Syrphid (Diptera) communities associated to vegetation covers influenced by anthropic activities in the eastern mountain range of Bogotá, Colombia

Abstract

Taxonomic and functional diversity of Syrphids make them fundamental in ecosystems. Syrphids are sensible to habitat fragmentation caused by anthropic influence, making them good ecological indicators of the ecosystemic conservation degree. We aim to establish whether syrphid’s communities relate to different vegetation covers in a gradient of anthropic intervention in a mountain-forest zone in Bogotá. Vegetation covers were identified following the land use cover methodology and the Corine Land Cover system. Insects were actively sampled during daily high activity peaks in one transitional dry-to-wet period. Syrphid communities were identified and evaluated by Effective Species Numbers while their relationships with main vegetation covers were characterized by Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Three vegetation covers were distinguished: Tall Secondary Vegetation, Discontinuous Urban Fabric, and Riparian Forest. A total of 381 individuals belonging to 24 syrphid species was identified and grouped into two subfamilies. Higher Effective Species Numbers were observed in Tall Secondary Vegetation and Riparian Forest in comparison with Discontinuous Urban Fabric. The PCA suggests a stronger association between Lejops mexicanus and Toxomerus watsoni with Discontinuous Urban Fabric and Tall Secondary Vegetation, while Palpada florea, Syrphus shorae, Orphnabaccha golbachi, and Allograpta exotica are with Riparian Forest. Syrphid abundances are higher in open vegetation areas, their communities were influenced by heterogeneity and anthropization of vegetation covers, pattern first recorded in the Neotropics.