Merodon brevis Paramonov, 1925

Fig. 3

Examined material. IRAN, Ardabil province: 1 ♀, Neor Lake, south of Hir, 37°59′N 48°33′E, 2250 m, 1.vii.1997, leg. H. Barari / M. Mofidi ; Mazandaran province: 1 ♀, Sari, 36°33′N 53°03′E, 2200–2600 m, 13.vi.1970, leg. A. Pazuki.

Remarks. The females of M. brevis are distinguished from those of other Merodon species by the following combination of characters: scape and pedicel brown; flagellum orange, almost 1.8 times longer than wide and about 1.7 times longer than pedicel; frons and face with dense silvery pile; scutum with two longitudinal greyish bands of pollinosity and dense erect silvery pile; sparse pile on anterior anepisternum; legs predominantly black; mid coxa bare posteriorly; fore and mid tibiae yellowish-orange on basal half; hind tibia not broadened apically; tarsi yellowish-orange ventrally; abdomen narrow and black, abdominal tergites without lateral red or yellow maculae, tergites 2–4 with a pair of interrupted greyish pollinose fasciae. This species was collected in north and northwestern Iran, close to its type locality, in Armenia (Hurkmans 1993).