Master Thesis by Tinatin Chkhartishvili
Abstract
The distribution of species by the elevational gradient around the world has been studied on the example of numerous animals or plants. There is not much information about the family Syrphidae in Georgia, especially about the distribution of species. For this very reason I have studied the distribution of hoverfly species of hoverfly in the height gradient (from 403 to 2458 m) in the protected areas of Kintrishi. In total, I selected 891 individuals, representing 75 species of 28 genera. Morphological research has identified 13 new species for Georgia (They are now sent for genetic analysis). The distribution of species diversity depends on the height and habitat. Most species prefer the montane zone (mid-elevation). According to extrapolated and real data, Hoverfly are characterized by the hump shaped distribution, and they may also be affected by the mid-zone effect (MDE).