Merodon velox Loew, 1869

Fig. 3

Examined material. IRAN, North Khorasan province: 1 ♀, Esfarayen, Asadli, 37°14′53.4″N 57°21′55.1″E, 3.vi.2006, leg. E. Gilasian.

Remarks. The females of M. velox are separated from those of other Merodon species by the following combination of characters: antenna black; flagellum almost 1.8 times longer than pedicel; longitudinal pollinose bands on scutum inconspicuous; legs predominantly black; abdomen black; tergite 2 with a pair of vague lateral orange maculae; tergites 2–4 with a pair of widely interrupted greyish pollinose fasciae. The male genitalia were illustrated by Hurkmans (1993). This species was collected in the eastern areas of Elburz Mountains, near the border with Turkmenistan. Prior to the present study, M. velox had only been collected from some parts of the Balkan Peninsula (former Yugoslavia; Greece, including Lesvos island) and Turkey (Ricarte et al. 2012; Speight 2016).