Merodon angustitarsis Vujic & Gilasian, 2023

Vujic, Ante, Radenkovic, Snezana, Barkalov, Anatolij, Kocis Tubic, Natasa, Likov, Laura, Tot, Tamara, Popov, Grigory, Prokhorov, Alex, Gilasian, Ebrahim, Anjum, Shehzad, Djan, Mihajla, Kakar, Banafsha & Andric, Andrijana, 2023, Taxonomic revision of the Merodon tarsatus species group (Diptera, Syrphidae), Arthropod Systematics & amp; Phylogeny 81, pp. 201-256 : 201

publication ID	https://dx.doi.org/10.3897/asp.81.e93570
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:FF52A05B-BDC0-474E-9848-0DC95A8155B2
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/CACF11A4-B019-430F-BF76-93F6CC896631
taxon LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:act:CACF11A4-B019-430F-BF76-93F6CC896631
treatment provided by	Arthropod Systematics & Phylogeny by Pensoft
scientific name	Merodon angustitarsis Vujic & Gilasian
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Merodon angustitarsis Vujic & Gilasian sp. nov.

Figs 4A View Figure 4 , 7A-C View Figure 7 , 10A View Figure 10 , 12A View Figure 12 , 14A View Figure 14 , 16A View Figure 16 , 19A View Figure 19 , 21A View Figure 21 , 22A-C View Figure 22 , 27 View Figure 27 , 29A View Figure 29 , 30A View Figure 30

M. aff. tarsatus 1 ( Vujić et al. 2021a).

Type locality.

IRAN: Māzandarān Province, Baladeh District, Nesen; 36°14 ’24” N, 51°27 ’27” E; 2920 m a.s.l.

Type material.

Holotype: ♂; HMIM [specimen dry pinned, in very good condition with genitalia in separate microvial]. Original labels: "Mazandaran-Baladeh / Nesan / N 36 14 24.2 E 051 27 27.0 / 2920m. / Gilasian / 9.VI.2006" [left part of the label vertical], “02532”. - Paratypes: IRAN • 1 ♀; Yazd Province, Taft County, Sānij; 31°33 ’36” N, 54°01 ’46” E; 3020 m a.s.l.; 15 May 2007; Gilasian E. leg.; HMIM 04461 • 2 ♂♂; N. Iran, Alborz (mountain range), Tochal; 35°53 ’50” N, 51°25 ’05” E; 2000-2500 m a.s.l.; 29-30 Jun. 1973; Loc. no. 261 Exp. Nat. Mus. Praha; HMIM 02530, 02536 • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; HMIM 02537 • 1 ♂; N. Iran, Alborz (mountain range), Tochal; 35°53 ’50” N, 51°25 ’05” E; 2000-2500 m a.s.l.; 29-30 Jun. 1973; Loc. no. 261 Exp. Nat. Mus. Praha; NMPC 05924; • 1 ♂; N. Iran, Kuh-e Tochal-top; 3500-4000 m a.s.l.; 16-26 Jul. 1977; Loc. no. 403 Exped. Nat. Mus. Praha; HMIM 02526 • 5 ♀♀; same data as for preceding; HMIM 02527 to 02529, 02589, 02531 • 1 ♀; Tehran Province, Dizin, Velāyatrud; 36°09 ’03” N, 51°22 ’12” E; 2250 m a.s.l.; 30 May 1991; Ebrahimi E., Badii M. leg.; HMIM 02593 • 1 ♀; Khorāsān-e Razavi Province, Ghoochan, Emamgholi, Chovinli; 37°27 ’59” N, 58°34 ’45” E; 2300 m a.s.l.; 1 Jun. 2006; Gilasian E. leg.; HMIM 02542. - TURKMENISTAN • 1 ♀; Ahal Region, Gökdepe District, SW of Geok Tepe; 38°04 ’52” N, 57°52 ’48” E; 8 May 1988; Barkalov A. leg.; SZMN 05803 • 1 ♀; Ahal Region, Gökdepe District, SW of Geok Tepe; 38°04 ’52” N, 57°52 ’48” E; 11 May 1988; Barkalov A. leg.; SZMN 05849.

Additional material examined.

IRAN • 1 ♀; Fārs Province, Road Chiraz (Shiraz)- Kazeroun, Fort Sine-Sefid ; 29°30'N, 52°E; 29 Apr. 1937; Brandt F.H. leg.; Paratype of Merodon ankylogaster ; NBCN 02591 GoogleMaps .

Diagnosis.

Medium sized (8-10 mm), medium long pilose, dark species, with olive-brown reflection (Figs 19A View Figure 19 , 21A View Figure 21 ); antennae reddish-brown, basoflagellomere elongated, 1.8-1.9 times as long as wide with convex dorsal margin (Figs 10A View Figure 10 , 12A View Figure 12 ); femora mostly black, tibiae and tarsi partly yellow (Figs 14A View Figure 14 , 16A View Figure 16 ); body pile whitish, yellow to gray. Male: metafemur broad, about 3.7-3.8 times longer than wide, covered with long pilosity (Fig. 14A View Figure 14 ); basotarsomere of metatarsus less expanded, about 1.3 times broader than the second tarsomere (Fig. 7A View Figure 7 ), with ventrolateral row of long, strong setae (Fig. 7A View Figure 7 ), and ventrally without well-defined brush-like area of dense pile extended in basal half (Fig. 7A View Figure 7 ); ventral margin of metatrochanter angular (Fig. 14A View Figure 14 ); sternum 4 with long laminate extensions on posterior margin (Fig. 4A View Figure 4 ); male genitalia: anterior surstyle lobe rectangular with convex ventral margin (Fig. 22A View Figure 22 : al), and posterior surstyle lobe broad, trapezoidal, with angular protrusion on the margin (Fig. 22A View Figure 22 : pl); ejaculatory apodeme as long as broad (Fig. 22C View Figure 22 : ea); lingula elongated and narrow (Fig. 22C View Figure 22 : l). Female: tarsi brown (Fig. 16A View Figure 16 ), second tarsomere of metaleg longer, about half of basotarsomere (Fig. 7B, C View Figure 7 ); frons with broad lateral pollinose vittae along eye margins (Fig. 29A View Figure 29 ); terga 3-4 usually with narrow fasciae, extends less than 1/6 of the length of terga (Fig. 21A View Figure 21 ).

Male clearly differs from Merodon rufitarsis by a longer basotarsomere of metaleg in M. angustitarsis Vujić & Gilasian sp. nov. (Fig. 14A View Figure 14 ), while shorter in M. rufitarsis (Fig. 15C View Figure 15 ); by presence of ventrolateral row of setae on basotarsomere of metaleg in M. angustitarsis Vujić & Gilasian sp. nov. (Fig. 7A View Figure 7 ), while absent in M. rufitarsis ; and by the shape of the surstyle lobes of male genitalia (Fig. 22A, B, D, E View Figure 22 ).

Description.

MALE. Head: Antenna reddish-brown; basoflagellomere (Fig. 10A View Figure 10 ) elongated, about 1.8-1.9 times as long as wide, and about 2 times as long as pedicel, convex dorsally, strongly tapering to apex; fossette dorsolateral and large (Fig. 10A View Figure 10 : f); arista black, thickened at basal third; face and frons black with gray microtrichia; face covered with dense whitish pile, frons with gray-yellowish pile; oral margin black, with sparse microtrichia; lunule shiny black to brown, bare; eye contiguity about 8-12 facets long; vertex isosceles, shiny black, anterior part pollinose; vertex with long, gray-yellowish pile, in some cases mixed with a few black pile on ocellar triangle; ocellar triangle equilateral; occiput with white-gray pile, ventrally covered with dense, gray microtrichia; eyes covered with dense whitish-gray pile (Fig. 30A View Figure 30 ); vertical triangle: eye contiguity: frons = 2-2.5: 1: 1.2-2. - Thorax: Scutum and scutellum black with olive-green to brown lustre, covered with dense, erect yellow to white pile; scutum with four pollinose vittae; anterior half of scutum from dull to shiny; posterodorsal part of anterior anepisternum, posterior anepisternum (except anteroventral angle), anterior anepimeron, dorsomedial anepimeron, and posterodorsal and anteroventral parts of katepisternum with long, dense pale yellow to gray pile; wings mostly covered with microtrichia; wing veins brown; calypteres pale yellow; halter brown; femora mostly black, tibiae and tarsi partly yellow; pile on legs pale yellow; ventral margin of metatrochanter angular; metafemur moderately broad, about 3.7-3.8 times longer than wide, with long pile on ventral surface, about 2/3 of width of metafemur, longer than pile on dorsal surface (Fig. 14A View Figure 14 ); apicomedial lamina on metatibia small, covered with a few long gray pile; basotarsomere of metatarsus about 1.3 times broader than second tarsomere (Fig. 7A View Figure 7 ), with ventrolateral row of long, strong setae (Fig. 7A View Figure 7 ), and ventrally with weakly defined brush-like area of dense pile (Fig. 7A View Figure 7 ). - Abdomen (Fig. 19A View Figure 19 ): About 1.3 times longer than mesonotum; terga dark brown to black; terga 2-4 each with pair of narrow white pollinose fasciae; pile on terga gray-whitish except black pilosity on medial part of terga 2 and 3; sterna dark brown, covered with long whitish pile. - Male genitalia: Anterior surstyle lobe rectangular with convex ventral margin, about 1.5 times longer than wide, covered with dense, short pile (Fig. 22A, B View Figure 22 : al); posterior surstyle lobe broad, trapezoidal, with angular protrusion on lateral margin (Fig. 22A, B View Figure 22 : pl); cercus rectangular (Fig. 22A View Figure 22 : c); hypandrium sickle-shaped, without lateral projections (Fig. 22C View Figure 22 ); lingula very elongated and narrow (Fig. 22C View Figure 22 : l). - Female. Similar to male except for normal sexual dimorphism and following characteristics: basoflagellomere about 2.2 times longer than wide (Fig. 12A View Figure 12 ); frons with pollinose vittae along eye margins (Fig. 29A View Figure 29 ); frons covered with mostly gray-yellow pile, intermixed with black pile; ocellar triangle covered with gray to whitish pile, mixed with black ones (Fig. 29A View Figure 29 ); medial part of terga 2-4 usually with short adpressed black pile; pollinose fasciae on terga 2-4 extends less than 1/6 of length of terga (Fig. 21A View Figure 21 ); basotarsomere of metatarsus brown, with a few distinct spine-like setae within ventrolateral row of setae, and in ventral view more or less with parallel margins; length of second tarsomere of metaleg subequal to or less than half length of basotarsomere (Fig. 16A View Figure 16 ).

Etymology.

The name " Merodon angustitarsis ", as arbitrary combination, derives from the Latin adjective “angustus” meaning narrow, and the noun “tarsus” referring to the fifth part (terminal segments) of the leg. This describes the distinctive narrow shape of the basotarsomere of the metaleg.

Distribution and ecological data.

Merodon angustitarsis Vujić & Gilasian sp. nov. occurs in Iran and in southern Turkmenistan (Fig. 27 View Figure 27 ). It was found within a cold-desert steppe scrubland ecosystem with Artemisia sieberi - Zygophyllum sp. as dominant vegetation type, cold and arid semi steppe scrubland and grasslands ecosystem ( Astragalus spp.), and cold and humid prairies ecosystem ( Trifolium spp.) ( Azizi Jalilian et al. 2020). These localities belong to four ecoregions: Elburz range forest steppe, Kopet Dag woodlands and forest steppe, Zagros mountains forest steppe, and Central Persian desert basins ( Olson et al. 2001). Nesen, the locality where the holotype of M. angustitarsis Vujić & Gilasian sp. nov. was collected, is a mountainous area located in Alborz mountain range with very cold winters and moderate warm summers (-30 to 20°C), and 400-500 mm annual precipitation; Plantago major L. and Allium ursinum L. are the dominant plant species. Most paratypes of M. angustitarsis Vujić & Gilasian sp. nov. were collected in Tochal, a mountainous area located in the Alborz mountain range, with 16.7°C average annual temperature and 300-400 mm annual precipitation; Astragalus spp. are the dominant plant species of this area. Other paratypes were collected in mountainous areas of: Dizin, located in the central part of the Alborz mountain range with very cold winters and moderate summers (-20 to 20°C), with Juniperus spp., Rhus coriaria L., Crataegus pontica K. Koch., and Thymus vulgaris L. as the dominant plant species; Chovinli, with very cold winters and moderate summers, with 310 mm annual precipitation and 12.5°C average annual temperature, with Juniperus excelsa M. Bieb., Ficus carica L., Prunus cerasifera Ehrh., Celtis australis L., and Atriplex spp. as the dominant plant species; Sānij, a semi-arid mountainous area close to the Zāgros mountain range with cold winters and hot summers (12 to 34°C), with 300-350 mm annual precipitation, with Zygophyllum atriplicoides subsp. eurypterum (Boiss. & Buhse) Popov, Artemisia sieberi Besser, and Lactuca orientalis (Boiss.) Boiss. as the dominant plant species. On the basis of our data the flight period is from late April to July, mostly independent of altitude.