Medetera meridionalis Negrobov, 1967

Negrobov, Oleg P., 2010, Notes on the status of some species of the Medetera jacula group (Diptera: Dolichopodidae), Zootaxa 2417, pp. 66-68 : 66

Medetera meridionalis Negrobov, 1967

Negrobov, 1967: Ent. Obozr. 46(4): 903

Grichanov, 2002: Ent. Tidskr. 123(3): 120 (as synonym of Medetera jacula (Fallén, 1823) .

This species was described by Negrobov (1967) after a long series taken from the south of Russia (Voronezh, Rostov, Volgograd, Penza and Orenburg Provinces, Altay and Krasnodar Territories), the Ukraine (Odessa, Taganrog, Poltava and Lugansk Provinces, the Crimea), Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Kazakhstan. Grichanov (2002) synonymised M. meridionalis with M. jacula (Fallén, 1823) , a well-defined species and common throughout Europe, northern Africa and into the Ukraine and Russia. Within the key to Palaearctic species of the genus ( Negrobov and Stackelberg 1972), M. meridionalis runs to M. petrophila Kowarz, 1877 , M. jacula , M. armeniaca Negrobov, 1972 and M. petrophiloides Parent, 1925 , which differ from it by three brown and two light grey longitudinal mesonotal vittae. Medetera meridionalis and M. jacula can be distinguished by a short bristle found in front of the first strong presutural dorsocentral bristle on the anterior part of the mesonotum ( Figs. 11, 12 ). If you follow Grichanov's opinion concerning this feature, it would be logical to include in this synonymy M. petrophila , however, Grichanov maintained it as a separate species. In addition, M. meridionalis and M. jacula can also be distinguished by the size of the hypopygium and by its structures ( Figs. 1–12 ). In M. meridionalis the hypopygium is significantly larger (cf Figs. 1 and 3 ), surstyli are longer and narrower, apical parts of surstyli and cerci have different structures than M. jacula (cf Figs. 5, 7 and 6, 8 ). Also, there are some differences between these species in ecological preferences. Medetera meridionalis occurs in southern regions where this species is found in grass steppe areas lacking forests. Medetera jacula inhabits tree trunks and vertical wood surfaces of houses.

Figures

FIGURES 11 – 18. Dorsocentral bristles and male hypopygium, lateral view. 11. M. jacula. 12. M. meridionalis. 13. M. petrophiloides, surstylus. 14, M. petrophiloides. 15. M. petrophila, surstylus. 16. M. petrophila. 17. M. armeniaca, surstylus. 18. M. armeniaca. (from Negrobov & Stackelberg 1972, 1974).

FIGURES 1 – 10. Wings and male hypopygium, lateral view (except 9,10 - dorsal view). 1. M. meridionalis. 2. M. meridionalis. 3. M. jacula. 4. M. jacula. 5. M. jacula, surstylus. 6. M. meridionalis, surstyli. 7. M. jacula, cercus. 8. M. meridionalis, cercus. 9. M. jacula, surstylus. 10. M. meridionalis, cercus.