Merodon dobrogensis Bradescu, 1982

Merodon dobrogensis Bradescu, 1982: 13 .

Type locality. Romania: Plateau of Dobrudja, Hagieni (100 m) .

Type specimens examined. Holotype: male, 27.viii.1977, (MGAB); Paratype: female 30.viii.1977, V. Bradescu (FSUNS).

Material examined: Greece. Evros, Mesembria: 6♂♂, 2.x. 2011, 127 m, Michael de Coursy (MCWC T1 - T3, T14 - T16) ; 3♂♂, 8.ix. 2013, 127 m (FSUNS AL47, AL49, AL53); Romania: Mangalia: 15♂♂, near Hagieni, 28.ix.2014, 58 m, A. Vujić, J. Ačanski, L. Šašić Zorić (FSUNS 08498-08512) ; 1♂, near Liman, 28.ix.2014, 30 m, A. Vujić, J. Ačanski, L. Šašić Zorić (FSUNS 08497) ; 5♂♂, near Albes,ti, 29.ix.2014, 50 m, A. Vujić, J. Ačanski, L. Šašić Zorić (FSUNS 08493-08496, 08513) .

Diagnosis. Differs from Merodon puniceus by the infuscation of the wings (lighter in M. dobrogensis, and much darker in M. puniceus; see Figs. 19–20), molecular data (COI and ND4 gene sequence variability; see Figs. 11–12), by morphometric characters of wing and male genitalia (Figs. 2, 7), and distribution. It is geographically separated from M. puniceus, being distributed in southeastern Europe near the Black Sea and Aegean Sea (Fig. 21).

Natural history. Preferred environment: forest; small, open areas maintained by goat grazing, in evergreen Quercus coccinea Münchhausen ( Fagaceae) matorral on limestone. Flowers visited: Prospero autumnale (Linnaeus) Speta ( Asparagaceae). Flight period: August to October. Larvae unknown (Speight 2018).