Pipiza luteitarsis Zetterstedt 1843

Pipiza luteitarsis Zetterstedt, 1843

(Figs. 1, 6, 7, 11, 16, 21, 22)

Material studied (18ɗ 9Ψ): Serbia: mountain Fruška gora (Stari Ledinci, 19.04.1988, ɗ, leg. Radnović, 0 1.05.1988, ɗ, leg. Vujić; Glavica, 25.04.1989, ɗ, leg. Vujić); mountain Seličevica, 0 2.04.1989, 6ɗ, leg. Vujić; mountain Kopaonik (Srebrenac, 24.05.1987, ɗ, leg. Vujić); marsh Obedska bara (Debela gora, 15.04.1990, Ψ, leg. Vujić). Montenegro: mountain Durmitor (Sušičko jezero-Skakala, 31.05- 01.06.1998, 6ɗ 8Ψ, leg. Vujić, 20.06.1998, 2ɗ leg. Vujić).

In males of P. quadrimaculata the hairs on the thoracic pleura and abdomen are almost entirely black, whereas they are pale whitish-yellow in P. luteitarsis. Males of P. luteitarsis may only be reliably distinguished from P. accola by features of the terminalia at the moment (Figs. 21–24).

Variability: pale area on basoflagellomere sometimes very small; some specimens with more black hairs on thorax; sternite 2 pale or all sternites unicolorous; tergite 2 with pair of yellow spots (Fig.16); if they missing tergite with dusted marks; colour of legs variable, but front tarsi always pale.

Distribution: Fennoscandia south to Belgium and France; from Ireland eastwards through central Europe (Alps) into European parts of Russia (Speight 2007).

Ecology (based on Speight 2007): preferred environment: forest: deciduous forest; mature humid Fagus and acidophilous Quercus forest and woodland; also in mature suburban gardens. Adult habitat and habits: to a significant extent arboreal, flying at up to 5m from the ground round the foliage of mature trees and shrubs; settles on foliage of the lower branches of oak and beech at the edge of clearings and paths etc., and on bushes, e.g. Rubus fruticosus. Flowers visited: Euphorbia, Prunus, Ranunculus, Tussilago. Flight period: mid April/ end May, with occasional later records. Larva: described by Rotheray (1987) and illustrated in colour (Rotheray, 1994).

The Balkan populations of P. luteitarsis are found at lower altitudes, from 0 up to 900m, in Quercus and Fagus woodlands. This species was recorded in only a few Balkan localities and belongs to a group of vulnerable insect species in Serbia.