly protected and 44 species as protected. In addition, Vujić et al. (2016) defined Prime Hoverfly Areas (PHA) and suggested 168 species of hoverflies for protection and designated 91 endemic or endangered species, including 9 species of Eumerus Meigen, 1822 and 11 of Platycheirus Lepeletier & Serville, 1828. The aim of this study was to analyze the environmental niches of Eumerus and Platycheirus species recognized as important for conservation in Serbia. For species of genus Eumerus and Platycheirus, distributional pattern in relation to altitude, annual precipitation and annual mean temperature were established. In order to compare environmental niches of Eumerus and Platycheirus species, Principal components analysis (PCA) was carried out. Results of the analyses showed that Eumerus species have a narrower altitudinal range, with some species found only in the lowland region. They inhabit more arid habitats, and prefer areas with higher annual mean temperatures. In contrast, it was established that most Platycheirus species can be found at higher altitudes with colder climate and that they prefer more humid conditions. Principal Component A analysis indicated partial overlap of the environmental niches of these two genera, but Platycheirus species seemed to be better adapted to harsher conditions.

Global warming has become an important issue in recent years because it represents a constantly growing threat to global biodiversity. It is anticipated that extinction risk due to climate change will increase for a large number of species in the future. Functional traits, such as habitat preferences or characteristics of the life cycle of the species, may affect the response of the individual species to climate change. Finding statistically significant relationship between individual traits and changes in the distribution of species indicates that these traits affect the ability of species to move their area of occupancy. The aim of this study was to estimate the extinction risk for 44 hoverfly species in Southeast Europe (endemic to the area and native non-endemics) based on the predicted changes in the potential area of occupancy for two time periods (2041-2060 and 2061-2080), and to establish which functional traits are correlated with range changes. Functional trait data were obtained from Speight et al. (2015) and expert opinion. Species distribution models were used for estimating range changes, while the relationship between functional traits and estimated changes in range was tested using linear regression models and linear mixed effect models. Results of both linear regression models and linear mixed effect models showed the existence of significant interdependence between defined functional traits of hoverflies and the estimated range changes for both analyzed time periods. In most cases, traits connected with changes in range size were larval microhabitat (concretely, root zone), period of flight during early summer and adult macrohabitat.

Eumerus Meigen (Diptera: Syrphidae) as one of the most speciose hoverfly genera in Europe is found to be a significant part of hoverfly fauna on Durmitor mountain (Montenegro). We found that majority of species registered on this mountain is concentrated in small species-rich habitat patches. One of these localities, Komarnica - Pošćensko Lake, stands out as particularly rich, comprising 9 out of 14 recorded Eumerus species on Durmitor mountain (E. amoenus Loew, 1848, E. consimilis Šimić & Vujić, 1996 and E. montanum rković, adenković & Vujić, 2017 from strigatus group, E. argyropus Loew, 1848 from ornatus group, E. montenegrinus, rković & Vujić in litt, and E. sulcitibius Rondani, 1868 from barbarus group, E. grandis Meigen, 1822 and E. nigrorufus, rković & Vujić, in litt, from tricolor group and E. hungaricus zilády, 1940, which has not been assigned to any group yet). This locality also represents the type locality for recently described Eumerus montanum Grković, Radenković et Vujić, 2017 and two undescribed new species (E. montenegrinus, in litt. and E. nigrorufus, in litt). Eumerus montenegrinus, in litt. belongs to barbarus group which in addition consists of four other Mediterranean species. This species, possibly very vulnerable because of its restricted range, is recorded with one single male specimen, despite of regular sampling. Eumerus nigrorufus, in litt. is a representative of tricolor group, the largest European Eumerus species group and besides being found on Durmitor mountain, it is recorded on two other localities in Greece (Corfu, Peloponnese). 72 Although the Durmitor mountain is protected as National Park and the UNESCO World Heritage Site, we consider it is essential not to change the type of land use of small and particularly important ecosystems in order to preserve its fragile diversity.&nbsp

Biodiversity is declining on a global level, which raises the question of efficiency of Protected Areas (PAs). Furthermore, PAs are often established for political or economic reasons, rather than based on ecological principles, or scientific criteria. When designating PAs, the focus is mainly on well known, charismatic species, often leaving invertebrates, especially insects, underrepresented. In Serbia, 77 species of hoverflies have been protected by the national law Code on declaration and protection of strictly protected and protected wild species of plants, animals and fungi (Official Gazette of RS, no. 5/2010). In order to improve the conservation status of hoverflies, Vujić et al. (2016) identified species of conservation concern and proposed priority areas (Prime Hoverfly Areas - PHA) for their preservation in Serbia, based on long-term monitoring data. The aims of this study are to identify the areas of high hoverfly diversity in Serbia and to evaluate the efficiency of protected areas and Prime Hoverfly Areas in conservation of hoverfly diversity, especially species of conservation concern. The results indicate that PHA network corresponds better to areas of high hoverfly diversity than the network of PAs. The correspondence is even better when it comes to areas harbouring species of conservation concern.&nbsp

To gain some insight into the structure of the hoverfly community in fields of oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.), we conducted field experiments over three years (2011-2013) at two localities in the province of Vojvodina, northern Serbia. We recorded a total of 20 hoverfly species. Three species-Episyrphus balteatus (De Geer, 1776), Eristalis tenax (Linnaeus, 1758) and Eupeodes corollae (Fabricius, 1794)-were the most abundant in both localities and in each year. In order to determine the effect of climatic and non-climatic parameters on abundance and diversity of hoverflies, two separate PCA analyses were carried out. Multiple linear regressions were used to examine the relationships between abundance and extracted PC axes, while ordinal multinomial regressions were conducted to determine the relationships between species diversity and extracted PC axes. We did not detect statistically significant correlations between climatic and non-climatic parameters and overall hoverfly abundance. PC axes exhibited slight correlation with species diversity. The first PC axis clearly showed that overall species diversity increases with increasing temperature, relative humidity and diversity of crops surrounding the surveyed plots, whereas PC2 related species composition with monthly average rainfall and the season and year of observation. Synecological analysis of our data indicated that only a few species are major contributors to hoverfly communities on the oilseed rape crops we investigated. However, the importance of less abundant hoverfly species should not be underestimated, as sometimes these species play an important role in pollination in a specific part of the day or season, and this should be considered when creating agricultural policies and regulations, especially when it is known that abundances of hoverflies and pollinators in general are positively correlated with floral abundance and abundance flowering plant species.

Biodiversity continues to decline all over the world, significantly affecting ecosystem structures and processes. Recent decline in wild pollinators clearly threatens pollination services, which can lead to serious consequences in terms of disruptions of plant-pollinator interactions. Hoverflies play a significant role in the pollination in agricultural and natural systems, and their associations with vegetation has been well documented. While adult mostly feed on nectar and/or pollen, larvae exhibit various spectrum of feeding resources, such as decaying vegetation, bulbs, aquatic detritus, wet wood, etc. The objective of the present study was to assess hoverfly species richness within different vegetation classes in Southeast Europe (SE Europe) and to evaluate representation of specific larval trophic groups in the sample. Additionally, spatial variation of larval trophic groups across different vegetation classes was addressed. All documented species in SE Europe (N=564) were each assigned to one of five larval trophic groups: saproxylic, phytophagous developing in bulbs, phytophagous developing in roots, saprophagous and zoophagous. Results have shown that relative frequency of the different feeding groups varied significantly across Southeast Europe (χ² (4) = 76.46, p = .00), as well as across different vegetation classes. Not surprisingly, species with zoophagous larvae dominated among Southeast European hoverflies. These species can be considered generalist species, not directly dependent on specific vegetation. Thus, suitable environment for the development of these species can be found across different vegetation classes.