Diversity of syrphidae (Diptera) in five areas with distinct vegetational composition in Vila Velha State Park, Ponta Grossa, Parana, southern Brazil

The syrphids were surveyed in five floristically different areas within Vila Velha State Park in east central Parana, Ponta Grossa, southern Brazil. Areas were classified as edge, araucaria, early (phase 1), middle (phase 2) and late (phase 3) vegetational succession, in which Malaise traps were used, with weekly collections (from September/1999 to August/2000). Nearly 300,000 Diptera were collected, in order of abundance in Araucaria area (n=74,331 individuals, 25% of the total), early (73,782; 25%), late (59,339; 20%), middle (53,623; 18%) and edge (38,796; 13%). A total of 1,345 syrphids, including 97 species, were identified. The greatest abundance and richness were both observed in the edge (n=684 specimens in 54 species), followed by early (n=250; 51), Araucaria (n=162; 34), late (n=146; 31) and middle succession area (n=103; 27). Syrphidae abundance was uncorrelated with Diptera abundance in the five areas. Syrphidae was greatest in the edge, while greatest abundance of Diptera was in the Araucaria and the least was in the edge area. Syrphinae (82% of all Syrphidae collected), Microdontinae and Eristalinae were collected in the five areas. In the three successional stages areas (early, middle and late), Syrphinae was greatest in early, and more or less equally low in middle and late. The greatest abundance and richness occurred in most anthropogenically disturbed areas (edge and early), while the least occurred in the best preserved areas (middle and late succession). Cluster analysis showed that the two later successional stages were most similar, and the edge was the least similar to all the other areas.