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An extraordinary new Platycheirus from the Russian Altai
Mountains (Diptera, Syrphidae)
John T. Smit & Anatolii V. Barkalov
Smit, J.T. & Barkalov, A.V. 2008. An extraordinary new Platycheirus from the Russian Altai Mountains
(Diptera, Syrphidae). Norw. J. Entomol. 55, 87–90.–90.90.
A new species, Platycheirus cheilosiaeformis sp. n., is described from the Aktru Valley in the Altai
Mountains, Republic of Altai, Siberia, Russia. It is compared with other species of the Platycheirus
stegnus group and reference to a key is given.
Keywords: Platycheirus cheilosiaeformis sp. n., Platycheiurs stegnus-group, Russia, Altai
mountains.
John T. Smit, European Invertebrate Survey - the Netherlands, P.O. box 9517, 2300 RA, Leiden, the
Netherlands. E-mail: smitj@naturalis.nl
Anatolii V. Barkalov, Institute of Animal Systematics and Ecology, Russian Academy of Science,
Frunze str. 11, Novosibirsk-91, 630091 Russia. E-mail: bark@eco.nsc.ru
INTRODUCTION
In the summer of 2006 a few Dutch entomologists
participated in an expedition arranged by the
Institute of Animal Systematics and Ecology,
Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of
Science (Novosibirsk) to the Altai Mountains in
southern Siberia. These Mountains are located near
the crossing of China, Kazakhstan, Mongolia and
Russia, about 650 km southeast of Novosibirsk.
A large quantity of hoveries was collected, both
by hand net and with malaisetraps, during this
expedition, including several specimens of an
extraordinary new Platycheirus. This species was
collected in the Aktru valley (gure 1), south of
Kuray, at 2500 m. asl., Kosh-Arachskiy Rajon,
Republic of Altai, Southern Siberia, Russia. In
the summer of 2006 a few Dutch entomologists
participated in an expedition arranged by the
Institute of Animal Systematics and Ecology,
Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of
Science (Novosibirsk) to the Altai Mountains in
southern Siberia. These Mountains are located near
the crossing of China, Kazakhstan, Mongolia and
Russia, about 650 km southeast of Novosibirsk.
A large quantity of hoveries was collected, both
by hand net and with malaisetraps, during this
expedition, including several specimens of an
extraordinary new Platycheirus. This species was
collected in the Aktru valley (Figure 1), south of
Kuray, at 2500 m. asl., Kosh-Arachskiy Rajon,
Republic of Altai, Southern Siberia, Russia.
MATERIAL & METHODS
The different types of this new species have been
deposited in the following collections, introducing
the abbreviations. JTS = J.T. Smit, Utrecht,
the Netherlands; TN = Tore Randulff Nielsen,
Sandnes, Norway; ZMAN = Zoologisch Museum
Amsterdam, the Netherlands; ZMN = Zoological
Museum Novosibirsk, Russia
Platycheirus cheilosiaeformis sp. n.
Holotype: ♀ Республика Алтай, верховье реки
Актуру 2519 м над уровнем моря 50.1° с.ш.,
87.7° в.д. 6.07.2006 Сб. А. Баркалов (Republic
© Norwegian Journal of Entomology. 14 May 2008
88
Altai, Kosh-Agachskij district, upper part of
Akturu river, 2519 m asl., 50.1° N, 87.7° E 6.VII.
2006 A. Barkalov leg.) Deposited in the ZMN.
Paratypes: 7♀♀, Siberia, Republic of Altai, Kosh-
Arachskiy Rajon, Aktru, S. of Kuray, 50°
Table 1. Differences between females of Platycheirus cheilosiaeformis sp. nov. and P. altaicus
Barkalov & Nielsen.
Character P. altaicus Bark. & Nielsen P. cheilosiaeformis sp. n.
Mesonotum With ne stripes of grey dusting Entirely undusted
Mesonotum and scutellum With semi-erect black hairs Entirely erect white haired
Fore and mid femora With black hairs posteriorly Entirely white haired
Figure 1. Aktru Valley, South of Karay, Respu-
blika Altai, Siberia, Russia, the type locality of
Platycheirus cheilosiaeformis sp. n.
DESCRIPTION
Female (Figure 2)
Head entirely black and very broad, face at the
level of the facial tubercle more than twice as
broad as one eye, view anteriorly (Figure 3). Face
dusted except on facial tubercle and a broad stripe
from mouth ridge to eye. Genae broad, covered
specieswith grey dusting and white hairs. Face
widely projected forward (Figure 4). Frons also
very broad, at the level of the antennal base
distinctly broader than one eye, view dorsally
(Figure 5). Frons on anterior 1/3 with distinct
transversal stripe of grey dusting, covered with
white and black hairs, on hind 2/3 frons shiny
with black hairs. Vertex shiny with white hairs,
lunula black. Antennae black with the rst two
segments shiny and the third segment elongated
and with dense silvery dusting (Figure 5).
Thorax. Mesonotum and scutellum densely
punctuate, shiny with blueish tinge, with erect
white hairs, without any dusting. Pleurae black with
distinct bluish reection, with ne grey dusting
and covered with white hairs that are wavy at the
top. Legs entirely black except for the narrowly
yellow knees. Front and mid femora without any
modied setae, both posteriorly and ventrally with
long white hairs. Hind femur ventrally with long
white hairs. Abdomen extraordinarily broad for
this genus (Figure 6), at the anterior edge of the
third tergite distinctly broader than mesonotum at
the level of the wing base. Abdomen completely
Figure 2. Female holotype of Platycheirus
cheilosiaeformis sp. n.
Smit & Barkalov: An extraordinary new Platycheirus
89
Figure 3. Ventral view of the face of a paratype
of Platycheirus cheilosiaeformis sp. nov.
Figure 4. Ventral view of the face of a paratype
of Platycheirus cheilosiaeformis sp. nov.
black, shiny and covered with white hairs.
Length. Body: 7.5 mm. Wing: 7.0 mm. Variation
observed in paratype series.
Some of the specimens have an entirely black
mesonotum and scutellum (Figure 6) without
blueish tinge. Frons can be completely covered
with black hairs, or anterior half with almost
completely white hairs. On the sides of the
mesonotum there may be some black hairs.
Length. Body: 6.5
–
9 mm. Wing: 6
–
8.5 mm.
Male. Unknown
Etymology. The name is derived from the genus
name Cheilosia and the word ‘form’, as this
species was initially collected as an odd looking
species of Cheilosia. Alive and in the eld it really
resembles a Cheilosia rather than a Platycheirus,
due to the extraordinarily broad abdomen.
Figure 5. Dorsal view of the head and antenna
of the holotype of Platycheirus cheilosiaeformis
sp. n.
Diagnostic characters
Platycheirus cheilosiaeformis sp. nov. is
immediately recognized by the complete lack of
abdominal markings, the extraordinarily broad
abdomen and the lack of any modied setae on
the front legs and the white hairs on the rst pairs
of femora. Platycheirus cheilosiaeformis sp. nov.
belongs to the stegnus-group of species within
the genus Platycheirus as dened by Vockeroth
(1990). Within this species-group it belongs to the
carinatus-subgroup, also dened by Vockeroth
(1990). The stegnus-group is represented by 18
species, seven of which occur in the Palearctic,
all belonging to the carinatus-subgroup. A key to
all species from Altai within this species-group is
provided by Barkalov & Nielsen (2008).
Habitually Platycheirus cheilosiaeformis sp. nov.
is similar to females of P. altaicus Barkalov &
Nielsen in press. (see elsewhere in this volume),
the differences are summarized in Table 1.
Norw. J. Entomol. 55, 87–90
90
Figure 6. Female paratype Platycheirus cheilosiaeformis sp. n. showing the extraordinarily broad
abdomen for this genus.
Distribution. Only known form the Aktru valley in
the Altai Mountains in southern Siberia, Russia.
Acknowledgements. We thank Theo Zeegers for the idea of
the specic name. Tore Nielsen is kindly thanked for all help
and information on different Platycheirus species and for the
valuable comments on a draft of this paper. Furthermore we
would like to thank Esther van den Heuvel, Bas Roels, Theo
Zeegers, all Russian members of expedition for the pleasant
expedition to the Altai Mountains. The work of A.V. Barkalov
was supported by grants of the Russian Foundation for Basic
Research No 06-04-48083-a and No06-04-48260-a.
REFERENCES
Barkalov, A.V. & Nielsen, T.R. 2008. Platycheirus
species (Diptera, Syrphidae) from the Altai
Mountains, SE Siberia, with description of ve new
species. Norw. J. Entomol. 56, 91–104.
Vockeroth, J.R. 1990. Revision of the Nearctic species
of Platycheirus (Diptera, Syrphidae). Can. Ent. 122:
658–766.
Received: 30 December 2007
Accepted: 4 March 2007
Smit & Barkalov: An extraordinary new Platycheirus
