Mallota tricolor Loew, 1871

Żóralski, Robert, Mielczarek, Łukasz, Skitek, Artur & Trzciński, Paweł, 2022, Review of the genus Mallota Meigen, 1822 (Diptera, Syrphidae) in Poland. Przegląd rodzaju Mallota Meigen, 1822 (Diptera, Syrphidae) w Polsce, Dipteron (Oxford, England) 38 (4), pp. 47-63 : 47-63

Mallota tricolor Loew, 1871

= M. japonica Matsumura, 1916

MATERIAL EXAMINED: (18 ♂♂ 1 ♀). POLAND. Podlasie-Belarus Uplands. Białowieski National Park: Hwoźna river [ FD 95], section 191, 3 VIII 1969, 1 ♂, leg. B. Soszyński ( Soszyński 1999, Pisarska & Soszyński 2001). Biebrza National Park: section 285A "bór ścisły", malaise trap [ FE 13], 26 V 2007, 1 ♂, leg. A. Kostro-Ambroziak. Central Polish Lowlands. Molenda Nature Reserve ad. Tuszyn [ CC 92], 6 VII 1980, 1 ♂, fig. 4a, 4b, leg. B. Soszyński. Lublinek Forest near Łódź [ CC 83], 1 VI 1981, 1 ♀, leg. B. Soszyński (Soszyński & Soszyńska- Maj 2011). Spalski Landscape Park: Spała [ DC 40], 16 VI 1986, 1 ♂, leg. B. Soszyński. Dobieszków near Łódź [ DC 04], fig. 4e, 7

VI 1988, 1 ♂, 28 VI 1988, 1 ♂, leg. J.K. Kowalczyk, coll. NHUL ( Kowalczyk & Watała 1991, Kowalczyk et al. 1998, Kowalczyk & Majecki 2002, Soszyński et al. 2010). Spalski Landscape Park: Ceteń [ DC 50], fig. 4c, 4d, 7 VI 2007, 1 ♂, 1 VI 2008, 2 ♂♂, 16-18 VI 2008, 1 ♂, 20 V 2011, 1 ♂, 4 VI 2011, 1 ♂, 5 VI 2011, 1 ♂, 4 VI 2015, 1 ♂, 7 VI 2015, 3 ♂♂, leg. M. Soszyński, det. B. Soszyński ( Witek et al. 2015). Silesian-Krakow Uplands (= Wyżyna Śląsko- Krakowska). Diabelskie Mosty Nature Reserve near Złoty Potok [ CB 81], oak forest, 17 VI 1957, 1 ♂, leg. J. Kapuściński, coll. MIZ PAS ( Trojanowa-Bańkowska 1959).

56 57

COMPARISON MATERIAL (4 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀). RUSSIA. Primorsky Krai: Lake Khanka [ LK15 ], 7 VII 2013, 1 ♂, leg. Ł. Mielczarek. Primorsky Krai: Vladivostok [ GN37 ], 27 VII 2013, 1 ♂, leg. Ł. Mielczarek. UNKNOWN LOCALITY. [without date and author], 2 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀, coll. MIZ PAS, ex. coll. P.I.N.G.W.

DIAGNOSTIC FEATURES. Bumblebee mimic. Eyes bare; three-colour body hair: anterior half of mesoscutum, scutellum and anterior parts of abdomen lightgray to white, posterior half of mesoscutum and middle parts of abdomen black, tip of abdomen orange; hind tarsi orange.

BIOLOGY. Adults flight period extends from the end of May till the beginning of August, with highest peak in June. This species prefers old trees in parks and along roadside. In the years 2007-2015 male specimens were regularly observed in a microhabitat in Ceteń (Spalski Landscape Park), around the hollow of one field elm Ulmus minor Mill., 1773 (fig. 4c, 4d). This particular species of elm is unfortunately critically endangered in Poland and Europe, due to a pandemic disease caused by the fungus Ophiostoma Syd. & P. Syd., 1919 , causing the dying off of branches, then massive death of trees. The mentioned fungus is one of the most invasive tree pathogens known to the man and in Europe is transmitted by the elm beetle Scolytus multistriatus (Marsham, 1802) ( Coleoptera , Curculionidae ) (Santini & Faccoli 2013).

DISTRIBUTION. East Palearctic species, having in Poland, Lithuania and Finland its western border of the range ( Raekunnas & Kerppola 2014). In the past it was found as far as Germany but is currently considered extinct in that country. In Poland, known only from a few sites (fig. 4f) located in the middle and north-east part of the country. Kuntze & Noskiewicz (1938) were first who mention that species from the middle Europe (and as a new species for Poland that time) - it was one specimen sitting on the roadside, then caught by them at the vicinity of Bereżany [= Brzeżany], located in Ukraine. In June 1940, Noskiewicz caught one more specimen on Czartowska Skała near Lviv [= Lwów] ( Noskiewicz 1948). We were not able to find material of another locality from the literature: Łagiewnicki Forest near Łódź [CC94] ( Kowalczyk & Watała 1991, Kowalczyk et al. 1998, Kowalczyk & Majecki 2002, Soszyński et al. 2010).

CONSERVATION. Species listed in the “Red List of Threatened Animals in Poland ” ( Palaczyk et al. 2002) in category VU (Vulnerable) and in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species ( Pennards et al. 2021d) in category LC (Least Concern).