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One of the largest families of the order Diptera - hoverflies, are at the same time one of the most prominent insect groups, being recognized as the second most important pollinator group, bioindicator species, as well as potential biocontrol agents. Thus, raising interest in their distribution, biology and ecology is not surprising. As a contribution to the process of systematizing knowledge on these species, in this paper there are pre­sented details on the fauna of hoverflies of the eastern part of Serbia. It was done by incor­porating information on so far published findings, older, but unpublished records, as well as records collected in recent field trips across 109 localities in Eastern Serbia, all in one place. The most significant findings are Cheilosia subpictipennis Claussen, 1998 and Paragus kopdagensis Hayat & Claussen, 1997, published for the first time for Serbia, and 105 species registered for Eastern Serbia for the first time. Additionally, one potentially new hoverfly species for science is registered: Paragus aff. testaceus.

Due to raising environmental pressures, the number of species exposed to risk of extinction is also increasing. One of the first steps in species preservation is their legal protection. However, it is impossible to protect all species, therefore, conservation priorities are to be established. The aim of this study was to analyze the environmental niches of species from two genera: Eumerus Meigen, 1822 and Platycheirus le Peletier et Serville, 1828 recognized as important for conservation in Serbia (strictly protected and protected according to national legislation or ones to be suggested for future protection). For species of genera Eumerus and Platycheirus, distributional patterns in relation to altitude, annual precipitation and annual mean temperature were established. In order to compare environmental niches of these species, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was carried out, which indicated partial overlap of the environmental niches of these two genera, but Platycheirus species seemed to be better adapted to harsher conditions. Species richness maps indicated that for Eumerus the most species-rich areas were Bačka and mountains of Eastern Serbia, while Dinaric mountains in Western Serbia were rich in species of both genera. Protecting habitats with different combination of climatic conditions will contribute to protection and conservation of species with different environmental preferences. [Project of the Serbian Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, Grant no. OI173002 and Grant no. III43002]

Predicting species distribution in different climates is most often made by climate models (“climate envelope models” - CEM) which are using the current geographical distribution of species and climate characteristics of the area. Hoverflies (Insecta: Diptera: Syrphidae) can act as bioindicators and monitors of climate change and habitat quality. Cheilosia Meigen, 1822 is one of the largest hoverflies genera, with about 450 described species. The aim of this study was to model the current potential distribution of six species from Cheilosia proxima group on the Balkan Peninsula (Cheilosia aerea Dufour, 1848, C. balkana Vujić, 1994, C. gigantea Zetterstedt, 1838, C. pascuorum Becker, 1894, C. proxima Zetterstedt, 1843 and C. rufimana Becker, 1894) using maximum entropy modeling (Maxent). It is observed that parameters with highest influence on the analyzed species are Altitude and BIO 15 (Precipitation Seasonality) for all species, except C. rufimana. Parameter that also substantially influenced for all species, except C. pascuorum, is BIO 18 (Precipitation of Warmest Quarter). The models of current distribution have shown that the most important area of the Balkan Peninsula, for species from Cheilosia proxima group, is Dinaric mountains. Information obtained in this paper can help in future monitoring of species, as well as for the conservation measures, especially for endemics and rare species. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 173002 i br. 43002]

Climate change is happening. Due to a spectrum of possible consequences, numerous studies examine the effects of global warming on species distribution. This study examines the effects of changing climate on distribution of selected strictly protected species of hoverflies in Serbia, by using species distribution modelling. Ten species were included in the analysis. Three species were predicted to lose a part of their range across time, while for seven species the range expansion was predicted. Both in the present time and in the future, mountainous regions have the highest species richness, such as Golija, Kopaonik, and Prokletije in the western Serbia, and mountains Stara Planina, Besna Kobila, Suva Planina, and Dukat in the southeastern part of the country. However, beside climate change, there are several other factors that might influence the distribution of strictly protected hoverflies in Serbia, such as intensive land use and degradation of habitats. Additionally, global warming also affects flowering plants that syrphids are dependent on, which could present another obstacle to their future range expansions. These results can contribute to planning future steps for the conservation of strictly protected hoverfly species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]