Merodon vandergooti Hurkmans, 1993

Vujić, Ante, Radenković, Snežana, Likov, Laura, Tubić, Nataša Kočiš, Popov, Grigory, Gilasian, Ebrahim, Djan, Mihajla, Milosavljević, Marina Janković & Ačanski, Jelena, 2024, Revisions of the clavipes and pruni species groups of the genus Merodon Meigen, 1803 (Diptera, Syrphidae), ZooKeys 1203, pp. 1-69 : 1-69

Merodon vandergooti Hurkmans, 1993

Merodon aureotibia Hurkmans, 1993: 203.

Merodon vandergooti Hurkmans, 1993: 188.

Type locality.

Turkey, “ Hakkari ”. The original description was based on a male holotype and ~ 40 male paratypes (all in RMNH) ( Hurkmans 1993). Holotype (designated by Hurkmans): male, Turkey, Hakkari ( RMNH), [specimen dry pinned]. Original labels: [ Turkey, Hakkari, Süvarihalil geçidi, 1250 m W side near Halub Deresi, 13. vi. 1984 leg. J. A. W. Lucas], [Holotype of Merodon vandergooti Hurkmans ] (examined).

Merodon aureotibia Hurkmans, 1993: 203

Type locality. Turkey, “ Adıyaman ”. The original description was based on a female holotype and three female paratypes (all in RMNH) ( Hurkmans 1993). Holotype (designated by Hurkmans): female, Turkey, Adıyaman ( RMNH), [specimen dry pinned]. Original labels: [ Turkey, Adıyaman, Nemrut Dağı, 1. vi. 1983, leg. M. Kuhbandner], [Holotype of Merodon aureotibia Hurkmans ] (examined).

Notes. Merodon vandergooti and M. aureotibia were described in the same publication ( Hurkmans 1993): M. vandergooti from a large number of males and M. aureotibia based only on females. Hurkmans (1993) considered M. vandergooti is the only member of the vandergooti group and M. aureotibia as part of the alagoezicus group. The type material of the two taxa belongs to the same species, and Vujić et al. (2011) retained M. vandergooti ( Hurkmans 1993: 188) as the valid name for this species and designated M. aureotibia ( Hurkmans 1993: 203) as a synonym.

Diagnosis. Tibiae and tarsi plus all femora in female (Fig. 14 C ) while pro- and mesofemora in males partly, orangish yellow (Fig. 20 C, D ); male metafemur very broad (~ 2.5 × longer than wide) and strongly curved, covered with long and dense yellow pile ventrally (Fig. 4 C ). Male genitalia in Fig. 10 .

Distribution and biology. The species range includes Israel, Syria and Turkey (Fig. 13 ; Suppl. material 2). The preferred environment of Merodon vandergooti is Eastern Mediterranean conifer-sclerophyllous-broadleaf forests. In Israel, this species has been registered from the Hermon and Meiron mountains where the montane forest is dominated by Quercus infectoria subsp. veneris (A. Kern.) Meikle , Q. libani G. Olivier , Juniperus drupacea Labill. , and Acer monspessulanum subsp. microphyllum (Boiss.) Bornm. , as well as in Mediterranean maquis and semi-steppe bathas ( Danin 1988). In Turkey, the species range covers warm temperate grassland and shrubland / woodland ( Evrendilek and Gulbeyaz 2008). Flight period: April / July. Developmental stages: undescribed.

Merodon velox Loew, 1869

Merodon velox Loew, 1869: 253 .

Merodon velox var. anathema Paramonov, 1926: 149 .

Merodon velox var. armeniaca Paramonov, 1926: 147 .

Merodon velox anathemus Peck, 1988: 175 (sic! non Paramonov), syn. nov.

Merodon velox armeniacus Peck, 1988: 175 (sic! non Paramonov), syn. nov.

Merodon velox Loew, 1869: 253

Type locality. Turkey, “ Smyrna = Izmir ” and Greece (Rhodus = Rhodos). The original description ( Loew 1869) was based on seven males and an unspecified number of female syntypes from the Vienna collection ( RMNH). Lectotype (designated by Hurkmans 1993: 183): male, Greece, Rhodes ( NHWM), [specimen dry pinned]. Original label: [Rhodus / Alte Sammlung] (examined).

Merodon velox var. anathema Paramonov 1926 b: 149

Merodon velox anathemus Peck, 1988: 175 (sic! non Paramonov), syn. nov.

Holotype (examined). Female with labels: white, handwritten, bold ink [N 340]; printed [mons Takältu / prope Kulp. / 28 ... V ....... 13.], = Tekaltı Dağı mountain, near Kulp ( Turkey), 38.516667; 41.016667; pink, handwritten, pale ink, with double typographical frame [ Merodon / anathema / n. sp. ♀ Typus / Paramonov d.].

Notes. The taxon was described as a “ var. ” from a single female, which is the holotype according to article 73.1. 2 ICZN (1999). Paramonov indicated that the type is kept in his personal collection ( Paramonov 1926 b: 149). Type locality: Turkey. Later, S. Ya. Paramonov gave the species as “ M. anathema sp. n. ” ( Paramonov 1927: 15). Until recently, the type was believed to be lost ( Liepa 1969: 4, 20; Hurkmans 1993: 183 “ holotype ... not examined, probably lost ”, 205 “ lost ”, 206), but it has since been found at the SIZK ( Popov 2011). The name was correctly (see also Lingafelter and Nearns 2013) given a subspecific rank for the first time in Peck’s Catalogue (1988: 175), « Merodon velox anathemus Paramonov », according to 45 (g) (ii) ICZN (1985), now 45.6. 4 ( ICZN 1999), but the original feminine name anathema was incorrectly changed contrary to article 31 (b) (ii) ( ICZN 1985), now 31.2. 1, 34.2. 1 ( ICZN 1999). Hurkmans (1993: 184) left the rank variety for the name. The study of the Merodon velox material revealed that character of this subspecies are not outside the limits of species variability in other parts of the species’ range, so we consider anathema syn. nov. for M. velox Loew, 1869 .

Merodon velox var. armeniaca Paramonov 1926 b: 147

Merodon velox armeniacus Peck, 1988: 175 (sic! non Paramonov), syn. nov.

Lectotype (examined). Male with labels: white, handwritten, bold ink [N 341]; pale ink [ Армения / Эривань / 24. v. 24.], = Yerevan ( Armenia), 40.166667; 44.516667; pink, handwritten, pale ink, with double typographical frame [ Merodon / velox Lw. ♂ / var. armeniaca / var. nov. / Paramonov det.] ( SIZK).

Paralectotype (examined): female with labels: white, handwritten, bold ink [N 342]; pale ink [ Армения / Ордубад / 7. VI. 24.], = Ordubad ( Azerbaijan), 38.908056 N 46.027778 E; pink, handwritten, pale ink, with double typographical frame [ Merodon / velox Lw ♀ / var. armeniaca / var. nov. / Paramonov det.].

Notes. Paramonov indicated that the male types (12 specimens) are kept in two localities, “ Typus in meiner Sammlung und im Museum von Armenien ” ( Paramonov 1926 b: 148), with the only female type being kept in his personal collection (ibid.: 149). The exact location of the types was not known, and it was thought that they had possibly been lost ( Liepa 1969: 4, 20; Hurkmans 1993: 183 “ syntypes ... not examined, probably lost ”, 205 “ lost ”, 206). Two syntypes of 13 have been preserved in SIZK ( Popov 2011). It was assumed that some of the syntypes had been preserved at the current IZY ( Liepa 1969: 4, 20 “ Museum of Natural History of the Armenian SSR, Yerevan ”; Hurkmans 1993: 184 “ possibly some of the material might be present in the collection of the Museum of Armenia, Erivan ”). According to personal communication with Mark G. Kalashyan (Yerevan), a single specimen of Merodon velox is deposited in the IZY collection and was examined by S. Ya. Paramonov, hosting two labels, [ Armenia, prope Beuk-Vedi, 1. vi. 1926, A. Schelk.] = Vedi, Armenia, 39.910556; 44.727778, and [ Merodon velox Lw. , ♂, Paramonov d.]. This specimen is not the type. The name was correctly given a subspecific rank for the first time in Peck’s Catalogue (1988: 175) (see also Lingafelter and Nearns 2013), « Merodon velox armeniacus Paramonov », according to article 45 (g) (ii) ICZN (1985), now corresponding to 45.6. 4 ( ICZN, 1999). Hurkmans (1993: 184) left the rank of variety for the name. According to article 74 ICZN (1999), we designate the male as the lectotype and the female as the paralectotype. Type locality: Armenia (76.2 ICZN 1999). Paramonov later mentioned this name ( Paramonov 1927: 15), but erroneously indicated the wrong year of collection for the types (1925). In fact, 1924 is specified in the original description and indicated on the type labels. The study of the M. velox material revealed that characters of this subspecies are not outside the limits of the species variability in other parts of the species range, so we consider armeniacus syn. nov. for M. velox Loew, 1869 .

Diagnosis. Male: wings brown-black except extreme apical part (Figs 20 E, F , 21 A ); female: wing in basal half with yellow, while in apical half with brown veins; wing covered along veins with dark brown microtrichia (Fig. 21 B ). Male genitalia as in Fig. 22 . Similar to Merodon clavipes and M. latens sp. nov. from which male differs by brown-black wing (hyaline wing in M. clavipes and M. latens sp. nov.) and a narrower metafemur (Fig. 4 F ), <2 × broader than the metatibia (metafemur is> 2 × broader than the metatibia in M. clavipes (Fig. 4 A ) and M. latens sp. nov. (Fig. 4 B )); female differs by wing covered along veins with dark brown microtrichia (Fig. 21 B ), clear in M. clavipes and M. latens sp. nov.

Distribution and biology. The species range includes Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Greece, Italy, and Turkey. Hurkmans (1993) also lists Yugoslavia, but those records could not be confirmed (Fig. 20 ; Suppl. material 2). The preferred environment of Merodon velox is forest or open ground, typically thinly-vegetated and stony semi-arid areas, unimproved grasslands, and open areas in Abies forest, as well as Castanea forest ( Speight 2020). This species apparently resembles a small Xylocopa in the field and continues to fly at temperatures above 35 ° C. Males are strongly territorial, and both sexes fly low and fast through ground vegetation ( Hurkmans and Hayat 1997). The species has been found drinking at the edge of a small stream in the evening on a hot day ( Reemer and Smit 2007). Flowers visited: umbellifers; Euphorbia ( Zimina 1960; Hurkmans and Hayat 1997). Flight period: March / September. Developmental stages: not described ( Speight 2020).

Figures

Figure 4. Metaleg of male, lateral view A M. clavipes B M. latens sp. nov. C M. vandergooti D M. quadrinotatus E M. rufofemoris sp. nov. F M. velox G M. aenigmaticus sp. nov. Scale bar: 1 mm.

Figure 10. Male genitalia M. vandergooti A, B epandrium, C hypandrium. A, C lateral view B ventral view. Strongly angulated ventral part of posterior surstylar lobe marked with red arrow. Abbreviations: al-anterior surstylar lobe, pl-posterior surstylar lobe. Scale bar: 0.5 mm.

Figure 13. Distribution map of Merodon clavipes, M. latens sp. nov., M. rufofemoris sp. nov. and M. vandergooti.

Figure 14. Metaleg of female, lateral view A M. clavipes B M. latens sp. nov. C M. vandergooti. Scale bar: 1 mm.

Figure 20. Body of male A, B M. rufofemoris sp. nov. C – D M. vandergooti E, F M. velox. A, C, E dorsal view B, D, F lateral view. Scale bar: 1 mm.

Figure 21. Wing of Merodon velox, dorsal view A male B female. Scale bar: 1 mm.

Figure 22. Male genitalia M. velox A, B epandrium C hypandrium. A, C lateral view B ventral view. Scale bar: 0.5 mm.