First record of a phoretic association between a hoverfly (Diptera, Syrphidae) and a pseudoscorpion (Arachnida, Pseudoscorpiones) in the Iberian Peninsula

Abstract

Hoverflies act as phoretic agents of mites (Acarina) (e.g. FASHING, 2010) and triangulin larvae of Meloidae (Coleoptera) (e.g. MARCOS-GARCÍA & MORENO-FRESNEDA, 2012). Phoretic associations between hoverflies and pseudoscorpions are known for Lamprochernes nodosus (Schrank, 1803), which is being reported in association with three hoverfly species, Brachypalpus laphriformis (Fallen, 1816), presumably in Middle Europe (GERSTACKER, 1859), Eristalis arbustorum (Linnaeus, 1758), in the UK (JONES, 1978) and Volucella zonaria (Poda, 1761), in France (BERLAND, 1932). The pseudoscorpion Anthrenochernes stellae Lohmander, 1939 has also been reported as phoretic of the hoverfly Myathropa florea (Linnaeus, 1758) in Germany (SSYMANK & MUSTER, 2010). In the review by POINAR et al. (1998), a phoretic association between L. nodosus and Sargus iridatus (Scopoli, 1763) (Diptera, Stratiomyidae) is reported (JONES, 1978), but S. iridatus is in that review erroneously assigned to the Syrphidae.