Kerala and Tamil Nadu researchers discover two new ant-fly species in Delhi ridge and Western Ghats

Key facts

• Researchers from Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetam and Kerala Agricultural University discovered Metadon ghorpadei in Delhi’s northern ridge forest and Metadon reemeri in the Siruvani hills of Western Ghats.
• Both species belong to the sub family Microdontinae (Syrphidae) and exhibit myrmecophily, with larvae living inside ant nests and feeding on ant brood.
• The findings, based on detailed morphological studies and DNA analysis, were published in the international journal Zootaxa.
• The study reviewed Indian fauna of the genus Metadon and redescribed six previously known species.
• Only 27 of the 454 globally reported Microdontinae species are known from the Indian subcontinent.