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Description of a new robber fly species in the genus Neoitamus

· 2 minutes read
izeltlabuak.hu
izeltlabuak.hu

A new publication by Nimród Varga and Gábor Keresztes describes a previously unknown robber fly species in the genus Neoitamus.

Neoitamus

Neoitamus

Szerző: Fráter Szabolcs

Forrás: izeltlabuak.hu

Licenc: CC BY 4.0

Note about izeltlabuak.hu (arthropods)

The izeltlabuak.hu website primarily focuses on arthropods found in Hungary. This entry also deals with Hungarian fauna.

About the study​

The recently published study describes a new species in the genus Neoitamus within the family Asilidae - robber flies, Neoitamus tothsandori sp. nov., and provides a revised identification key for European males with black femora and yellow tibiae.

Among the authors, Nimród Varga, who is also an active identifier on izeltlabuak.hu, first encountered this distinctive robber fly species at the age of 16, during a school excursion. The holotype specimen was later collected on June 8, 2024. The species was named in honor of the outstanding Hungarian dipterist and odonatologist (1930–2024).

The article reports two additional species newly recorded from Hungary: Neoitamus dasymallus and Neoitamus tumulus. Neoitamus tumulus was also reported for the first time from Albania and Montenegro. The article includes an updated checklist of Neoitamus species with black femora and yellow tibiae in the Hungarian species list.

The article features 24 illustrations, including drawings by Nimród Varga alongside photographs. According to the study, Neoitamus tothsandori sp. nov. is the most common Neoitamus species in Hungary. The species is currently known from Austria, Croatia, Czechia, Hungary, and Romania.

With this publication, to the best of our knowledge, Nimród Varga became, at the age of 19, the youngest researcher to discover a new species from the territory of Hungary.

Source​

Nimród Varga and Gábor Keresztes (2026): A reviewed key for males of Neoitamus Osten-Sacken, 1878 (Diptera: Asilidae: Asilinae) with black femora and yellow tibiae from Europe (excluding Russia and Ukraine), with description of a new species and faunistic summary regarding Hungary - Animal Taxonomy and Ecology

The article is available on ResearchGate and on the Animal Taxonomy and Ecology journal website

Affected species:

Neoitamus cothurnatus

Neoitamus cothurnatus

Szerző: Gődény Csaba

Forrás: izeltlabuak.hu

Licenc: CC BY 4.0