Species diversity of empididae (Diptera) in Siirt province

Abstract

Empidid adults are usually small to medium-sized species whose bodies are usually black and shiny or densely grey dusted. They are flower visitors, because of this, they are very important in pollination. Pollination is a mechanism that guarantees the seeds and development of plants. For this reason, knowing the insect fauna in a region does not only represent a faunistic value, but also contributes to the continuity of plant diversity in the region. Siirt province is very poor in terms of forest but it is rich in steppe. The summers are quite hot and arid but it also has a variable elevations and this affects species diversity in a positive way. Until now, there is only one study about the fauna and biodiversity of Empididae of Siirt. This study aimed to reveal the Empididae fauna of Siirt Province, to contribute to the fauna of Turkey and to reveal species diversity.