Merodon vittatus Vujić & Likov, 2021

Vujić, Ante, Radenković, Snežana, Zorić, Ljiljana Šašić, Likov, Laura, Tot, Tamara, Veselić, Sanja & Djan, Mihajla, 2021, Revision of the Merodon bombiformis group (Diptera: Syrphidae) - rare and endemic African hoverflies, European Journal of Taxonomy 755 (1), pp. 88-135 : 115-117

Merodon vittatus Vujić & Likov sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:591CEDD4-80E4-4978-B13E-3F66511C9026

Figs 1, 4C, 5C, 6C, 7D–F, 8B, 9C, 10C, 11C, 12C, 18C, 21E

Diagnosis

Brown, large (12 mm), striped species, with golden yellow pile on the tip of abdomen ( Fig. 5C); frons and postpronotum dark brown; scutum with five pollinose vittae ( Fig. 10C); metafemur with distinct apical thorn on triangular process ( Figs 6C, 8B); terga 3 and 4 with broad medial pollinose fasciae ( Fig. 5C). Similar to Merodon multifasciatus from which differs only in male genitalia with narrow, S-shaped posterior lobe of surstyle, gradually narrowing toward tip ( Fig. 7D: pl) (in M. multifasciatus broad, slightly curved, with almost parallel sides and rounded apex ( Fig. 13D: pl).

Etymology

The specific epithet ‘ vittatus ’ ‘wearing or carrying a vitta’, an adjective, refering to the broad golden gray fasciae on the terga 2–4.

Material examined

Holotype

GHANA • 1 ♂; Transvolta Togoland , Amedzofe; 6.853° N, 0.433° E; 2 Nov. 1959; N.D. Jago leg.; FSUNS ID 04085 ; NBCN.

Description

Length: large species, body 12 mm, wing 8.5 mm (n = 1).

Male

HEAD ( Figs 4C, 9C, 11C, 12C). Antenna ( Fig. 4C) reddish-yellow; pedicel elongated, approximately as long as basoflagellomere (relation scape:pedicel: basoflagellomere =1.0: 2.5: 2.5); basoflagellomere concave dorsally, with acute apex; arista yellow to reddish, thickened basally, 1.7 times as long as basoflagellomere. Face dark brown, covered with gray pollinosity and whitish pile, except on bare medial vitta that occupies ¼ width of face. Oral margin protruded ( Fig. 9C). Frons dark brown, inflated, covered with gray pollinosity and whitish pile. Vertical triangle isosceles ( Fig. 12C), reddish, covered with a long, whitish pile. Ocellar triangle equilateral. Eye pile dense, gray, slightly longer than scape. Eye contiguity about 15 ommatidia long. Occiput reddish-brown, pollinose, covered with a whitish pile.

THORAX ( Figs 6C, 8B, 10C). Mesonotum black, except lateral side of scutum including postpronotum, postalar callus, and posterior margin of scutellum red-brown; covered with grayish-yellow pile; scutum with five pollinose longitudinal vittae ( Fig. 10C). Pleuron black to dark brown, covered with gray pollinosity and the following parts with whitish to yellow pile: anterior part of proepimeron, posterior part of anterior anepisternum, most of the posterior anepisternum except anterior end, antero-ventral and postero-dorsal part of katepisternum and anepimeron. Wing hyaline, with dense microtrichia and yellow to brown veins. Calypter pale yellow. Halter with pale yellow pedicel and capitulum. All three femora dark brown; tibiae mostly reddish, medially dark brown; tarsi reddish ( Figs 6C, 8B). Metatrochanter without calcar. Metafemur moderately thickened, with less developed apicoventral triangular lamina, more or less dentate, the apical dens is distinct ( Figs 6C, 8B). Pile on legs predominantly whitish to yellow.

ABDOMEN ( Fig. 5C). Black to dark brown. Tergum 1 with gray pollinosity, covered with black basal sockets of pile and with short pale yellow pile; tergum 2 with pollinose posterior margin and narrow medial fascia, interrupted in the middle, covered with pale yellow pile; terga 3 and 4 with pollinose posterior margin and broad medial fasciae ( Fig. 5C); tergum 3 covered with pale yellow pile except anterior half with few short black pile; tergum 4 covered with long golden-yellow pilosity ( Fig. 5C). Sterna reddish-brown, covered with pale yellow pile.

GENITALIA ( Figs 7D–F, 18C). Posterior lobe of surstyle S-shaped, gradually narrowing toward tip ( Fig. 7D: pl); anterior margin of surstyle angular ( Fig. 7D: ams); cercus elongated ( Fig. 7D: c). Hypandrium with theca medially distinctly narrowed ( Fig. 7F). Lateral sclerite of aedeagus small ( Fig. 18C: s).

Female

Unknown.

Period of flight and distribution ( Fig. 1)

Only the holotype is known, which originated from Ghana and was collected in November. It was found in a deciduous forest-woodland savanna type of vegetation.