Heringia heringi, Platycheirus sticticus and Platycheirus ambiguus (Diptera: Syrphidae) three new recorded species from Iran

The Syrphidae family, Diptera order with 6000 species, is commonly named Hoverfly in USA and Flowerfly in Europe. The Syrphidae included three sub-families, Eristalinae, Microdontinae and Syrphinae which as yet sub-family Microdontinae not recorded from Iran. Sub-family Milesiinae has 12 tribes and sub-family Syrphinae has 3 tribes. Genus Heringia with one species normally H. heringi belongs to tribe Pipizini and Genus Platycheirus and its species as the largest within the sub family Syrphinae; it has two sub-genera, Platycheirus with 15 species and Pachysphyria with one species. The investigation was carried out during six months from April to August 2010 in east part of Tehran province. In advance 12 stations in Damavand and Firoozkooh were chosen by vegetation and topographic maps were set to include: Damavand, Abesard, Rine, Gilavand, Sarbandan & Derakhtebid (Mazrae), Cheshme, Poloor, Firoozkooh, Shahrabad, Kaboodband, Dashtemorgh and Abeask & Haraz River. Species mentioned in this research are found in three stations; Damavand (35˚43′N, 52˚04′E), Gilavand (35˚40′N, 52˚01′E) and Kaboodband (35˚46′N, 52˚33′E). Then sampling was done by sweeping net in 6 months, subsequently collected specimens were identified by using Stubbs (1986) key. These three species such as: Heringia heringi, Platycheirus sticticus and Platycheirus ambiguus are the first time reported from Iran.