Descriptions are given of three new species of Merodon Meigen (Diptera: Syrphidae) in the nigritarsis species group from the Middle East: Merodon angustus Vujić et Radenković n. sp., Merodon hakkariensis Vujić et Radenković n. sp. and Merodon quadraticus Vujić et Radenković n. sp. In addition, diagnostic characters are given for the nigritarsis group and distribution maps are presented for the new species and closely related taxa.
The genus Merodon Meigen, 1803 is distributed across the Palaearctic and Afrotropical Regions. The present work summarizes the knowledge from recent taxonomic and systematic revisions and includes an identification key for the five monophyletic lineages (namely albifrons, aureus, avidus-nigritarsis, desuturinus and natans), 24 species groups, two species subgroups and 10 unplaced species, along with diagnosis and illustrations. A list of 234 taxa, including 194 described and 40 undescribed species, is appended. Most of the species are distributed in the Palaearctic (209 taxa, 181 described), while 27 species (14 described) are known from the Afrotropical Region. Three lineages (aureus, desuturinus and natans) are present in the Afrotropical Region, as well as in the Palaearctic. The Afrotropical melanocerus species group of the desuturinus lineage and the bombiformis species group of the aureus lineage are endemic to the Afrotropical Region, and all other species groups belong to the Palaearctic fauna. The albifrons lineage contains six species groups (albifrons, constans, equestris, geniculatus, ruficornis and rufus) and two unplaced taxa. The aureus lineage includes five species groups (aureus, bombiformis, funestus, nanus and spinitarsis). The avidus-nigritarsis lineage is divided into 10 species groups (aberrans, aurifer, avidus, clavipes, fulcratus, italicus, nigritarsis, pruni, serrulatus and tarsatus) and eight unplaced taxa. The desuturinus lineage contains two species groups: the Afrotropical melanocerus group, with the melanocerus and planifacies subgroups plus the species M. cuthbertsoni Curran, 1939, and the Palaearctic murorum species group. The natans lineage consists of the natans species group plus the species M. segetum Fabricius, 1794.
The putative monophyly and systematic position of Merodon nigritarsis group was assessed based on morphological and molecular data of the mitochondrial COI and nuclear 28S rRNA genes. The previously reported concept of the group has been redefined, and M. crassifemoris Paramonov, 1925 is now excluded. The related M. avidus group is redefined here, including the Merodon avidus complex and M. femoratus Sack, 1913. Species delimitation of morphologically defined species of M. nigritarsis group was well supported by COI gene analysis, with the exception of M. alagoezicus Paramonov, 1925 and M. lucasi Hurkmans, 1993. Descriptions are given for three new species of the M. nigritarsis species group: Merodon cohurnus Vujić, Likov et Radenković sp. n., Merodon longisetus Vujić, Radenković et Likov sp. n. and Merodon obstipus Vujić, Radenković et Likov sp. n., and one new species from the M. avidus group: Merodon rutitarsis Likov, Vujić et Radenković sp. n. A lectotype is designated for M. femoratus Sack, 1913, and two new synonymies of this species were proposed: M. biarcuatus Curran, 1939 and M. elegans Hurkmans, 1993. Here we review 18 species from the M. nigritarsis group and six species from the M. avidus group and provide morphological diagnoses of the species groups. Additionally, diagnosis of 12 branches (groups or individual taxa) of M. avidus-nigritarsis lineage, an illustrated diagnostic key for the males, and distribution map are provided for the new species.
Two new remarkable species of the genus Merodon Meigen (Diptera: Syrphidae) are described from biodiversity hotspots in the Middle East: Merodon eumerusi Vujić, Radenković et Likov sp. n. and Merodon mixtum Vujić, Radenković et Likov sp. n. Although M. eumerusi, from the Mountains of Central Asia, belongs clearly to the lineage of M. avidus-nigritarsis, it possesses some unique features within the genus that are also present in other Merodontini genera. M. mixtum, from the Irano-Anatolian mountains, has typical characters of different species groups within the M. albifrons lineage. Here, we discuss the unusual apomorphic characters of these newly discovered taxa and highlight the need for further analyses to ascertain the phylogenetic relationships within the tribe Merodontini and the genus Merodon.
We revise the Merodon constans species group of the genus Merodon Meigen, 1803 (Diptera: Syrphidae), provide morphological diagnosesand descriptions, as well as an illustrated key and a discussion on the different taxonomic characters used. In total, 15 species were studied, their geographic distributions are presented on maps, and nine new species are described. Two species are redefined and neotypes are designated, lectotypes are designated for five species, and onespeciesis reinstated as valid. Following a detailed study of type material in different entomological collections, the status of several species is revised and three new synonymies are proposed. The M. constans species group was resolved as being monophyletic within the M. albifrons lineage based on molecular analyses using COI and 28S rRNA gene sequences. Three species morphologically similar to M. constans (Rossi, 1794) but occurring outside its distributional rangewere supported as being valid and distinct species on the basis of molecular data, but they were not distinguishable based on morphological characters. By contrast, continental populations of M. analis Meigen, 1822 could not be separated from Mediterranean M. constans based on differences in COI or 28S rRNA genes. The same molecular markers could not discriminate between two other species pairs. We conclude that these molecular markers only partially resolve species within the M. constans group. Geometric morphometry of wing shape successfully separated M. analis and M. constans, as well as M. spineus Vujić, Šašić Zorić & Likov, sp. nov. in both species and population analyses.
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