Eosalpingogaster and Salpingogaster are readily distinguished from all other syrphine groups by the presence of distinct black spinose bristles on the metafemur combined with the petiolate abdomen and sinuate vein R4+5. Both genera have petiolate abdomens, but Salpingogaster is distinguished from Eosalpingogaster by the much more greatly sinuate vein R4+5; other syrphines with sinuate vein R4+5 have oval abdomens. Eosalpingogaster has 1st tergum not produced into a spur, vein R4+5 only slightly sinuate and occipital cilia in 3–4 rows dorsally. In contrast, Salpingogaster has 1st tergum produced laterally into a strong spur and occipital cilia reduced to a single row dorsally.
E. conopida is only known from the Andean region, and it is very distinct with no yellow maculae on pleuron. E. conopida has black abdomen with 3rd abdominal tergum with two basolateral yellow maculae that can join medially forming a broad fascia. Similar to E. cochenillivora but conopida has the pleura entirely dark brown.
Very similar to E. cochenillivora, but differs by having the pleuron entirely dark brown, with no yellow macula; 2nd costal cell hyaline (brown apically in females), microtrichose on apical half or less; and femora more yellow apically.
Eosalpingogaster conopida (Philippi, 1865).
Philippi, R.A. (1865) Aufzählung der chilenischen Dipteren. Abhandlungen der Kaiserlich–könglichen Zoologisch–Botanischen Gesellschaft in Wien 15, 595-782.
Eosalpingogaster has been considered as a subgenus of Salpingogaster since Hull (1949b) proposed it for Baccha conopida Philippi, including nepenthe Hull and dactylopianus Blanchard. In the original text, Hull wrote "Corners of first abdominal segment with a sharp hook" but one of the differences with Salpingogaster s.str. is that Eosalpingogaster has 1st tergum not produced into a spur. There are evidences to consider Eosalpingogaster a different and valid genus.
Synonyms:
Bacha conopida Philippi, 1865: 750.
Salpingogaster macula Schiner, 1868: 345.
Salpingogaster conopida. Williston, 1886: 315.
Eosalpingogaster conopida was the only species included in the molecular phylogeny by Mengual et al. (2008a). In their analysis, Eosalpingogaster was resolved as sister group of Ocyptamus melanorrhinus, embedded in a clade formed by Ocyptamus and Toxomerus species. This placement was recovered again in Mengual et al. (2008b) when they used them as outgroup for Allograpta.
Porter (1924) obtained an adult of Salpingogaster macula from a pupa collected on Foeniculum dulce Mill. infested of aphids. Mann (1969) cited E. conopida as an important predator of Dactylopius species in Argentina, but he did not indicate the location or any reference for those records. More recently, Zimmerman et al., (1979) reported this syrphid species feeding on Dactylopius sp. (Dactylopidae) in South America with no more details.
unless otherwise stated