Large (8–11.9 mm), dark brown species with pairs of narrow microtrichose fasciae on terga 2–4 in males, in some specimens absent; metafemur with long pile on ventral margin; the longest pile as long as one third to half of width of metafemur (Fig. 8); apical part of anterior surstyle lobe rhomboid shape, covered with dense, short pile, and strong dark brown marginal pile on posterior surstyle lobe (Fig. 9A: al, J); females with very narrow microtrichose fasciae on terga 2–4 and sparse pilosity on ventral margin of metafemur, only with few longer pile. Similar to Merodon sacki but differs in a less curved metafemur and generally shorter body pile in males, clearly visible on tergum 4 (Fig. 10), and by well separated anterior and posterior surstyle lobe (Fig. 9A), almost fused in M. sacki (Fig. 9D). Related to M. sophron, but differs in more incrassate metafemur (Fig. 8A, D), longer pile on ventral margin of metafemur in both sexes (Fig. 8), and presence of dense, dark brown marginal pile on apical part of anterior surstyle lobe (Fig. 9A, J), less dense and light yellow in M. sophron (Fig. 9G, K) .

Figure 6. 

Male genitalia, surstylus, lateral view. A Merodon serrulatus, Spain B Merodon serrulatus, France C Merodon serrulatus, Greece (Pindos) D Merodon serrulatus, Greece (Olympos) E Merodon serrulatus, Greece (Peloponnese) F Merodon serrulatus, Montenegro G Merodon serrulatus, Russia H Merodon medium sp. nov. G, H margin of anterior surstyle lobe marked with arrow. Abbreviation: bp–basolateral protrusion. Scale bar: 0.2 mm.

Figure 7. 

Distribution map of Merodon serrulatus species group.

Figure 8. 

Metaleg, lateral view. A Merodon bequaerti, male B Merodon bequaerti, female C Merodon sacki, male D Merodon sophron, male. Scale bar: 2 mm.

Figure 9. 

Male genitalia. A Merodon bequaerti, epandrium, lateral view B Merodon bequaerti, epandrium, ventral view C Merodon bequaerti, hypandrium, lateral view D Merodon sacki, epandrium, lateral view E Merodon sacki, epandrium, ventral view F Merodon sacki, hypandrium, lateral view G Merodon sophron, epandrium, lateral view H Merodon sophron, epandrium, ventral view I Merodon sophron, hypandrium, lateral view J Merodon bequaerti, anterior surstyle lobe, lateral view K Merodon sophron, anterior surstyle lobe, lateral view. Abbreviations: al–anterior surstyle lobe, bp–basolateral protrusion, l–lingula, pl–posterior surstyle lobe. Scale bar: 0.2 mm.

Figure 10. 

Abdomen of males. A Merodon bequaerti, dorsal view B Merodon bequaerti, lateral view C Merodon sacki, dorsal view D Merodon sacki, lateral view. Scale bar: 2 mm.

(based on the type material and additional specimens). Male. Head. Antennae black to dark brown; basoflagellomere 1.7–2.1 times as long as wide, and 2.3 times as long as pedicel, concave dorsally with acute apex; fossette dorsolateral (Fig. 11); arista dark and thickened at basal one third, covered with dense microtrichia; arista 1.4–1.7 times as long as basoflagellomere (Fig. 11A, B); face and frons black with gray microtrichia, face covered with dense whitish gray, and frons with yellowish gray pile; oral margin shiny with microtrichose lateral areas; lunule shiny black, bare; eye contiguity 10–12 facets long; vertex isosceles, shiny covered with golden microtrichia in front of ocellar triangle; vertex with long, pale whitish yellow pile mixed with black pile on the ocellar triangle; ocellar triangle equilateral; occiput shiny, with gray-yellow pile, covered with a dense, gray microtrichia in ventral half; eyes covered with dense pile.

Figure 11. 

Antenna. A Merodon bequaerti, outer side, lateral view, male B Merodon bequaerti, inner side, lateral view, male C Merodon bequaerti, outer side, lateral view, female D Merodon sacki, outer side, lateral view, male E Merodon sacki, inner side, lateral view, male F Merodon sacki, dorsal view, male G Merodon sophron, outer side, lateral view, male H Merodon sophron, inner side, lateral view, male I Merodon sophron, outer side, lateral view, female. Scale bar: 1 mm.

Thorax. Scutum and scutellum black with bronze luster, covered with dense, erect, yellow pile; scutum at wing basis with short black pile, in some specimens with fascia of black pile between wing basis; scutum with two or more microtrichose vittae, anteriorly connected and posteriorly reaching the scutellum; posterodorsal part of anterior anepisternum, posterior anepisternum (except anteroventral angle), anterior anepimeron, dorsomedial anepimeron, and posterodorsal and anteroventral parts of katepisternum with long, pale yellow pile and grayish microtrichia; wings entirely covered with microtrichia; wing veins brown; calypteres and halteres pale yellow; legs without spinae or other protuberances; legs mostly black, except brown tarsi ventrally in some specimens; pile on legs pale yellow, except black pile at apical one fourth of metafemur; metafemur curved and incrassate, ca. three times longer than wide; pile on postero- and anteroventral surface long, and ca. one third to half of width of metafemur, slightly longer than pile on dorsal margin (Fig. 8A).

Abdomen. Wide, tapering, 1.2 times longer than mesonotum; terga dark brown to black, with or without pairs of narrow microtrichose fasciae; tergum 2 with orange lateral maculae; pile on terga all yellow, except few black pile on medial part of terga 3 and 4 in some specimens (Fig. 10A, B); sterna dark brown, covered with long whitish/yellow pile.

Male genitalia. Apical part of anterior surstyle lobe rhomboid shape, 1.5 times longer than wide, covered with dense, short pile, and strong dark brown marginal pile (Fig. 9A: al, J); posterior surstyle lobe oval (Fig. 9A: pl) with basolateral protrusion (lateral hump) (Fig. 9A, B: bp); hypandrium sickle-shaped, without lateral projections; lingula small (Fig. 9C: l).

Female. Similar to the male except for normal sexual dimorphism and for the following characteristics: antennae with rounded tip, basoflagellomere 1.7–1.9 times longer than wide (Fig. 11C); frons with microtrichose vittae along eye margins; frons covered with pilosity of variable color, from mostly gray-yellow until predominantly black; ocellar triangle covered with black pile; ventral margin of metafemur with sparse pilosity, only few pile longer (Fig. 8B); lateral side of terga, anterior two third of tergum 2 and all tergum 5 with yellow pile; terga 2–4 with short adpressed black pile and with very narrow microtrichose fascia.

Merodon bequaerti is distributed in north-western Africa (Algeria, Libya, Morocco, and Tunisia) (Fig. 7).

Preferred environment: unimproved montane grassland, including open, grassy areas in pine forest or Mediterranean scrub. Flowers visited: no data. Flight period: February-June.

Holotype [original designation by Hurkmans (1993: 194)]: male. Original label: “Merodon bequaerti / spec. nov. HOLOTYPE / ♂. W. Hurkmans 1988.” [red label handwritten], “Merodon / parietum / Mg ♂” [label handwritten], “Noiseux Oran / Algeria / Dr. J. Bequaert” “23-IV-l0” [handwritten on the back side] (MNHN) (See Supplementary file 1: Figure 1A). Paratype: female. Same label data as holotype (MNHN) (studied).

Algeria • 1 ♂; Kabylie, Tikjda; 36°27'00"N, 4°07'60"E; 28 Jun. 1954; NBCN • 1 ♂; Jijel, Oued el Kebir; 36°35'22"N, 6°16'16"E; 20 May 1981; NBCN • 1 ♂; Jijel, Foce Oued El Kebir; 36°35'45"N, 6°15'29"E; 20 May 1981; I. Aslan leg.; NBCN 05636 • 1 ♀; El Kseur, Akfadou; 36°37'60"N, 4°36'00"E; 22–23 May 1981; NBCN 04079.

Libya • 1 ♀; Tripolitania, Garian; 32°10'46"N, 13°01'53"E; “2.500 feet” [760 m a.s.l.]; 22 Feb. 1954; K. M. Guichard leg.; NHMUK 04353.

Morocco • 1 ♂; Moyen Atlas, Azrou; 33°25'48"N, 5°12'36"W; 15 Jun. 1928; R. Benoist leg.; MNHN 22623 • 8 ♂♂; Mountain de Beni-Snassen 2; 34°48'43"N, 2°24'08"W; 29 Apr. 2013; A. Vujić, S. Radenković leg.; FSUNS Đ13, Đ14, Đ16 to Đ21.

Tunisia • 1 ♂; Jundubah, 40 km W from Jendouba; 36°31'54"N, 8°28'25"E; 17 May 1988; ZMUC 02497 • 1 ♂; same data as for preceding; 36°34'33"N, 9°02'12"E; ZMUC 02498.

Medium sized (7.6–10.9 mm), dark species with olive-brown reflection; antennae dark brown; legs mostly black; basoflagellomere elongated (in males 1.8 times as long as wide) obviously concave dorsally; arista short, 1.6–1.8 times as long as basoflagellomere (Fig. 12J, K); terga dark brown to black, except pale yellow-orange lateral maculae on tergum 2; metafemur incrassate, ventrally covered with pilosity of medium length (Fig. 13E); male genitalia: posterior surstyle lobe with very small lateral hump (Fig. 14A, B: bp); apical part of anterior surstyle lobe triangular (Fig. 14A: al); lingula medium sized (Fig. 14D: l). Similar to Merodon serrulatus from which differs in reduced lateral hump on posterior surstyle lobe (Fig. 14A, B: bp) (in M. serrulatus distinct, Fig. 1A, B: bp, 14C: bp). Morphologically related to M. opacus sp. nov. and M. hirsutus from which can be distinguished by the presence of yellow-orange lateral maculae on tergum 2 (in M. opacus sp. nov. and M. hirsutus tergum 2 dark). Additionally, differing from M. hirsutus by shorter dorsolateral pile on metafemur (Fig. 13E) and posterior surstyle lobe with very small lateral hump (Fig. 14A, B: bp), well developed in M. hirsutus (Fig. 14E, F: bp) and M. opacus sp. nov. (14H, I: bp).

Figure 12. 

Antenna. A Merodon opacus sp. nov., outer side, lateral view, male B Merodon opacus sp. nov., inner side, lateral view, male C Merodon opacus sp. nov., dorsal view, male D Merodon opacus sp. nov., outer side, lateral view, female E Merodon opacus sp. nov., inner side, lateral view, female F Merodon opacus sp. nov., dorsal view, female G Merodon disjunctus sp. nov., outer side, lateral view, male H Merodon disjunctus sp. nov., inner side, lateral view, male I Merodon disjunctus sp. nov., outer side, lateral view, female J Merodon defectus sp. nov., outer side, lateral view, male K Merodon defectus sp. nov., outer side, lateral view, female. Scale bar: 1 mm.

Figure 13. 

Metaleg, lateral view. A Merodon opacus sp. nov., male B Merodon opacus sp. nov., female C Merodon hirsutus, male D Merodon hirsutus, female E Merodon defectus sp. nov., male. Scale bar: 2 mm.

Figure 14. 

Male genitalia. A Merodon defectus sp. nov., epandrium, lateral view B Merodon defectus sp. nov., epandrium, ventral view C Merodon serrulatus, epandrium, ventral view D Merodon defectus sp. nov., hypandrium, lateral view E Merodon hirsutus, epandrium, lateral view F Merodon hirsutus, epandrium, ventral view G Merodon hirsutus, hypandrium, lateral view, H Merodon opacus sp. nov., epandrium, lateral view I Merodon opacus sp. nov., epandrium, ventral view J Merodon opacus sp. nov., hypandrium, lateral view. Abbreviations: al–anterior surstyle lobe, bp–basolateral protrusion, c–cercus, l–lingula, pl–posterior surstyle lobe. Scale bar: 0.2 mm.

Figure 15. 

Abdomen, dorsal view. A Merodon disjunctus sp. nov., male B Merodon defectus sp. nov., female. Scale bar: 2 mm.

Male. Head. Antennae black to dark brown; basoflagellomere elongated, 1.8 times as long as wide, and 2.3 times as long as pedicel, concave dorsally with acute apex; dorsolateral fossette large; arista dark brown and thickened at basal one third, covered with dense microtrichia, 1.6–1.8 times as long as basoflagellomere (Fig. 12J); face black with gray microtrichia, covered with whitish pile; oral margin microtrichose, with small, shiny, lateral bare area; lunule shiny black; frons microtrichose, with yellowish gray pile; eye contiguity ca. eight facets long; vertex isosceles, with long, pale whitish yellow pile, mixed with black pile on the ocellar triangle; ocellar triangle isosceles (Fig. 16C); occiput shiny, with gray-yellow pile; eyes covered with dense pile; vertical triangle: eye contiguity: frons = 3 : 1 : 3.

Figure 16. 

Head of male. A Merodon disjunctus sp. nov., lateral view B Merodon disjunctus sp. nov., dorsal view C Merodon defectus sp. nov., dorsal view. Scale bar: 2 mm.

Thorax. Scutum and scutellum black with bronze luster, covered with dense, erect, yellow pile; scutum at wing basis with short black pile and some black pile between wing basis, from few ones to fascia of black pilosity in some specimens; scutum usually with two or more microtrichose vittae, anteriorly connected and posteriorly reaching the scutellum; scutum dull; posterodorsal part of anterior anepisternum, posterior anepisternum (except anteroventral angle), anterior anepimeron, dorsomedial anepimeron, and posterodorsal and anteroventral parts of katepisternum with long, pale yellow pile and grayish microtrichia; wings entirely covered with microtrichia; wing veins brown; calypteres yellowish; halteres brown-yellow; legs mostly black, except brown tarsi ventrally in some specimens; pile on legs gray-yellow; metafemur moderately incrassate, ca. three times longer than wide; pile on postero- and anteroventral surface of medium length; pile on dorsolateral surface dense and length ca. one third to one fourth of width of metafemur (Fig. 13E).

Abdomen. Tapering, 1.2 times longer than mesonotum; terga dark brown to black, except pale yellow-orange lateral maculae on tergum 2; terga 2–4 each with a pair of white microtrichose, oblique fasciae (on tergum 2 triangular); pile on terga long, yellow, except some black pile on terga 3 and 4 medially; sterna dark brown, covered with long whitish yellow pile.

Male genitalia. Apical part of anterior surstyle lobe triangular, ca. two times longer than wide, covered with dense, short pile (Fig. 14A: al); posterior surstyle lobe with very small basolateral protrusion (Fig. 14A, B: bp); hypandrium sickle-shaped, without lateral projections; lingula medium size (Fig. 14D: l).

Female. Similar to the male except for normal sexual dimorphism and for the following characteristics: basoflagellomere ca. two times longer than wide (Fig. 12K), fossette dorsal; frons with broad microtrichose vittae along eye margins; frons covered with pilosity of variable color, from mostly gray-yellow to predominantly black; ocellar triangle covered with black pile; terga with whitish pile, except terga 2–5 medially with short black pile; microtrichose fasciae on terga 3 and 4 conspicuous (Fig. 15C).

Latin adjective defectus (reduced in size, smaller) refers to small basolateral protrusion (lateral hump) on posterior surstyle lobe.

Merodon defectus sp. nov. has been identified in western Turkey (Fig. 7).

Preferred environment: forest/open ground; thermophilous and evergreen Quercus forest; Castanea forest, dry Pinus forest; unimproved grassland and tracksides; coniferous forest with some yellow flowers along a stream [Reemer and Smit (2007) refer to this last observation as being Merodon alexeji Paramonov, 1925]. Flowers visited: Ornithogalum spp., Potentilla spp., and Thymus spp. Flight period: May-July.

Holotype. Turkey • ♂; Bozdağ mountain, Near Bozdağ; 38°22'28"N, 28°04'38"E; 1140 m a.s.l.; 7 Jun. 2014; A. Vujić, J. Ačanski leg.; FSUNS 06950. Original label: “HOLOTYPE of Merodon / defectus Vujić, Likov et / Radenković sp.n. 2019” [red label], “Turkey, Bozdağ Mountain, / near Bozdağ 7/6/2014 / 38.374523 28.077339 1140m / Leg. Vujić, Ačanski”, “AU305”, “06950” (See Supplementary file 2: Figure 2A). Paratypes. Turkey • 1 ♂; Muğla, 14 km NE from Ağla, Lake Kartar; 37°01'50"N, 28°45'09"E; 1600 m a.s.l.; 31 May 2000; J. T. Smit leg.; J. T. S. coll. 04066 [published in Reemer and Smit (2007) under name Merodon alexeji] • 1 ♀; Muğla, 14 km NE from Ağla, Lake Kartar; 37°01'50"N, 28°45'09"E; 1600 m a.s.l.; 31 May 2000; J. T. Smit leg.; J. T. S. coll. 04067 [published in Reemer and Smit (2007) under name Merodon alexeji] • 4 ♀♀; Isparta, Yenişarbademli, Melikler Yaylası 2; 37°41'38"N, 31°17'56"E; 1770 m a.s.l.; 21 Jun. 2016; R. Hayat, A. Vujić, O. Demirözer, J. Ačanski leg.; EMIT 12301 to 12304 • 1 ♂; Babadağ, Near Denizli valley I; 37°41'43"N, 28°59'35"E; 1870 m a.s.l.; 5 Jul. 2015; A. Vujić, S. Radenković, J. Ačanski, S. Gökhan, N. Veličković leg.; FSUNS 09774 • 2 ♀♀; Babadağ, Near Denizli valley I; 37°41'43"N, 28°59'35"E; 1870 m a.s.l.; 5 Jul. 2015; A. Vujić, S. Radenković, J. Ačanski, S. Gökhan, N. Veličković leg.; FSUNS 09773, 09775 • 3 ♂♂; Isparta, Yenişarbademli, Melikler Yaylası; 37°41'52"N, 31°17'39"E; 1730 m a.s.l.; 30 Jun. 2015; A. Vujić, R. Hayat, O. Dermirözer, A. Uzal leg.; EMIT 09953 to 09955 • 3 ♀♀; Isparta, Yenişarbademli, Melikler Yaylası; 37°41'52"N, 31°17'39"E; 1730 m a.s.l.; 30 Jun. 2015; A. Vujić, R. Hayat, O. Demirözer, A. Uzal leg.; EMIT 09952, 09956, 09957 • 8 ♂♂; Isparta, Yenişarbademli, Melikler Yaylası 1; 37°41'52"N, 31°17'39"E; 1730 m a.s.l.; 21 Jun. 2016; R. Hayat, A. Vujić, O. Demirözer, J. Ačanski leg.; EMIT 12249 to 12251, 12256, 12257, 12260, 12264 • 9 ♀♀; Isparta, Yenişarbademli, Melikler Yaylası 1; 37°41'52"N, 31°17'39"E; 1730 m a.s.l.; 21 Jun. 2016; R. Hayat, A. Vujić, O. Demirözer, J. Ačanski leg.; EMIT 12253 to 12255, 12258, 12259, 12261 to 12263, 12265 • 3 ♀♀; Babadağ, Near Denizli on the top; 37°42'33"N, 28°59'23"E; 2060 m a.s.l.; 5 Jul. 2015; A. Vujić, S. Radenković, J. Ačanski, S. Gökhan, N. Veličković leg.; FSUNS 09769, 09770, 09772 • 1 ♀; Bozdağ mountain, Near Bozdağ; 38°19'58"N, 28°06'35"E; 1570 m a.s.l.; 7 Jun. 2014; A. Vujić, J. Ačanski leg.; FSUNS 06931 • 8 ♂♂; Bozdağ mountain, Near Bozdağ; 38°20'50"N, 28°04'08"E; 1170 m a.s.l.; 7 Jun. 2014; A. Vujić, J. Ačanski leg.; FSUNS 06952, 06953, 06956, 06957, 06959 to 06962 • 6 ♀♀; Bozdağ mountain, Near Bozdağ; 38°20'50"N 28°04'08"E; 1170 m a.s.l.; 7 Jun. 2014; A. Vujić, J. Ačanski leg.; FSUNS 06954, 06955, 06958, 06963 to 06965 • 1 ♂; Balıkesir, Edremit-Akçay; 39°40'40"N, 26°54'09"E; 27 Jul. 2015; J. Devalez leg.; MAegean 10131.

Medium sized (8.5–10.8 mm), dark, olive-brown species, covered with pale yellow pile; males with dichoptic eyes, separated by a distance of 3–5 facets (Fig. 16B); terga 2–4 with pairs of white microtrichose fasciae, differently developed (from conspicuous to vague) (Fig. 15A); in male basoflagellomere short, 1.2 times longer than wide, with large fossette extending to the apex of basoflagellomere (Fig. 12G–I).

Male. Head. Antennae black; basoflagellomere short, 1.2 times as long as wide, and ca. 1.7 times as long as pedicel, and with rounded apex; large fossette dorsomedial and dorsolateral including apex of basoflagellomere (Fig. 12G); arista black and thickened at basal one third, covered with dense microtrichia, 1.5 times as long as basoflagellomere (Fig. 12G–H); face and frons black with gray microtrichia; face covered with dense whitish gray, while frons with mostly black pile (Fig. 16A); oral margin shiny, with lateral microtrichose area; lunule shiny black, bare; eye dichoptic, separated by distance of 3–5 facets (Fig. 16B); vertex isosceles, covered with dark gray microtrichia and long, black pile; ocellar triangle equilateral; occiput shiny covered with black pile in upper half, ventrally with gray-yellow pile and dense, gray microtrichia; eyes covered with dense pile.

Thorax. Scutum and scutellum dull, with bronze luster, covered with dense, erect, yellowish pile, except posterior half medially with few to many black pile intermixed; in some specimens scutellum with few black pile; scutum with indistinct microtrichose vittae (Fig. 17A); posterodorsal part of anterior anepisternum, posterior anepisternum (except anteroventral angle), anterior anepimeron, dorsomedial anepimeron, and posterodorsal and anteroventral parts of katepisternum with long, dark gray pile and grayish microtrichia; wings entirely covered with microtrichia; wing veins yellow-brown; calypteres and halteres whitish yellow; legs black, except yellow-brown tarsi, tip of femora and basal part of tibiae; pile on legs mostly yellowish; metafemur moderate incrassate, ca. five times longer than wide; pile on postero- and anteroventral surface long, ca. half to two thirds of width of metafemur, as same length as pile dorsally (Fig. 17B).

Figure 17. 

Merodon disjunctus sp. nov. A thorax, dorsal view, male B metaleg, lateral view, male C metaleg, lateral view, female. Scale bar: 2 mm.

Abdomen. Tapering, ca. 1.2 times longer than mesonotum; terga dark brown to black, except for a pair of yellow-orange, triangular, lateral maculae on tergum 2; terga 2–4 with conspicuous or with trace of white microtrichose pair of fasciae (variable character); pile on terga mostly yellow, except terga 3 and 4 medially with black pile; sterna dark brown to black, covered with long whitish pile.

Male genitalia. Apical part of anterior surstyle lobe rhomboid in shape, ca. 1.5 times longer than wide, covered with dense, short pile (Fig. 18A: al); posterior surstyle lobe oval with basolateral protrusion (lateral hump) (Fig. 18A, B: bp); hypandrium sickle-shaped, without lateral projections; lingula medium sized (Fig. 18C: l).

Figure 18. 

Male genitalia. A Merodon disjunctus sp. nov., epandrium, lateral view B Merodon disjunctus sp. nov., epandrium, ventral view C Merodon disjunctus sp. nov., hypandrium, lateral view D Merodon kawamurae, epandrium, lateral view E Merodon kawamurae, epandrium, ventral view F Merodon kawamurae, hypandrium, lateral view. Abbreviations: al–anterior surstyle lobe, bp–basolateral protrusion, l–lingula, pl–posterior surstyle lobe, s–lateral sclerite of aedeagus. Scale bar: 0.2 mm.

Female. Similar to the male except for normal sexual dimorphism and for the following characteristics: basoflagellomere 1.6–1.8 times longer than wide, fossette large, dorsolateral (Fig. 12I); frons mostly microtrichose and predominantly covered with black pile; ocellar triangle covered with black pile; microtrichose fasciae on terga 3 and 4 conspicuous.

The name derives from the Latin adjective disjunctus meaning separated, disconnected which pertains to the dichoptic eyes in the males.

Merodon disjunctus sp. nov. has so far only been recorded in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan (Fig. 7).

Preferred environment: no data. Flowers visited: no data. Flight period: May-July.

Holotype. Kyrgyzstan • ♂; Talassky Mt.R, Ara Bijik rav., 13 km NNE Majdantal Pass; 42°22'00"N, 70°00'00"E; 2700 m a.s.l.; 4 Jul. 1988; Milko leg.; SZMN 05847. Original label: “HOLOTYPE of Merodon / disjunctus Vujić, Likov et / Radenković sp.n. 2019” [red label], “NW KIRG., Talassky Mt.R, / Ara Bijik rav., 13 km NNE / Majdantal Pass ~2700 m / 42°22’N 70°57’E / 04.07.1998 D. Milko leg.”, “05847” (See Supplementary file 2: Figure 2B). Paratypes. Kazakhstan • 1 ♂; Ketmen, Mt. Kirgyzsay; 43°16'60"N, 79°31'00"E; 2200 m a.s.l.; 3 Jun. 2001; M. Hauser leg.; M. H. coll. 02470 • 2 ♂♂; Ketmen, Mt. Kirgyzsay; 43°16'60"N, 79°31'00"E; 1800 m a.s.l.; 1–3 Jun. 2001; M. Hauser leg.; M. H. coll. 02467, 02472 • 1 ♀; Almaty, Charyn; 43°46'58"N, 79°23'24"E; 20 May 2003; A. Selin leg.; S. K. coll. 03971 • 2 ♀♀; Kyzyltchy; 46°03'31"N, 80°43'10"E; 21 May 2004; A. Selin leg.; S. K. coll. 03970, 02460 • 1 ♂; Kyzyltchy; 46°03'31"N, 80°43'10"E; 21 May 2004; A. Selin leg.; S. K. coll. 02461 • 1 ♂; Talasskip hr., R. Kara-Bura; 1600 m a.s.l.; 18 Jul. 1968; Pek leg.; SZMN 05815.

Kyrgyzstan • 1 ♂; Tchatkal Valley, 4 SW Ajgyr-Dzhal vill.; 41°42'00"N, 70°57'00"E; 1800 m a.s.l.; 12 Jul. 1998; Milko leg.; SZMN 05848 • 1 ♂; Issyk Kul, Chong Kemin-Tal; 42°40'60"N, 75°55'00"E; 1350 m a.s.l.; 3 Jun. 1998; M. Kraus M. leg.; NBCN 02468 • 1 ♀; Issyk Kul, Chong Kemin-Tal; 42°42'00"N, 75°54'00"E; 1350 m a.s.l.; 3 Jun. 1998; M. Kraus leg.; NBCN 02464 • 1 ♂; Issyk Kul, Chong Kemin-Tal; 42°42'00"N, 75°54'00"E; 1350 m a.s.l.; 3 Jun. 1998; M. Kraus leg.; NBCN 02469.

Medium sized (8.1–10.4 mm), dark species with olive-brown reflection; antennae dark brown; legs mostly black; basoflagellomere elongated (ca. two times as long as wide) obviously concave dorsally; arista 1.6–1.7 times as long as basoflagellomere (Fig. 19A–D); terga dark brown to black; metafemur incrassate, covered with short pilosity ventrally, and with long pile on dorsolateral surface (Fig. 13C); male genitalia: posterior surstyle lobe with lateral hump (Fig. 14E, F: bp); apical part of anterior surstyle lobe rhomboid (Fig. 14E: al); lingula large (Fig. 14G: l). Similar to Merodon serrulatus from which differs in dark tergum 2 (in M. serrulatus with small pale lateral maculae, at least in females). Morphologically related to M. opacus sp. nov. from which can be distinguished by longer dorsolateral and ventral pile on metafemur (Fig. 13C) and longer pile on terga (Fig. 21F, G); females with mostly shiny frons (Fig. 20B) (in M. opacus sp. nov. dull, covered with dense microtrichia).

Figure 19. 

Antenna. A Merodon hirsutus, outer side, lateral view, male B Merodon hirsutus, inner side, lateral view, male C Merodon hirsutus, dorsal view, male D Merodon hirsutus, outer side, lateral view, female E Merodon kawamurae, outer side, lateral view, male F Merodon kawamurae, inner side, lateral view, male G Merodon kawamurae, dorsal view, male H Merodon kawamurae, outer side, lateral view, female I Merodon medium sp. nov., outer side, lateral view, male J Merodon medium sp. nov., outer side, lateral view, female. Scale bar: 1 mm.

(based on lectotype and additional specimens from the type locality, Syria, and Israel). Male. Head. Antennae black to dark brown; basoflagellomere elongated ca. two times as long as wide, and 2.2–2.5 times as long as pedicel, concave dorsally with acute apex; large fossette dorsolateral and dorsomedial; arista dark and thickened at basal one third, covered with dense microtrichia, 1.6–1.7 times as long as basoflagellomere (Fig. 19A–C); face black with gray microtrichia, covered with whitish pile; frons mostly shiny, with yellowish gray pile; oral margin microtrichose, with small, shiny lateral area; lunule shiny black, bare; eye contiguity 12–14 facets long; vertex isosceles, with long, pale whitish yellow pile, mixed with black pile on the ocellar triangle; ocellar triangle equilateral; occiput with gray-yellow pile; eyes covered with dense pile (Fig. 20A); vertical triangle: eye contiguity: frons = 1.4 : 1 : 2 .

Figure 20. 

Head, dorsal view. A Merodon hirsutus, male B Merodon hirsutus, female C Merodon opacus sp. nov., male. Scale bar: 2 mm.

Thorax. Scutum and scutellum black with bronze luster, covered with dense, erect, yellow pile; scutum at wing basis with short black pile; scutum usually with two or more microtrichose vittae, anteriorly connected and posteriorly reaching the scutellum; scutum dull; posterodorsal part of anterior anepisternum, posterior anepisternum (except anteroventral angle), anterior anepimeron, dorsomedial anepimeron, and posterodorsal and anteroventral parts of katepisternum with long, pale yellow pile and grayish microtrichia; wings entirely covered with microtrichia; wing veins brown; calypteres and halteres yellowish; legs mostly black, except brown tarsi ventrally in some specimens; pile on legs pale yellow, except black pile at apical one third of metafemur; metafemur moderately incrassate, ca. three times longer than wide; pile on postero- and anteroventral surface very short; pile on dorsolateral surface long and dense ca. as half of width of metafemur (Fig. 13C).

Abdomen. Tapering, ca. 1.2 times longer than mesonotum; terga dark; terga 2–4 each with a pair of white microtrichose, wide, oblique fasciae (on tergum 2 triangular); pile on terga long, all yellow (Fig. 21F); sterna dark brown, covered with long whitish yellow pile.

Male genitalia. Apical part of anterior surstyle lobe rhomboid shape, ca. two times longer than wide, covered with short pile (Fig. 14E: al); posterior surstyle lobe oval with basolateral protrusion (lateral hump) (Fig. 14E, F: bp); hypandrium sickle-shaped, without lateral projections; lingula large (Fig. 14G: l).

Female. Similar to the male except for normal sexual dimorphism and for the following characteristics: antennae with rounded tip, basoflagellomere 1.8–2 times longer than wide, fossette dorsolateral (Fig. 19D); frons with narrow microtrichose vittae along eye margins; frons covered with variable pilosity, from mostly gray-yellow to predominantly black; ocellar triangle covered with black pile; metafemur with shorter pile on dorsolateral surface (Fig. 13D); terga mostly with yellowish pile on tergum 2 and with whitish pile on terga 3–5, except terga 2–4 medially with short black pile; microtrichose fasciae on terga 3 and 4 narrower (Fig. 21F, G).

Figure 21. 

Abdomen. A Merodon opacus sp. nov., dorsal view, male B Merodon opacus sp. nov., dorsal view, female C Merodon opacus sp. nov., lateral view, male D Merodon opacus sp. nov., lateral view, female E Merodon hirsutus, lateral view, male F Merodon hirsutus, dorsal view, female G Merodon hirsutus, lateral view, female. Scale bar: 2 mm.

Merodon hirsutus is distributed in Israel, Syria, and south-eastern Turkey (Fig. 7).

Preferred environment: no data. Flowers visited: no data. Flight period: March-June.

Described by Sack (1913: 435) based on unspecified number of specimens. Lectotype [designated by Hurkmans (1993)]: male, “Jebel al Aqra [35° 35’ N, 36° 15’ E] vi.85 [1885], N. Syria, Dr. E. Leuthner / Lampetia hirsuta Sack det. Sack” (NHMW) (studied).

Israel • 1 ♀; Hefa, “Ma`yan Zevi” [Ma Yan Zevi]; 32°34'00"N, 34°55'60"E; 17 Apr. 1980; TAUI 04162.

Syria • 1 ♂; Jebel al Aqra; 35°55'18"N, 35°57'51"E; Jun. 1985; D. F. Leuthner leg.; NHMW 02479.

Turkey • 1 ♂; İçel, İcel-Taşucu, Silifke; 36°22'17"N, 33°54'54"E; 300 m a.s.l.; 17 Mar. 1984; FSUNS 04161 • 1 ♀; Erdemli; 36°44'59"N, 34°11'51"E; 8 Jun. 2008; Skorpik leg.; MNHN 17917 • 3 ♀♀; Pozantı-Tekir; 37°31'05"N, 34°47'42"E; 6 Jun. 2008; M. Kafka leg.; M. B. coll. 17918 to 17920 • 1 ♀; Kahramanmaraş, Andırın, Beyoluğu village; 37°45'00"N, 36°17'00"E; 1400 m a.s.l.; 7 Jun. 2002; S. Sarıbıyık leg.; S. S. coll. 02482 • 3 ♂♂; same data as for preceding; S. S. coll. 17910 to 17912 • 2 ♀♀; Kahramanmaraş, Andırın, Çiğşar village; 37°45'00"N 36°18'00"E; 1400 m a.s.l.; 7 Jun. 2002; S. Sarıbıyık leg.; S. S. coll. 17914, 17916 • 2 ♂♂; same data as for preceding; S. S. coll. 17913, 17915.

Medium sized (7.7–11.2 mm), with olive-brown reflection; antennae reddish brown; body pile predominantly pale, except some black pile on vertex and terga 2–4 medially; basoflagellomere short, ca. 1.2 times as long as wide, with large dorsal to dorsolateral fossette, and short arista (Fig. 19E–H); tergum 2 with reddish yellow lateral maculae; tergum 3 laterally reddish or brown; metafemur incrassate with long pilosity as long as half of width of metafemur in male and as one third of width of metafemur in female (Fig. 22A, B); male genitalia: posterior surstyle lobe with small lateral hump (Fig. 18E: bp); apical part of anterior surstyle lobe rhomboid (Fig. 18D: al); lingula large (Fig. 18F: l), lateral sclerite of aedeagus elongated (Fig. 18F: s).

Figure 22. 

A, B metaleg, C, D metatrochanter, metafemur and metatibia, lateral view. A Merodon kawamurae, male B Merodon kawamurae, female C Merodon medium sp. nov., male D Merodon medium sp. nov., female. Scale bar: 2 mm.

(based on the types of Merodon micromegas and additional material from China). Male. Head. Antennae reddish brown; basoflagellomere short, ca. 1.2 times as long as wide, and ca. two times as long as pedicel, straight dorsally with acute apex; dorsal to dorsolateral fossette large; arista reddish brown and thickened at basal one third, covered with dense microtrichia, ca. 1.3 times as long as basoflagellomere (Fig. 19E–G); face and frons black with gray microtrichia, face covered with dense whitish, and frons with yellowish white pile; lunule shiny black, bare; vertex isosceles, dull, in front of anterior ocellus covered with dense microtrichia; vertex with long, pale yellow pile, in some specimens mixed with black or dark gray pile on the ocellar triangle; ocellar triangle isosceles; eyes covered with dense pile; occiput with gray-yellow pile, ventrally covered with a dense, gray microtrichia; eye contiguity ca. ten facets long; vertical triangle: eye contiguity: frons = 2.5 : 1 : 2.5.

Thorax. Scutum and scutellum black with bronze luster, covered with dense, erect yellow pile; scutum usually with indistinct microtrichose vittae; posterodorsal part of anterior anepisternum, posterior anepisternum (except anteroventral angle), anterior anepimeron, dorsomedial anepimeron, and posterodorsal and anteroventral parts of katepisternum with long, dense pale yellow pile and grayish microtrichia; wings entirely covered with microtrichia; wing veins reddish brown; calypteres and halteres pale yellow; legs mostly black, except tip of femora and basal part of tibiae and brown tarsi ventrally; pile on legs pale yellow; metafemur incrassate and curved, ca. three times longer than wide; long pile on postero- and anteroventral surface ca. as half of width of metafemur, approximately the same length as pile on dorsal surface (Fig. 22A).

Abdomen. Broad, tapering, 1.2 times longer than mesonotum; terga dark, except for a pair of reddish yellow, triangular, lateral maculae on tergum 2 (and in some specimen on 3); terga 2–4 each with a pair of white microtrichose, wide, usually oblique fasciae; pile on terga all yellow, except black pile on tergum 3 medially, and on tergum 2 posteriorly and tergum 4 anteriorly in some specimens (Fig. 23E); sterna dark brown, covered with long whitish yellow pile.

Figure 23. 

Body parts, dorsal view. A Merodon trianguloculus sp. nov., thorax, male B Merodon trianguloculus sp. nov., thorax, female C Merodon trianguloculus sp. nov., abdomen, male D Merodon trianguloculus sp. nov., abdomen, female E Merodon kawamurae, abdomen, male F Merodon kawamurae, abdomen, female. Scale bar: 2 mm.

Male genitalia. Apical part of anterior surstyle lobe rhomboid shape, covered with dense, short pile (Fig. 18D: al); posterior surstyle lobe oval with small basolateral protrusion (lateral hump) (Fig. 18E: bp); hypandrium sickle-shaped, without lateral projections; lingula large (Fig. 18F: l); lateral sclerite of aedeagus elongated (Fig. 18F: s).

Female. Similar to the male except for normal sexual dimorphism and for the following characteristics: antennae with rounded tip, fossette dorsolateral (Fig. 19D); frons microtrichose, covered with mostly gray-yellow pile; ocellar triangle covered with black pile; long pile on postero- and anteroventral surface ca. as half of width of metafemur (Fig. 22B); microtrichose fasciae on terga 2–4 narrower (Fig. 23F).

Merodon kawamurae is known from Japan and China (Fig. 7). This is the only species of the genus Merodon in eastern Palaearctic.

Preferred environment: no data. Flowers visited: no data. Flight period: April-May.

Merodon kawamurae was described after an unknown number of specimens from Kumamoto, Kyushu, Japan, leg. Kawamura. Matsumura’s type material is held at the Hokkaido University, Department for Systematic Entomology, at Sapporo, Japan, but the type material was inaccessible for this study.

Merodon micromegas Lectotype [designated by Hurkmans (1993)]: “Tchen-Kiang, 13.iv.1918 / Lampetia micromegas H. B. type” (MNHN) (studied).

Paralectotypes (Lampetia micromegas). CHINA • 1 ♂; Chemo; 33°44'32"N, 103°23'45"E; 25 Apr. 1918; MNHN 02520 • 1 ♂; Chemo; 33°44'32"N, 103°23'45"E; 26 Apr. 1918; MNHN 02521 • 1 ♀; Chemo; 33°44'32"N, 103°23'45"E; 23 Apr. 1918; MNHN 02522 • 1 ♀; Shia-Shu; 10 May 1918; MNHN 02525 • 1 ♀; Jiangsu, Nanking; 32°00'27"N, 118°57'22"E; 6 May 1918; MNHN 02524.

CHINA • 1 ♀; Ningpo; 29°44'29"N, 121°06'02"E; 29 Apr. 1925; J. T. Chu leg.; NMNH 05118 • 1 ♂; Jiangsu, Nanking; 32°00'27"N, 118°57'22"E; 1981; H. Jettmar leg.; NHMW 02516 • 1 ♀; Jiangsu, Nanking; 32°00'27"N, 118°57'22"E; 15 Apr. 1918; NBCN 02518 • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; 16 Apr. 1918; MNHN • 16 ♂♂; Chenkiang; 32°08'24"N, 119°23'25"E; 1–13 Apr. 1918; MNHN • 12 ♀♀; same data as for preceding; MNHN • 6 ♂♂; Chemo; 33°44'32"N, 103°23'45"E; 23 Apr. 1918; MNHN • 4 ♀♀; same data as for preceding; MNHN • 1 ♀; Chemo; 33°44'32"N, 103°23'45"E; 23 Apr. 1918; NBCN • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; 26 Apr. 1918; NBCN • 1 ♂; Hoachan; 16 May 1918; MNHN • 2 ♀♀; same data as for preceding; MNHN • 3 ♂♂; Shia-Shu; 22 Apr. 1918; MNHN.

Large species (10.3–13 mm) with wide dark brown abdomen and yellow-orange maculae on lateral sides of tergum 2 (Fig. 24A, B); basoflagellomere elongated, ca. 2.5 times longer than broad (Fig. 19 I, J,); metafemur incrassate (Fig. 22C, D); terga 2–4 with conspicuous microtrichose fasciae (Fig. 24A, B). Similar to some populations of Merodon serrulatus, but clearly differs in shape of abdomen: relation between maximum width of tergum 2 and its medial length is 3.3 in male and 3.5 in female of M. medium sp. nov. compared with 2.3 in M. serrulatus male and 2.7 in female; male genitalia: anterior surstyle lobe with concave margin in M. medium sp. nov. (Fig. 6H: marked with arrow), convex in M. serrulatus (Fig. 6G: marked with arrow); apical microtrichose area of anterior surstyle lobe 2.5 times broader than long in M. medium sp. nov. (Fig. 6G: al), less than one time in M. serrulatus (Fig. 6G: al); molecular data and distribution (M. medium sp. nov. is an endemic to the island of Crete in Greece).

Figure 24. 

Merodon medium sp. nov., abdomen, dorsal view. A male B female. Scale bar: 2 mm.

Male. Head. Antennae black to dark brown; basoflagellomere elongated ca. 2.2 times as long as wide, and ca. 2.5 times as long as pedicel, concave dorsally with acute apex; dorsolateral fossette narrow; arista dark and thickened at basal one third, covered with dense microtrichia, ca. 1.5 times as long as basoflagellomere (Fig. 19I); face and frons black with gray microtrichia, face covered with dense whitish gray, and frons with yellowish gray pile; oral margin microtrichose with shiny lateral areas; lunule shiny black, bare; vertex shiny black, except microtrichose area in front of anterior ocellus; vertex isosceles, with long, pale whitish yellow pile, mixed with few black pile on the ocellar triangle; ocellar triangle equilateral; eyes covered with dense pile; occiput with gray-yellow pile, ventrally covered with a dense, gray microtrichia; eye contiguity 10–12 facets long; vertical triangle: eye contiguity: frons = 1.2 : 1 : 2.

Thorax. Scutum and scutellum black with bronze luster, covered with dense, erect, yellow pile, except sides of scutum at wing basis with patch of short black pile and fascia of black pile between wing basis; scutum with two or more microtrichose vittae, anteriorly connected and posteriorly reaching the scutellum; scutum dull; posterodorsal part of anterior anepisternum, posterior anepisternum (except anteroventral angle), anterior anepimeron, dorsomedial anepimeron, and posterodorsal and anteroventral parts of katepisternum with long, pale yellow pile and grayish microtrichia; wings entirely covered with microtrichia; wing veins brown; calypteres and halteres yellowish; legs mostly black, except brown tarsi ventrally in some specimens; pile on legs pale yellow, except few black pile in apical fifth of metafemur in some specimens; metafemur incrassate, ca. three times longer than wide; pile on postero- and anteroventral surface short, except few sparse pile approximately the same length as pile on dorsal surface (Fig. 22C).

Abdomen. Broad, tapering, 1.2 times longer than mesonotum; terga dark, except for a pair of yellow-orange, triangular, lateral maculae on tergum 2; terga 2–4 each with a pair of white microtrichose, oblique fasciae (on tergum 2 more triangular); pile on terga all yellow (Fig. 24A); sterna dark brown, covered with long whitish yellow pile.

Male genitalia. Apical part of anterior surstyle lobe rhomboid shape, 1.5 times longer than wide, covered with dense, short pile (Fig. 25A: al) and with concave margin (Fig. 6H: marked with arrow); posterior surstyle lobe oval with basolateral protrusion (lateral hump) (Fig. 25B: bp) and basal hook-like extension (Fig. 25A: marked with arrow); hypandrium sickle-shaped, without lateral projections; lingula medium sized (Fig. 25C: l).

Figure 25. 

Male genitalia. A Merodon medium sp. nov., epandrium, lateral view B Merodon medium sp. nov., epandrium, ventral view C Merodon medium sp. nov., hypandrium, lateral view D Merodon nigrocapillatus sp. nov., epandrium, lateral view E Merodon nigrocapillatus sp. nov., epandrium, ventral view F Merodon nigrocapillatus sp. nov., hypandrium, lateral view. Abbreviations: al–anterior surstyle lobe, bp–basolateral protrusion, l–lingula; arrow marks the hook-like extension in A. Scale bar: 0.2 mm.

Female. Similar to the male except for normal sexual dimorphism and for the following characteristics: antennae with rounded tip, basoflagellomere ca. two times longer than wide, (Fig. 19J); frons with broad microtrichose vittae along eye margins; frons covered with pilosity of variable color, from mostly gray-yellow until predominately black pile; ocellar triangle covered with black pile; metafemur incrassate, pile on postero- and anteroventral surface short (Fig. 22D); terga pale yellow pilose at lateral sides, anterior two thirds of tergum 2 and all terga 4 and 5; terga 2 and 3 medially with short adpressed black pile; microtrichose fasciae on terga 3 and 4 broad (Fig. 24B).

Medium (middle, center) refers to the species’ distribution, being the only taxon of the group found on Crete, in the middle of Mediterranean Sea.

Merodon medium sp. nov. is endemic to the Greek island of Crete (Fig. 7).

Preferred environment: forest/open ground; evergreen oak forest, dry Pinus forest; scrub with Pistacia lentiscus L.; well-vegetated, unimproved grassland. Flowers visited: Ornithogalum spp., Potentilla spp. and Thymus spp. Flight period: May.

Holotype. Greece • ♂; Crete, Chania, Omalos plain; 35°19'21"N, 23°55'50"E; 28 May 2014; A. Vujić leg.; FSUNS 06729. Original label: “HOLOTYPE of Merodon / medium Vujić, Likov et / Radenković sp.n. 2019” [red label], “Greece, Crete, Chania, / Omalos plain / 28.05.2014. 35.322593 / 23.930496 Leg. Vujić”, “AU298”, “06729” (See Supplementary file 3: Figure 3). Paratypes. Greece • 1 ♀; Crete, Chania, Imbors; 35°15'08"N, 24°10'28"E; 27 May 2014; A. Vujić leg.; FSUNS 06706 • 1 ♂; Crete, Chania, Omalos plain; 35°19'06"N, 23°54'51"E; 28 May 2014; A. Vujić leg.; FSUNS 06723 • 1 ♂; Crete, Chania, Omalos plain; 35°19'21"N, 23°55'50"E; 28 May 2014; A. Vujić leg.; FSUNS 06731 • 1 ♀, Crete, Chania, Mescla, 35°24'05"N 23°56'26"E; 28 May 2014; A. Vujić leg.; FSUNS 06718.

Medium sized (10.2–10.8 mm), black and shiny species, covered with mostly black pile on scutum, terga and legs in both sexes (Fig. 26); antennae dark; legs black; male dichoptic (Fig. 27A); basoflagellomere short, 1.3 times longer than wide (Fig. 28C); terga black, without pale lateral maculae on tergum 2; microtrichose fasciae on terga 2–4 very narrow or absent in males (Fig. 26A) and narrow in females (Fig. 26C).

Figure 26. 

Merodon nigrocapillatus sp. nov., body parts. A dorsal view, male B lateral view, male C dorsal view, female D lateral view, female. Scale bar: 2 mm.

Figure 27. 

Head of male, dorsal view. A Merodon nigrocapillatus sp. nov. B Merodon nigropunctum sp. nov. Scale bar: 2 mm.

Figure 28. 

Antenna. A Merodon nigropunctum sp. nov., outer side lateral view, male B Merodon nigropunctum sp. nov., inner side, lateral view, male C Merodon nigrocapillatus sp. nov., outer side, lateral view, male D Merodon nigrocapillatus sp. nov., outer side, lateral view, female. Scale bar: 1 mm.

Male. Head. Antennae black; basoflagellomere short, 1.3 times as long as wide, and ca. two times as long as pedicel, with rounded apex; fossette dorsolateral; arista black and thickened at basal one third, covered with dense microtrichia, ca. two times as long as basoflagellomere (Fig. 28C); face and frons black with gray microtrichia, face covered with dense whitish gray or mixed black and whitish gray, and frons mostly with black pile; oral margin shiny, with lateral microtrichose area; lunule shiny black, bare; vertex isosceles, shiny black, except in front of anterior ocellus covered with microtrichia; vertex with long, black pile; ocellar triangle equilateral; eyes covered with dense whitish pile; occiput shiny covered with black pile in upper half, ventrally with gray-yellow pile and dense, gray microtrichia; eye dichoptic, separated by distance of three facets (Fig. 27A).

Thorax. Scutum and scutellum black, shiny, covered with dense, erect, black pile; scutum without microtrichose vittae (Fig. 26A); posterodorsal part of anterior anepisternum, posterior anepisternum (except anteroventral angle), anterior anepimeron, dorsomedial anepimeron, and posterodorsal and anteroventral parts of katepisternum with long, dark gray or black pile and grayish microtrichia; wings entirely covered with microtrichia, except bare area at basal one third; wing veins dark brown; calypteres gray; halteres blackish; legs black (Fig. 26B); pile on legs mostly black or dark gray; metafemur curved and medium incrassate, ca. four times longer than wide; pile on postero- and anteroventral surface ca. one third to half of width of metafemur, slightly shorter than pile dorsally.

Abdomen. Tapering, 1.2 times longer than mesonotum; terga completely dark; terga 3 and 4 without, or with indistinct pair of white microtrichose fasciae; pile on terga mostly black, except anteromedial part of tergum 2 partly covered with whitish pile (Fig. 26A); sterna dark brown to black, covered with long black and whitish pile.

Male genitalia. Apical part of anterior surstyle lobe rhomboid shape, ca. two times longer than wide, covered with dense, short pile (Fig. 25D: al); posterior surstyle lobe oval with basolateral protrusion (lateral hump) (Fig. 25D, E: bp); hypandrium sickle-shaped, without lateral projections; lingula large (Fig. 25F: l).

Female. Similar to the male except for normal sexual dimorphism and for the following characteristics: basoflagellomere 1.5 times longer than wide, fossette narrow (Fig. 28D); pile on face of variable color, from black to whitish; frons mostly microtrichose, covered with black pile; ocellar triangle covered with black pile; microtrichose fasciae on terga 2–4 narrow (Fig. 26C); thorax on lateral sides with variable pilosity color, from black to whitish.

The name nigrocapillatus is derived from Latin adjective niger meaning black, dark and Latin noun capillatus meaning long-haired, referring to the long, black body pile of this species.

Merodon nigrocapillatus sp. nov. has only been recorded in Tajikistan (Fig. 7).

Preferred environment: open areas at high altitudes, unimproved grassland (Fig. 35D). Flowers visited: white Apiaceae. Flight period: June-July.

Holotype. Tajikistan • ♂; Varzob, Kalon; 39°03'36"N, 68°52'12"E; 2440 m a.s.l.; 1–4 Jul. 2017; A. Barkalov leg.; SZMN 22625. Original label: “HOLOTYPE of Merodon / nigrocapillatus Vujić, Likov / et Radenković sp.n. 2019” [red label], “Таджикистан, Варзобское / ущ., 3 км с.-в. кишлака / Калон, 2440м н.у.м. 39,06° / N, 68,87° 1-4.07.2017 / Сб.А. Баркалов”, “2017 / sp. 1 / A. Barkalov det., 201” [label partly handwritten], “22625” (See Supplementary file 1: Figure 1B). Paratypes. Tajikistan • 1 ♀; Varzob, Kalon; 39°03'00"N, 68°52'48"E; 2484 m a.s.l.; 7–12 Jul. 2017; A. Barkalov leg.; SZMN 22626 • 1 ♀; 65km N of Dushanbe, S side ANZOP pass; 39°03'00"N, 68°19'12"E; 2380 m a.s.l.; 21 Jul. 2010; J. Dils, J. Faes leg.; G. V. W. coll. 10397 • 1 ♀; Iskanderkul kishlak, Sarytag; 39°03'00"N, 68°19'12"E; 2374 m a.s.l.; 14 Jun. 2018; A. Barkalov leg.; SZMN 24506 • 4 ♂♂; Varzob Canyon, 3 km N-E Kalon kishlak; 39°03'36"N, 68°52'12"E; 2440 m a.s.l.; A. Barkalov leg.; SZMN • 14 ♀♀; same data as for preceding; SZMN • 2 ♀♀; same data as for preceding; 4 and 7 Jul. 2017; V. Zinchenko leg.; SZMN • 3 ♀♀; same data as for preceding; 4 and 7 Jul. 2018; SZMN • 1 ♀; Varzob Canyon, 3 km N-E Kalon kishlak; 39°03'36"N, 68°52'12"E; 2356 m a.s.l.; 5 Jul. 2018; A. Barkalov leg.; SZMN 24502 • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; 7 Jun. 2018; SZMN 24505 • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; ~2400 m a.s.l.; 28 Jun. 2018; V. Zinchenko leg.; SZMN 24503 • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; 30 Jun. 2018; SZMN 24504 • 1 ♀; Varzob Canyon, 4 km N-E Kalon kishlak; 39°04'48"N, 68°51'36"E; 3375 m a.s.l.; A. Barkalov leg.; SZMN • 1 ♀; Iskanderkul, Zmeinoe Lake; 39°05'20"N, 68°22'08"E; ~2217 m a.s.l.; 16 Jun. 2018; V. Zinchenko leg.; SZMN 24507.

Medium sized (10.3 mm), bluish species (Fig. 29A, B) with dark macula on medial part of wing (Fig. 29C); basoflagellomere narrow and elongated, 1.8 times as long as wide, rounded at the tip (Fig. 28A, B); arista long, two times as long as basoflagellomere; body pile whitish; posterior half of scutum with square shaped area of black pile medially; terga 2–4 covered with black pile medially, except whitish pilosity on conspicuous silver microtrichose fasciae (Fig. 29A).

Figure 29. 

Merodon nigropunctum sp. nov., male. A body, dorsal view B body, lateral view C left wing, dorsal view. Scale bar: 2 mm.

Male. Head. Antennae black to dark brown; basoflagellomere narrow and elongated, 1.8 times as long as wide, and 2.5 times as long as pedicel, with rounded tip; large fossette dorsomedial and dorsolateral (Fig. 28A, B); arista dark and thickened at basal one third, covered with dense microtrichia; arista long, ca. two times as long as basoflagellomere (Fig. 28A, B); face and frons black covered with whitish pile; face covered with indistinct whitish gray microtrichia; frons with dense whitish microtrichia; lunule shiny black, bare; vertex isosceles, with long whitish pile and black pilosity on the ocellar triangle; ocellar triangle equilateral; eyes covered with long, dense, whitish pile (Fig. 27B); occiput with whitish pile, covered with a dense, silver microtrichia along eye margin; eye contiguity short, approximately five facets long; vertical triangle: eye contiguity: frons = 4.5 : 1 : 4.5.

Thorax. Scutum and scutellum black with bluish luster, covered with dense, erect, white pile including wing basis; posterior half of scutum with square shaped area of black pile medially; scutum with indistinct microtrichose vittae; posterodorsal part of anterior anepisternum, posterior anepisternum (except anteroventral angle), anterior anepimeron, dorsomedial anepimeron, and posterodorsal and anteroventral parts of katepisternum with long, whitish pile and grayish microtrichia; wings entirely covered with microtrichia; wing veins dark brown; wing with distinct dark area in apical half (Fig. 29C); calypteres whitish; halteres yellowish, with darker capitulum; legs mostly black, except dark brown tarsi ventrally; pile on legs mostly whitish mixed with black ones on femora; metafemur moderately incrassate, ca. three times longer than wide; pile on postero- and anteroventral surface very long, and ca. two thirds of width of metafemur, approximately the same length as pile on dorsal surface.

Abdomen. Tapering, 1.2 times longer than mesonotum; terga dark brown to black; terga 2–4 each with a pair of white microtrichose, wide, oblique fasciae (on tergum 2 triangular); pile on terga long, whitish laterally and at microtrichose fasciae, medially black (Fig. 29A); sterna dark brown, covered with long whitish pile.

Male genitalia. Apical part of anterior surstyle lobe rhomboid shape, 1.5 times longer than wide, covered with dense, short pile (Fig. 30A: al); posterior surstyle lobe oval with basolateral protrusion (lateral hump) (Fig. 30A, B: bp); hypandrium sickle-shaped, without lateral projections; lingula large (Fig. 30C: l).

Figure 30. 

Male genitalia. A Merodon nigropunctum sp. nov., epandrium, lateral view B Merodon nigropunctum sp. nov., epandrium, ventral view C Merodon nigropunctum sp. nov., hypandrium, lateral view. Abbreviations: al–anterior surstyle lobe, bp–basolateral protrusion, l–lingula. Scale bar: 0.2 mm.

Female. Unknown.

The word nigropunctum is derived from the Latin words niger (black, dark whitish) and punctum (dot/spot) referring to the dark macula on the wing as an important diagnostic character of this new species.

Merodon nigropunctum sp. nov. was recorded at only one locality in Uzbekistan (Fig. 7).

Preferred environment: no data. Flowers visited: no data. Flight period: May.

Holotype. Uzbekistan • ♂; Kadamžai, S of Fergana; 40°20'00"N, 71°47'39"E; 21 May 1980; Z. Padr leg.; NMPC 18248. Original label: “HOLOTYPE of Merodon / nigropunctum Vujić, Likov / Radenković sp.n. 2019” [red label], “C.ASIA, Uzbekistan / Kadanžai, S of Fergana / 21.5.1980 leg.Z.Pádr”, “18248” (See Supplementary file 4: Figure 4A).

Medium sized (7.2–10.6 mm), short pilose dark species with olive-brown reflection; antennae dark; legs mostly black; basoflagellomere elongated (1.8–2 times as long as wide) obviously concave dorsally; arista short 1.5 times as long as basoflagellomere (Fig. 12A–F); terga dark (Fig. 21A, B); metafemur incrassate covered with very short pilosity (Fig. 13A, B); male genitalia: posterior surstyle lobe with small lateral hump (Fig. 14H, I: bp); apical part of anterior surstyle lobe rhomboid (Fig. 14H: al); lingula medium sized (Fig. 14J: l). Similar to Merodon serrulatus from which it differs in dark tergum 2 (in M. serrulatus with small pale lateral maculae). Related to M. hirsutus from which can be distinguished by frons covered with dense microtrichia (Fig. 20C) (mostly shiny in M. hirsutus), shorter dorsolateral and ventral pile on metafemur (Fig. 13A, B), and shorter and more adpressed pile on terga in females (Fig. 21D). Morphologically related to M. defectus sp. nov. from which can be distinguished by dark tergum 2 (in M. defectus sp. nov. tergum 2 with yellow-orange lateral maculae). Additionally, differs from M. defectus sp. nov. by posterior surstyle lobe with developed lateral hump (Fig. 14I: bp), reduced in M. defectus sp. nov. (Fig. 14B: bp).

Male. Head. Antennae black to dark brown; basoflagellomere elongated 1.8–2 times as long as wide, and 2.3 times as long as pedicel, concave dorsally with acute apex; large fossette dorsomedial and dorsolateral (Fig. 12A–C); arista dark and thickened at basal one third, covered with dense microtrichia, 1.5 times as long as basoflagellomere; face and frons black with gray microtrichia, face covered with dense whitish gray, and frons with yellowish gray pile; oral margin microtrichose with shiny lateral areas; lunule shiny black, bare; vertex covered with microtrichia (Fig. 20C); vertex isosceles, with long, pale whitish yellow pile, in some cases mixed with few black pile on the ocellar triangle; ocellar triangle equilateral; eyes covered with dense pile; occiput with gray-yellow pile, covered with a dense, gray microtrichia; eye contiguity ca. 10–12 facets long; vertical triangle: eye contiguity: frons = 1.2 : 1 : 2.

Thorax. Scutum and scutellum black with bronze luster, covered with dense, erect, yellow pile; scutum at wing basis with short black pile; scutum with two or more microtrichose vittae, anteriorly connected and posteriorly reaching the scutellum; scutum dull; posterodorsal part of anterior anepisternum, posterior anepisternum (except anteroventral angle), anterior anepimeron, dorsomedial anepimeron, and posterodorsal and anteroventral parts of katepisternum with long, pale yellow pile and grayish microtrichia; wings entirely covered with microtrichia; wing veins brown; calypteres yellowish; halteres yellowish, in some specimens with darker capitulum; legs mostly black, except brown tarsi ventrally in some specimens; pile on legs pale yellow; metafemur moderately incrassate, 3.5 times longer than wide; pile on postero- and anteroventral surface very short with few sparse pile, and ca. as one fourth of width of metafemur, approximately the same length as pile on dorsal surface (Fig. 13A).

Abdomen. Tapering, 1.2 times longer than mesonotum; terga dark brown to black; terga 2–4 each with a pair of white microtrichose, wide, oblique fasciae (on tergum 2 more triangular); pile on terga all yellow (Fig. 21A, C); sterna dark brown, covered with long whitish yellow pile.

Male genitalia. Apical part of anterior surstyle lobe rhomboid in shape, 1.5 times longer than wide, covered with dense, short pile (Fig. 14H: al); posterior surstyle lobe oval with small basolateral protrusion (lateral hump) (Fig. 14H, I: bp); hypandrium sickle-shaped, without lateral projections; lingula medium sized (Fig. 14J: l).

Female. Similar to the male except for normal sexual dimorphism and for the following characteristics: antennae with rounded tip, basoflagellomere ca. two times longer than wide, fossette dorsal (Fig. 12D–F); frons with broad microtrichose vittae along eye margins; frons covered with pilosity of variable color, from mostly gray-yellow to predominantly black; ocellar triangle covered with black pile; terga pale pilose, in some specimens terga 2–4 medially with short adpressed black pile; microtrichose fasciae on terga 3 and 4 narrower (Fig. 21B, D).

(Fig. 31A). Length: 7.5 mm, width: 4 mm; light brown in color; sub-cylindrical; rough integument with larval segmentation persisting as transverse folds and wrinkles; integument covered with small domes and spicules; pronounced segmental sensilla, bearing seta. The dorsal surface of the prothorax with a pair of anterior spiracles, which are more than two times longer than broad at the base, sclerotized, cylindrical in shape, brown in color, apex with two linear spiracular openings (Fig. 32B). On the anal segment, two different pairs of lappets present: the ventro-lateral pair represented by fleshy papilla with one sensilla bearing a seta and the dorso-lateral pair with a very poorly developed basal papilla, apically divided bearing one sensilla with a long seta on top of each division. Cephalopharyngeal skeleton (Fig. 31B). Robust mandibles with dark highly sclerotized hooks, without accessory teeth, fused to the external mandibular lobes; the dorsal cornu narrowed, representing almost the whole length of the ventral cornu. Clypeal sclerite sclerotized, tentorium and intermediate sclerites highly sclerotized and apparently fused; ventral cornu elongated and narrow in profile view, wider and more heavily sclerotized at the posterior end, forming the grinding mill of pestle and mortar construction at the posterior end of the cibarium; cibarium at the base, with a clearly sclerotized end. Posterior respiratory process (Fig. 32A). Brownish, wider than long, very short (barely visible from dorsal view), button shape, base only slightly wider than apex; dorsal and lateral surface covered by a barely visible ornamentation resembling a network. The outline of the spiracular plate sub-elliptical and barely irregular. Spiracular plate with four pairs of sinuous spiracular openings (clearly separated from each other) around two central scars, first pair clearly shorter than the others; three or four very small circular nodules on each side of the surface of spiracular plate in the area of spiracular openings; four pairs of branched inter-spiracular setae emerging on the outward edges of the spiracular plate. Pupal spiracles (Fig. 32C). Sclerotized, brownish in color, stout, cylindrical in shape, almost as long as broad, slightly tapered, with not heavily rounded prominence at the end (length 0.3 mm) separated by a distance of ca. five times their length. Upper two-thirds of the lateral sides (except for the granularly surfaced apex) covered with irregularly-spaced, oval-shaped domed tubercles, leaving a more or less triangular central area free of tubercles on both ventral and dorsal surfaces; 3–7 radially-arranged spiracular openings on each tubercle. The whole spiracle surface (from the base to the apex) reticulated with a polygonal pattern, more irregular on ventral side, with polygons being noticeably smaller in the apical part. Material examined. Greece, Lesvos Island, Agiassos, C. Pérez-Bañón leg.: 1 larva (L3 instar) buried in the ground of a chestnut forest, 2 Mar 2006; reared, pupa 4 Mar 2006, adult emerged 21 Mar 2006.

Figure 31. 

Light micrographs of Merodon opacus sp. nov. puparium. A puparium in dorsal view B cephalopharyngeal skeleton in lateral view. Abbreviations: C–cibarium, Cs–clypeal sclerite, Dc–dorsal cornu, Is–intermediate sclerite, M–mandibles, Mr–mortar, P–pestle, T–tentorium, Vc–ventral cornu. Scale bars: 3 mm (A); 500 μm (B).

Figure 32. 

SEM micrographs of Merodon opacus sp. nov. puparium. A posterior respiratory process in polar view showing the spiracular plate B anterior spiracle C pupal spiracle. Scale bars: 200 μm (A); 100 μm (B, C).

Figure 33. 

Merodon trianguloculus sp. nov., antenna, lateral view. A outer side, male B inner side, male outer side, female. Scale bar: 1 mm.

Figure 34. 

Male genitalia. A Merodon trianguloculus sp. nov., epandrium, lateral view B Merodon trianguloculus sp. nov., epandrium, ventral view C Merodon trianguloculus sp. nov., hypandrium, lateral view. Abbreviations: al–anterior surstyle lobe, bp–basolateral protrusion, l–lingula. Scale bar: 0.2 mm.

Latin adjective opacus (opaque, not transparent), pertains to the dark tergum 2, without reddish yellow lateral maculae.

Merodon opacus sp. nov. has been recorded on the Greek island of Lesvos and in western Turkey (Fig. 7).

Preferred environment: forest/open ground; thermophilous and evergreen Quercus forest; Castanea forest, dry Pinus forest; unimproved grassland and tracksides (Fig. 35A). Flowers visited: Ornithogalum spp. and Potentilla spp. Flight period: March-September.

Figure 35. 

Different types of habitats of Merodon serrulatus species group. A Lesvos (Greece), habitat of Merodon opacus sp. nov., Photograph by Ante Vujić B Siberia, Teletskoye Lake (Russia), habitat of Merodon serrulatus, Photograph by Jeroen van Steenis C Morocco, habitat of Merodon sophron, Photograph by Ante Vujić D Tajikistan, habitat of Merodon nigrocapillatus sp. nov., Photograph by Anatolij Barkalov.

Holotype. Greece • ♂; Lesvos; Polichnitos; 39°05'02"N, 26°09'13"E; 30 Apr. 2008; A. Vujić leg.; FSUNS 03758. Original label: “HOLOTYPE of Merodon / opacus Vujić, Likov et / Radenković sp.n. 2019” [red label], “Greece, Lesvos, / Polichnitos 30.IV 2008. / Leg. A. Vujic”, “03758” (See Supplementary file 4: Figure 4B). Paratypes. Greece, Lesvos • 1 ♂; Ag. Ermogenis; 39°01'07"N, 26°32'44"E; 2 May 2008; A. Vujić leg.; FSUNS 03760 • 1 ♂; Neochori II; 39°01'10"N, 26°20'02"E; 2 May 2016; A. Vujić, J. Ačanski leg.; FSUNS 11396 • 1 ♀; Agiassos; 39°03'00"N, 26°22'60"E; 6 Jun. 2004; M. Kapsali leg.; MAegean • 3 ♀♀; Agiassos; 39°03'00"N, 26°22'60"E; 23 May 2004; A. Kyriakopoulos leg.; MAegean • 1 ♂; same data as for preceding; 24 May 2001; MAegean • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; MAegean • 1 ♂; Agiassos; 39°03'00"N, 26°22'60"E; Mar. 2006; C. Pérez-Bañón leg.; CEUA • 4 ♂♂; same data as for preceding; 11 Jun. 2005; CEUA • 4 ♂♂; same data as for preceding; 10 Jun. 2005; CEUA • 8 ♀♀; same data as for preceding; CEUA • 4 ♀♀; same data as for preceding; 6 Jun. 2005; CEUA • 4 ♂♂; same data as for preceding; CEUA • 1 ♂; Agiassos; 39°03'09"N, 26°22'57"E; 860 m a.s.l.; 23 May 2004; M. Kapsali leg.; MAegean • 2 ♂♂; 3.5 km S Agiassos; 39°03'09"N, 26°22'57"E; 860 m a.s.l.; 23 May 2004; M. Kapsali leg.; FSUNS 02487, 02503 • 1 ♂; 3.5 km S Agiassos; 39°03'09"N, 26°22'57"E; 860 m a.s.l.; 23 May 2004; A. Kyriakopoulos leg.; FSUNS 03762 • 1 ♀; 3.5 km S Agiassos; 39°03'09"N, 26°22'57"E; 860 m a.s.l.; 23 May 2004; M. Kapsali leg.; FSUNS 03764 • 3 ♀♀; Agiassos; 39°03'17"N, 26°23'50"E; 760 m a.s.l.; 10 Jun. 2004; M. Kapsali leg.; MAegean • 1 ♂; same data as for preceding; 24 May 2004; MAegean • 2 ♂♂; same data as for preceding; A. Kyriakopoulos leg.; MAegean • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; MAegean • 2 ♀♀; same data as for preceding; 10 Jun. 2004; MAegean • 1 ♀; 3.8 km SSE Agiassos; 39°03'17"N, 26°23'50"E; 760 m a.s.l., 10 Jun. 2004; A. Kyriakopoulos leg.; FSUNS 03763 • 1 ♀; Agiassos; 39°03'45"N, 26°23'30"E; 700 m a.s.l.; 20 May 2004; A. Kyriakopoulos leg.; MAegean • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; 6 Jun. 2004; M. Kapsali leg.; MAegean • 1 ♂; Agiassos; 39°03'92"N, 26°22'87"E; 27 May 2009; M. Taylor leg.; MZH http://id.luomus.fi/GJ.1133 • 1 ♂; Agiassos; 39°04'09"N, 26°23'17"E; 600 m a.s.l.; 15 May 2004; T. Petanidou leg.; MAegean • 5 ♂♂; Agiassos; 39°04'17"N, 26°22'22"E; Sep. 2009; A. Vujić leg.; FSUNS Č64, Č65, Ž9 to Ž11 • 10 ♀♀; Agiassos; 39°04'17"N, 26°22'22"E; Sep. 2009; A. Vujić leg.; FSUNS Ž12 to Ž19, Ž28, Ž29 • 2 ♂♂; Agiassos; 39°04'17"N, 26°22'22"E; 8 Jun. 2009; G. Ståhls leg.; MZH GJ.1139, GJ.1141• 4 ♀♀; same data as for preceding; MZH GJ.1135 to GJ.1138 • 4 ♂♂; same data as for preceding; 25 May 2009; MZH GJ.1140, GJ.1142, GJ.1143, GJ.1145 • 1 ♂; Agiassos; 39°04'25"N, 26°22'35"E; 8 May 2007; G. Ståhls leg.; MZH GJ.1144 • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; MZH GJ.1126 • 5 ♂♂; same data as for preceding; 30 May 2009; MZH GJ.1119 to GJ.1123 • 2 ♀♀; same data as for preceding; MZH GJ.1124, GJ.1125 • 1 ♂; same data as for preceding; 27 May 2009; MZH • 1 ♂; 39°10'17"N, 26°18'14"E; FSUNS 02504 • 1 ♀; 39°10'17"N, 26°18'14"E; FSUNS 02505 • 3 ♀♀; 39°10'17"N, 26°18'14"E; 4 Jun. 2012; A. Vujić, L. Likov leg.; FSUNS G1747 to G1749 • 1 ♂; Vatousa; 39°13'51"N, 26°01'23"E; 200 m a.s.l.; 28 May 2001; FSUNS • 1 ♀; 2.5 km S Gavathas; 39°14'54"N, 25°58'60"E; 28 Apr. 2010; M. Hull leg.; WML 05042 • 6 ♂♂; near Sikaminea; 39°21'14"N, 26°17'56"E; 11 May 2009; G. Ståhls leg.; MZH GJ.1127 to GJ.1129, GJ.1132, GJ.1134, GJ.1147 • 2 ♀♀; same data as for preceding; 2 Jun. 2009; MZH GJ.1130, GJ.1131 • 2 ♀♀; 5.7 km NW Mantamados; 39°21'19"N, 26°17'52"E; 600 m a.s.l.; 2–10 May 2001; FSUNS 02488, 02507 • 3 ♂♂; Mantamados; 39°21'19"N, 26°17'52"E; 600 m a.s.l.; 10 May 2001; FSUNS • 2 ♀♀; same data as for preceding; FSUNS • 3 ♂♂; same data as for preceding; 17 May 2001; FSUNS • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; FSUNS • 1 ♂; same data as for preceding; 23 May 2001; FSUNS • 1 ♂; Sikaminia; 39°21'42"N, 26°17'47"E; 10 May 2001; C. Pérez-Bañón, S. Rojo leg.; CEUA • 3 ♂♂; same data as for preceding; 14 May 2001; CEUA • 15 ♂♂; same data as for preceding; 17 May 2001; CEUA • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; CEUA • 2 ♂♂; Sikaminia; 39°21'44"N, 26°17'49"E; 3 May 2008; A. Vujić leg.; FSUNS 03757, 03759 • 1 ♂; Sikaminia; 39°21'44"N, 26°17'49"E; 2 May 2001; FSUNS 02506 • 1 ♀; Near Lepetimnos; 39°21'47"N, 26°16'32"E; 1 May 2016; A. Vujić, J. Ačanski leg.; FSUNS 11243.

Turkey • 3 ♀♀; 12 km SW of Muğla; 37°07'40"N, 28°16'28"E; 660 m a.s.l.; 23 May 2011; M. Bartak, Kubik leg.; M. B. coll. 17921 to 17923 • 26 ♂♂; Muğla, University Campus; 37°09'42"N, 28°22'13"E; 700 m a.s.l.; 17–22 May 2011; M. Bartak, Kubik leg.; M. B. coll. 17927, 17928, 17930, 17931, 17937, 17938, 17940 to 17943, 17946, 17951, 17955 to 17960, 17965 to 17972 • 20 ♀♀; Muğla, University Campus; 37°09'42"N, 28°22'13"E; 700 m a.s.l.; 17–22 May 2011; M. Bartak, Kubik leg.; M. B. coll. 17929, 17932 to 17936, 17939, 17944, 17945, 17947 to 17950, 17952 to 17954, 17961 to 17964 • 1 ♀; Muğla, University campus; 37°09'42"N, 28°22'21"E; 700 m a.s.l.; Apr.–May 2014; O. Dursun leg.; M. B. coll. 10463 • 3 ♀♀; Muğla, 13 km NE pine wood; 37°14'50"N, 28°30'00"E; 1200 m a.s.l.; 23–27 Jun. 2015; M. Bartak, Kubik leg.; M. B. coll. 17924 to 17926 • 4 ♀♀; Bozdağ mountain, Near Bozdağ; 38°22'28"N, 28°04'38"E; 1140 m a.s.l.; 7 Jun. 2014; A. Vujić, J. Ačanski leg.; FSUNS 06945, 06946, 06948, 06951 • 2 ♂♂; Bozdağ mountain, Near Bozdağ; 38°22'28"N, 28°04'38"E; 1140 m a.s.l.; 7 Jun. 2014; A. Vujić, J. Ačanski leg.; FSUNS 06947, 06949.

Greece, Lesvos • 1 ♀; Agiassos; 39°03'00"N, 26°22'60"E; 28 May 2010; Horsfield leg.; NMS • 1 ♀; Agiassos; 39°03'00"N, 26°22'60"E; 3 Jun. 2010; Wilkinson leg.; NMS [published in Ricarte et al. (2012), as Merodon serrulatus] • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; 8 Jun. 2010; NMS • 1 ♀; Agiassos; 39°03'00"N, 26°22'60"E; 1–8 Jun. 2010; Hancock leg.; GLAHM • 2 ♂♂; same data as for preceding; 28–29 May–Jun. 2010; GLAHM • 2 ♀; Agiassos; 39°03'36"N, 26°23'30"E; 1 Jun. 2010; Horsfield leg.; NMS [published in Ricarte et al. (2012), as Merodon serrulatus] • 1 ♀; Agiassos; 39°03'36"N, 26°23'30"E; 28 May 2010; Horsfield leg.; NMS • 1 ♂; 3.5 km S Agiassos; 39°04'15"N 26°22'17"E; 860 m a.s.l.; 8 Jun. 2004; M. Kapsali leg.; MZH • 1 ♂; Agiassos; 39°04'17"N, 26°22'22"E; 1910 m a.s.l.; 26 May 2003; C. J. Palmer leg.; WML 298/03 • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; WML 310/03 • 1 ♂; SW from Agiassos; 39°04'35"N, 26°22'03"E; 24 May 1988; NBCN • 1 ♀; Potamia river; 39°13'36"N, 26°06'48"E; 1–8 Jun. 2010; Hancock leg.; GLAHM • 1 ♂; 2 km S Gavathas; 39°16'11"N, 25°58'33"E; 5 May 2005; M. Hull leg.; WML • 1 ♂; 5.7 km NW Mantamados; 39°21'19"N, 26°17'52"E; 31 May 2004; E. Lamborn leg.; MZH.

Large (9.5–11.6 mm) dark brown species with lack of microtrichose fasciae on terga 2–4 in males (Fig. 10C) and curved and very incrassate metafemur with long pile on ventral margin; the longest pile as long as half of width of metafemur (Fig. 8C). Similar to Merodon bequaerti but differs by strongly curved metafemur and generally longer body pile, clearly visible on tergum 4 (Fig. 10D).

(based on holotype and additional material from the type area, Spain). Male. Head. Antennae black to dark brown; basoflagellomere ca. two times as long as wide, and ca. two times as long as pedicel, concave dorsally; large fossette dorsolateral; arista dark and thickened at basal one third, covered with dense microtrichia, 1.6 times as long as basoflagellomere (Fig. 11D–F); face and frons black with gray microtrichia, face covered with dense whitish gray, and frons with yellowish gray pile; oral margin microtrichose with shiny lateral areas; lunule shiny black, bare; vertex covered with golden microtrichia around ocellar triangle; vertex isosceles, with long, pale whitish yellow pile mixed with black pile on the ocellar triangle; ocellar triangle equilateral; eyes covered with dense pile; occiput with gray-yellow pile, covered with a dense, gray microtrichia; eye contiguity 10–14 facets long.

Thorax. Scutum and scutellum black with bronze luster, covered with dense, erect, yellow pile; scutum at wing basis with short black pile; scutum with two or more microtrichose vittae, anteriorly connected and posteriorly reaching the scutellum; scutum dull; posterodorsal part of anterior anepisternum, posterior anepisternum (except anteroventral angle), anterior anepimeron, dorsomedial anepimeron, and posterodorsal and anteroventral parts of katepisternum with long, pale yellow pile and grayish microtrichia; wings entirely covered with microtrichia; wing veins brown; calypteres and halteres pale yellowish; legs mostly black, except brown tarsi ventrally in some specimens; pile on legs pale yellow, except black pile at apical one fourth of metafemur; metafemur curved and incrassate, approximately three to four times longer than wide; pile on postero- and anteroventral surface long, and ca. half of width of metafemur (Fig. 8C).

Abdomen. Broad, tapering, 1.2 times longer than mesonotum; terga dark brown to black, usually without microtrichose fasciae; tergum 2 with orange lateral maculae; pile on terga all yellow (Fig. 10C, D); sterna dark brown, covered with long whitish yellow pile.

Male genitalia. Apical part of anterior surstyle lobe rhomboid in shape, 1.5 times longer than wide, covered with dense, short pile (Fig. 9D: al); posterior surstyle lobe oval with basolateral protrusion (lateral hump) (Fig. 9D, E: bp); hypandrium sickle-shaped, without lateral projections; lingula large (Fig. 9F: l).

Female. Unknown.

Merodon sacki is known only from Spain (Fig. 7).

Preferred environment: forest/open ground; open areas in evergreen oak forest (Quercus ilex and Q. suber) and Mediterranean scrub. Flowers visited: no data. Flight period: April-July.

Holotype (original designation): male, “Holotypus Lampetia / sacki Paramononv, 1936 / G.V. POPOV des. 2007” [red label], “Lampetia / sacki n. sp. / ♂ Typus / Paramonov d.” [pink label handwritten], “Merodon / mir únbekannt” [yellow label handwritten], “14 VII 81” “Chiclana” [handwritten on the back side] (SIZK) (See Supplementary file 6: Figure 6B) (studied).

Note (Popov pers. comm.). The species was described by examining a single male, with the type clearly indicated on the label by Paramonov (discovered and deposited in SIZK). The type specimen is considered lost (Liepa 1969). Hurkmans (1993: 178, 179) incorrectly considered M. sacki as a junior synonym of M. clavipes (Fabricius, 1781). Hurkmans (1993) also provided an incorrect year for the description of Lampetia sacki (1937 instead of the correct 1936), and also incorrectly designated the lectotype and paralectotype [Articles 73 and 74 of the ICZN (1999)] for two M. clavipes females with the same label “Chiklana”, which are not syntypes [a violation of Articles 74.1 and 74.2 of ICZN (1999)]. The holotype was established by the original designation according to Article 73.1.1 of the ICZN (1999), as well as by a monotype according to Article 73.1.2 (ibid.).

Spain • 3 ♂♂; La Corte; 37°57'41"N, 6°49'09"W; 28 Apr. 2015; A. Vujić, D. Obreht leg.; FSUNS 09340, 09343, 09345.

Medium sized (7.1–10.9 mm), short pilose dark species with olive-brown reflection; antennae dark brown; legs mostly black; body pile predominantly pale yellow, except black pile on vertex and scutum, terga 2–4 in some specimens and apical one third of femora in some specimens and populations; basoflagellomere elongated (1.7–2.2 times as long as wide) obviously concave dorsally, arista short (Fig. 3); tergum 2 usually with small pale orange-yellow lateral maculae (Fig. 2); metafemur incrassate, ca. three times longer than wide, with short pilosity, except few long pile on postero- and anteroventral surface of metafemur (Fig. 4); male genitalia: apical part of anterior surstyle lobe triangular (Fig. 1A: al, C, D); posterior surstyle lobe with lateral hump (Fig. 1A, B: lp); lingula large (Fig. 1E: l).

(based on the types and specimens from the type area of nominal taxon, Iberian Peninsula; variability includes populations from all of the range). Male. Head. Antennae black to dark brown; basoflagellomere (Fig. 3A–C, G–J) elongated, 1.7–2.2 times as long as wide, and 2.5–3 times as long as pedicel, concave dorsally, tapering to the apex; dorsolateral and dorsomedial (if present) fossette large with variable shape (see variability) (as on Fig. 3); arista dark and thickened at basal one third, covered with dense microtrichia; arista short, 1.2–1.5 times as long as basoflagellomere (Fig. 3); face and frons black with gray microtrichia, face covered with dense whitish, and frons with yellowish gray pile; oral margin shiny, with small lateral microtrichose area; lunule shiny black, bare; eye contiguity 8–10 facets long; vertex isosceles, shiny black, except in front of anterior ocellus, covered with microtrichia; vertex with long, pale whitish yellow pile, in some cases mixed with few black pile on the ocellar triangle; ocellar triangle from equilateral to isosceles (see variability); occiput with gray-yellow pile, ventrally covered with a dense, gray microtrichia; eyes covered with dense whitish pile (Fig. 5A, B); ratio of length of vertical triangle: eye contiguity: frons = 3 : 1 : 3.

Thorax. Scutum and scutellum black with bronze luster, covered with dense, erect, usually yellow pile; scutum at wing basis in some specimens and populations with patch of black pile, or with fascia of black pile between wing basis; scutum usually with two or four microtrichose vittae (see variability), anteriorly connected and posteriorly reaching the scutellum (Fig. 2A); anterior half of scutum from dull until shiny black (see variability); posterodorsal part of anterior anepisternum, posterior anepisternum (except anteroventral angle), anterior anepimeron, dorsomedial anepimeron, and posterodorsal and anteroventral parts of katepisternum with long, dense pale yellow pile and grayish microtrichia; wings entirely covered with microtrichia; wing veins brown; calypteres pale yellow; halteres yellow, in some cases with dark capitulum; legs (Fig. 4) without spinae or other protuberances; legs mostly black, except brown tarsi ventrally in some specimens; pile on legs pale yellow, except black pile at apical one third of metafemur in some populations (see variability); metafemur moderately incrassate, ca. three times longer than wide; long pile on postero- and anteroventral surface sparse, and ca. one third to one fourth (see variability) of width of metafemur, approximately the same length as pile on dorsal surface (Fig. 4).

Abdomen. Tapering posteriorly, ca. 1.2 times longer than mesonotum; terga dark brown to black, except for a pair of pale yellow-orange, triangular, lateral maculae on tergum 2 (in some specimens less visible: see variability); terga 3 and 4 each with a pairs of white microtrichose, oblique fasciae (on tergum 2 triangular); color of pile on terga variable, from all yellow to specimens with many black pile on terga 2–4 (see variability) (Fig. 2C, D); sterna dark brown, covered with long whitish yellow pile.

Male genitalia. Apical part of anterior surstyle lobe triangular shape, 1.1–1.4 times longer than wide, covered with dense, short pile (Fig. 1A: al, C, D); posterior surstyle lobe oval with basolateral protrusion (lateral hump) (Fig. 1A, B: bp, 14C: bp); cercus rectangular (Fig. 1A: c); hypandrium sickle-shaped, without lateral projections; lingula large (Fig. 1E: l).

Female. Similar to the male except for normal sexual dimorphism and for the following characteristics: antennae with rounded tip, basoflagellomere ca. two times longer than wide, fossette dorsal (Fig. 3D–F); frons with microtrichose vittae along eye margins variable in shape and size (see variability); frons covered with variable color of pilosity, from mostly gray-yellow until predominately black (see variability) (Fig. 5C, D); ocellar triangle covered with black pile; lateral side of terga, anterior two third of tergum 2 and all tergum 5 with yellow pile; central part of terga 2–4 with short adpressed black pile; microtrichose fasciae on terga 3 and 4 conspicuous (Fig. 2D).

There is some intra- and interpopulation variability in the morphological characters of Merodon serrulatus, which are summarized in Table 1.

As shown in Fig. 7, this Merodon taxon is characterized by the greatest range, extending from Iberian Peninsula in the south-west, through Greece and eastern Turkey to the south, and eastward to Siberia and Mongolia (Doczkal pers. comm.).

Preferred environment: forest/open ground; thermophilous Quercus forest; Castanea forest (Ståhls et al. 2009), evergreen oak forest (Quercus ilex L. and Q. suber L.), dry Pinus forest; lentisc scrub; dry, well-vegetated, calcareous and non-calcareous unimproved grassland and tracksides; hedgehog heath (Speight 2018); Pinus, Picea, and Larix forests (Siberia) (Fig. 35B). Flowers visited: Umbelliferae; Cirsium spp., Helianthemum spp., Potentilla spp., Rosa spp., Thapsia spp., and Thymus spp. (Speight 2018). Flight period: April-August.

Holotype of Merodon serrulatus [original designation in Meigen (1822: 360)]: Wiedemann in Meigen (1822) as Lampetia serrulata: “Portugal / Hoffmannsegg S.” 1 ♀, (ZHMB) (studied).

Merodon alexeji: Described by Paramonov (1925) based on two specimens (male and female). Lectotype [designated by Marcos-García et al. (2007)]: male, “Merodon / alexeji n. sp. / Typus / Paramonov d.”, “Kohanovka / Baltsk. u. / Odes. g. [in Cyrillic] 1.VI.24. Ucraina” (PC) (SIZK) (studied).

Merodon lusitanicus: Holotype [original designation by Hurkmans (1993: 181)]: female, “Portugal, Algarve, Quarteira 27.iv.1985, J.A.W. Lucas” (NBCN) (studied). Paratypes. Portugal • 1 ♀; Algarve, Quarteira; 37°03'29"N, 8°04'47"W; 27 Apr. 1985; NBCN • 1 ♀; Algarve, Vilamoura; 37°04'35"N, 8°07'46"W; 27 Apr. 1985; NBCN.

Merodon tener: Described by Sack (1913: 443) based on three male and three female syntypes. Lectotype [designated by Hurkmans (1993)]: female “Sarepta [= Krasnoarmeysk near Volgograd, after Peck 1988] / M. tener Sack det. Sack / coll. Lichtwardt / coll. D. E. I. Eberswalde” (ZHMB) (studied). Original label: “LECTOTYPE of / M. tener Sack / des. 1988 Hurkmans” [red label handwritten], “Sarepta” [yellow label handwritten], “M. tener Sack / ♀ det. Sack” [label partly handwritten], “Coll. DEI / Eberswalde”, “Coll. Lichtwardt”. (See Supplementary file 6: Figure 6A). Lectotype is conspecific with type of M. serrulatus, sharing the same morphological characters.

Croatia • 1 ♀; Velebit, Brušane; 44°29'55"N, 15°16'43"E; 600 m a.s.l.; 13 Jun. 1969; NBCN 02489.

France • 1 ♀; Languedoc-Roussillon, Corbieres, Carcassonne; 43°13'00"N, 2°21'00"E; 18 Jun. 1974; NBCN • 1 ♂; Provence Alpes Cote d’Azur, Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume; 43°25'23"N, 5°50'11"E; 17–20 Jun. 1951; M. Bequaert leg.; NBCN 02491 • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; NBCN 02492 • 1 ♀; Source du Lez, Saint Clement; 43°43'05"N, 3°50'39"E; 24 May 1989; Maldes leg.; MNHN 22629 • 1 ♂; Provence Alpes Cote d’Azur, Montagne du Luberon, W from Bonnieux; 43°48'00"N, 5°22'00"E; 3 Jun. 1993; NBCN • 1 ♀; Feuilla, Route de Treilles, en face du village Panais; 43°53'53"N, 2°00'16"E; 7 Jun. 1988; J. Hamon leg.; MNHN 17973 • 3 ♂♂; Departement du Gard, Mas Mejean; 44°05'24"N, 3°35'26"E; 29 May 1952; NBCN • 2 ♂♂; P. N. Mercantour, Le Bor, on, Umgebung, mesophiles pot. Argent; 44°06'47"N, 7°16'42"E; 1380 m a.s.l.; 21 Jun. 2011; A. Ssymank leg.; A. S. coll. G1057 • 1 ♂; Causse de Sauveterre; 44°22'03"N, 3°13'49"E; 20 Jul. 1971; MNHN 22628 • 1 ♀; Larche (Basses Alpes); 44°26'59"N, 6°50'60"E; 22 Jul. 1925; R. Benoist leg.; MNHN PM0383 • 1 ♂; same data as for preceding; MNHN PM0429 • 1 ♂; same data as for preceding; 3 Jul. 1925; MNHN 22630 • 1 ♂; Provence Alpes Cote d’Azur, Larche; 44°26'59"N, 6°50'60"E; 22 Jul. 1923; NBCN • 1 ♂; Drome, La Chapelle en Vercors; 44°58'12"N, 5°23'39"E; 28 Jun. 1970; Roman Emile leg.; MNHN PM0377 • 2 ♂♂; Isere, Villars de Lans Pic st Michel hill top; 45°05'24"N, 5°37'12"E; 1970 m a.s.l.; 20 Jul. 2010; J. van Steenis leg.; J. v. S. coll. • 1 ♀; L’Arselle; 45°23'10"N, 7°04'19"E; 14 Jun. 1909; MNHN PM0357.

Greece • 2 ♀♀; Mountain Taygetos; 22 km SW Sparta; 36°58'60"N, 22°24'09"E; 6 May 1990; NBCN • 1 ♂; Mountain Taygetos; 37°05'20"N, 22°18'55"E; 950–1800 m a.s.l.; 15–19 May 1990; ZMUC 00513256 • 7 ♂♂; Laconia, Karyes, 25 km N from Sparta; 37°18'15"N, 22°25'16"E; 930 m a.s.l.; 23 May 2014; A. Vujić, J. Ačanski leg.; FSUNS 06535, 06542, 06547, 06549, 06556, 06563, 06560 • 6 ♀♀; Laconia, Karyes, 25 km N from Sparta; 37°18'15"N, 22°25'16"E; 930 m a.s.l.; 23 May 2014; A. Vujić, J. Ačanski leg.; FSUNS 06543, 06544, 06546, 06553, 06555, 06565 • 3 ♂♂; Chelmos, Kalavryta ski center; 38°00'25"N, 22°11'40"E; 6 Jun. 2017; A. Vujić, Z. Nedeljković, L. Likov, M. Miličić, T. Tot, leg.; FSUNS 15980 to 15982 • 2 ♀♀; Chelmos, Kalavryta ski center; 38°00'25"N, 22°11'40"E; 6 Jun. 2017; A. Vujić, Z. Nedeljković, L. Likov, M. Miličić, T. Tot leg.; FSUNS 15983, 15984 • 1 ♂; Achaia, Mountain Chelmos above Kalavryta; 38°00'31"N, 22°07'08"E; 1700 m a.s.l.; 17–19 Jun. 1982; B. Skule, S. Langemark leg.; ZMUC 00513264 • 3 ♀♀; Achaia, Mountain Chelmos above Kalavryta; 38°00'31"N, 22°07'08"E; 1700 m a.s.l.; 17–19 Jun. 1982; B. Skule, S. Langemark leg.; ZMUC 00513265, 00513273, 00513301 • 2 ♂♂; Corfu; 39°40'00"N, 19°45'00"E; NHMW 02485, 02486 • 2 ♂♂; Corfu; 39°40'00"N, 19°45'00"E; 1400 m a.s.l.; NHMW • 1 ♀; Peristeri mountain; 39°40'36"N, 21°07'06"E; 2030 m a.s.l.; 24–28 May 1994; V. Michelsen leg.; ZMUC 00513259; • 1 ♂; 15 km NO Metsovo; 39°47'19"N, 21°11'58"E; 4 Jun. 1994; M. Ohl leg.; ZHMB • 4 ♂♂; Mountain Pindos, Katara Pass; 39°47'46"N, 21°13'44"E; 20 May 1997; S. Radenković leg.; FSUNS • 3 ♂♂; same data as for preceding; S. Šimić leg.; FSUNS • 4 ♀♀; same data as for preceding; A. Vujić leg.; FSUNS • 6 ♂♂; Mountain Pindos, Katara Pass; 39°47'48"N, 21°13'45"E; 1700 m a.s.l.; 20 May 1997; FSUNS 01779, 01781 to 01785 • 3 ♀♀; same data as for preceding; FSUNS 01786, 01787, 01780 • 1 ♀; Mountain Pindos, Katara Pass; 39°54'00"N, 21°11'00"E; 13 Jul. 1979; M. C. D Day, G. R. Else, D. Morgan leg.; NHMUK • 1 ♂; Mountain Pindos, “Iznad Panagije” [Panagia]; 39°48'25"N, 21°19'44"E; 850 m a.s.l.; 15 May 2011; A. Vujić leg.; FSUNS H38 • 15 ♂♂; Mountain Olympos, Litochoras-Prionia 3, “proplanak pored puta”; 40°04'36"N, 22°00'46"E; 17 May 2012; A. Vujić leg.; FSUNS H82, H83, H86 to H90, H92, H93, H95 to H97, H99, I6, I7 • 1 ♂; Mountain Olympos, Litochoras-Prionia 3, “proplanak pored puta”; 40°04'36"N, 22°00'46"E; 17 May 2012; FSUNS H94 • 1 ♂; Mountain Olympos, Near Litochoro; 40°06'30"N, 22°28'41"E; 21 May 2014; A. Vujić, J. Ačanski leg.; FSUNS 06499 • 1 ♀; Mt Olympos, Litochoro; 40°06'41"N, 22°28'37"E; 650 m a.s.l.; 17 May 2016; A. Vujić, J. Ačanski, M. Miličić, Z. Nedeljković leg.; FSUNS 11679 • 8 ♂♂; Mountain Olympos, Litochoras-Prionia 4; 40°06'43"N, 22°28'08"E; 18 May 2011; A. Vujić leg.; FSUNS I11 to I14, I17, I20 to I22 • 2 ♀♀; same data as for preceding; FSUNS I15, I16.

Italy • 1 ♀; Sicily, Etna, Rifugio Filiciusa; 37°43'14"N, 15°02'51"E; 1400–1500 m a.s.l.; 22–28 Jul. 1961; V. S. van der Goot leg.; NBCN • 1 ♂; Toscana, Florence, Careggi; 43°48'45"N, 11°15'07"E; 19 May 1986; NBCN • 2 ♂♂; Piedmont, Colle di Sestrieres; 44°57'00"N, 6°52'60"E; 1800/2100 m a.s.l.; 23–31 Jul. 1837; Zerny leg.; NHMW.

MONTENEGRO • 1 ♂; Lovćen, Lovćen 1; 42°22'59"N, 18°53'54"E; 17 May 2018; A. Vujić, A. Šebić, M. Ranković leg.; FSUNS 19017 • 1 ♂; Boka Kotorska, Morinj; 42°29'25"N, 18°38'56"E; 16–18 May 1998; FSUNS 03600 • 1 ♂; same data as for preceding; 18–19 May 1998; FSUNS 03601 • 2 ♀♀; same data as for preceding; FSUNS 03602, 03603.

Kazakhstan • 1 ♀; East Kazakhstan, Markakol’ District, 20 km N settlement Alekseevka, Souther slop of Matobaj Mountain range; 48°42'22"N, 85°57'00"E; 2318 m a.s.l.; 6 Jul. 1996; V. Zinchenko leg.; SZMN • 1 ♀; Kazakhstan, 9 km S settlement Karaoj, Kyzyl-Tass Mountain; 29 Jun. 1996; V. Zinchenko leg.; SZMN.

NORTH MACEDONIA • 1 ♂; Kožuf, Golema poljana; 41°10'54"N, 22°12'05"E; 15 Jun. 1955; FSUNS 00165 • 1 ♂; same data as for preceding; 18 Jun. 1956; FSUNS 00166 • 5 ♂♂; Kožuf, Golema poljana; 41°10'54"N, 22°12'05"E; 14 Jun. 1975; FSUNS 00154, 00156 to 00158, 00162 • 1 ♀; Kožuf, Golema poljana; 41°10'54"N, 22°12'05"E; 15 Jun. 1968; FSUNS 00167 • 2 ♀♀; same data as for preceding; 17 Jun. 1956; FSUNS 00168, 00169 • 6 ♀♀; Kožuf, Golema poljana; 41°10'54"N, 22°12'05"E; 14 Jun. 1975; FSUNS 00155, 00159 to 00161, 00163, 00164 • 2 ♀♀; Kožuf; 41°25'38"N, 21°30'45"E; 14 Jun. 1975; FSUNS 00152, 00153.

Russia • 1 ♂; Sarepta, “Russia, RUS, Sarepta, now a suburb of Volgograd city (Christoph)”; 48°31'40"N, 44°29'01"E; ZHMB 02501 • 4 ♀♀; same data as for preceding; ZHMB 02500, 02502, 02508, 02509 • 32 ♂♂; Altai, 10 km S-W of Katanda; 50°06'51"N, 86°07'21"E; 6 Jul. 1983; A. Barkalov leg.; SZMN • 9 ♀♀; same data as for preceding; SZMN • 1 ♂; SW Altai, Katun valley 10 km W Katanda; 50°09'46"N, 86°06'50"E; 7 Jul. 1983; H. Hippa leg.; MZH • 1 ♂; same data as for preceding; 22–27 Jun. 1983; MZH; “exp. Mikkola, Hippa et Jalava” • 1 ♂; Altai, Kurayskaya Step’; 50°12'00"N, 87°47'60"E; 1662 m a.s.l.; 9 Jul. 2006; A. Barkalov leg.; SZMN • 17 specimens; Altai, Terekta; 50°16'12"N, 85°58'12"E; 1098 m a.s.l.; Jun. 1973; SZMN • 1 ♂; Tuva, Erzin river; 50°19'12"N, 95°30'00"E; 1288 m a.s.l.; 27 Jun.–1. Jul. 1989; D. Logunov leg.; SZMN • 16 ♀♀; same data as for preceding; SZMN • 2 ♂♂; Tuva, Tere Khol’ Lake; 50°42'11"N, 97°20'2"E; 27 Jun.–1 Jul. 1989; D. Logunov leg.; SZMN • 1 specimen; Altai, Tuyekta; 50°51'00"N, 85°49'48"E; 944 m a.s.l.; Jun. 1979; SZMN • 2 specimens; Tuva, Chagytay; 50°58'30"N, 94°38'47"E; 1963; SZMN • 1 specimen; Altai, Baragash; 51°16'48"N, 85°12'36"E; 927 m a.s.l.; Jun. 1973; SZMN • 2 ♀♀; Altaj, Erlagol; 51°22'21"N, 86°05'22"E; 27 Jun. 1995; FSUNS 00171, 00173 • 3 ♂♂; Altaj, Erlagol; 51°22'23"N, 86°05'29"E; 27 Jun. 1995; A. Tepavčević leg.; FSUNS 00170, 00172, 02476 • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; FSUNS 02477 • 1 ♂; Gornyi Altai, Turochaksky r-n kordon Obogo; 51°35'47"N, 87°05'45"E; 950 m a.s.l.; 15 Jun. 2003; D. Kropačeva leg.; SZMN 22631 • 18 ♂♂; Altai mountains, Teletskoye Lake; 51°41'20"N, 87°33'43"E; 23–25 Jun. 2013; A. Vujić, S. Radenković leg.; FSUNS NJ56, NJ57, NJ59 to NJ62, NJ64 to NJ71, NJ73 to NJ75, NJ77 • 5 ♀♀; same data as for preceding; FSUNS NJ63, NJ72, NJ76, NJ78, NJ79 • 2 ♂♂; Altai, Turochaksky r-n, Teletskoe Lake, 14 km S of Iogach; 51°42'0"N, 87°17'60"E; 598 m a.s.l.; 27 Jun. 2006; V. Zinchenko leg.; SZMN • 2 ♀♀; same data as for preceding; SZMN • 1 ♀; Mountain Ural, Orenburg; 51°46'12"N, 54°59'53"E; ZHMB 02519 • 15 ♂♂; Siberia, Altaya, Teletskoe Lake; 51°46'60"N, 87°18'00"E; 24–19 Jun. 2006; A. Barkalov, V. Zinchenko leg.; SZMN • 6 ♀♀; same data as for preceding; SZMN • 2 ♂♂; same data as for preceding; 27 Jun. 2006; J. T. Smit leg.; FSUNS 03972, 03973 • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; 24 Jun. 2006; FSUNS 03974 • 1 ♂; Siberia, Republic Alatai, Teletskoe lake, Artybash.; 51°47'57"N, 87°14'58"E; 25 Jun. 1990; G. Ståhls leg.; MZH • 8 ♂♂; Altai, Teletskoe Lake, Artibash; 51°47'57"N, 87°14'58"E; 12 Jun. 1990; A. Barkalov, Čekanov leg.; SZMN • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; SZMN • 17 ♂♂; same data as for preceding; 11–25 Jun. 1990; SZMN • 8 ♀♀; same data as for preceding; SZMN • 13 ♂♂; same data as for preceding; 18–20 Jun. 1990; SZMN • 10 ♀♀; same data as for preceding; SZMN • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; 23 Jul. 1979; SZMN • 82 specimens; same data as for preceding; Jun. 1979; SZMN • 1 ♂; Altaj, Gorno-Altaysk; 51°57'08"N, 85°57'19"E; 21 Jun. 1983; MZH; “exp. Mikkola, Hippa et Jalava” • 152 specimens; Altai, Gorno-Altaysk; 51°57'08"N, 85°57'19"E; Jun.–Jul. 1979; A. Barkalov leg.; SZMN • 2 ♂♂; same data as for preceding; 22 Jun. 1983; SZMN • 3 ♀♀; same data as for preceding; SZMN • 1 ♂; Altai Republic; 52°30'00"N, 83°00'00"E; 25 Jun. 1979; NBCN • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; NBCN • 2 ♂♂; Sayan Mountains, Abaza; 52°41'17"N, 90°05'27"E; 30 May–11 Jun. 1981; A. Barkalov, T. Varlamova leg.; SZMN • 7 specimens; same data as for preceding; Jun. 1969; SZMN • 2 specimens; Novosibirsk; 55°06'56"N, 82°51'33"E; 1972–1974; SZMN • 1 specimen; Tuva, Sosnovka; 56°18'18"N, 51°14'44"E; 1949; SZMN.

Spain • 1 ♂; Sierra Nevada, second valley; 37°06'10"N, 3°27'19"W; 1430 m a.s.l.; 17 Jun. 2014; A. Vujić, S. Radenković, C. Pérez-Bañón leg.; FSUNS 07410 • 3 ♂♂; Sierra Nevada, Ski Centar Sierra Nevada; 37°06'45"N, 3°25'10"W; 2190 m a.s.l.; 16 Jun. 2014; A. Vujić, S. Radenković, C. Pérez-Bañón leg.; FSUNS 07275, 07287, 07302 • 1 ♂; prov. Granada Sierra Nevada ri. Valetta; 37°06'55"N, 3°29'32"W; 1 Jun. 1982; NBCN • 11 ♂♂; Sierra Nevada, First valley; 37°07'40"N, 3°26'44"W; 1630 m a.s.l.; 17 Jun. 2014; A. Vujić, S. Radenković, C. Pérez-Bañón leg.; FSUNS 07325, 07326, 07328, 07338, 07342, 07344, 07358, 07368, 07371, 07373, 07384 • 10 ♀♀; same data as for preceding; FSUNS 07324, 07340, 07341, 07343, 07355, 07375, 07381, 07385, 07392, 07401 • 4 ♂♂; Sierra Nevada, road to hotel Duque; 37°08'17"N 3°25'46"W; 16 Jun. 2014; A. Vujić, S. Radenković, C. Pérez-Bañón leg.; FSUNS 07248, 07251, 07255, 07256 • 3 ♀♀; same data as for preceding; FSUNS 07262, 07263, 07265 • 1 ♂; Sierra Nevada Lugros, Horcajo del Camarate; 37°11'50"N, 3°15'13"W; 1370 m a.s.l.; 18 Jun. 2014; A. Vujić, S. Radenković, C. Pérez-Bañón leg.; FSUNS 07428 • 1 ♂; Andalusia, Sierra de Baza, Prados del Roy; 37°22'33"N, 2°51'06"W; 2000/2100 m a.s.l.; 9 Jun. 2003; D. Doczkal leg.; D. D. coll. 04805 • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; D. D. coll. 04808 • 2 ♂♂; Andalusia, Sierra de Baza, Santa Barbara; 37°23'16"N, 2°50'43"W; 1890 m a.s.l.; 9 Jun. 2003; D. Doczkal leg.; D. D. coll. 04806, 04807 • 1 ♀; La Corte; 37°57'41"N, 6°49'09"W; 28 Apr. 2015; A. Vujić, D. Obreht leg.; FSUNS 09333 • 1 ♂; Alicante, Alcoy-Font Roja; 38°42'00"N, 00°28'00"W; 31 May 1994; P. M. Isidro leg.; FSUNS 02494 • 1 ♀; Valensija, Utiel; 39°34'13"N, 1°11'15"W; 9 May 1994; C. Pérez-Bañón leg.; FSUNS 02495 • 1 ♂; Val de Cabras; 40°09'23"N, 2°01'48"W; 10 Jun. 1980; H. G. M. Tenuissen leg.; NBCN • 1 ♂; between Leon and Oviedo, Puerto de Pajares; 43°00'00"N, 5°46'00"W; 12 Jul. 1972; NBCN.

Turkey • 5 ♂♂; “Kop Dağı geçidi” [Kop mountain pass], Bayburt; 40°15'00"N, 40°15'00"E; 16 Jul. 1992; NBCN.

Medium sized (7.8–9.2 mm), dark species with olive-brown reflection; antennae dark; legs mostly black; body pile predominantly pale, except few black pile on vertex and scutum; basoflagellomere elongated (1.8 times as long as wide) obviously concave dorsally, arista 1.8 times as long as basoflagellomere (Fig. 11G–I); tergum 2 with pale lateral maculae; metafemur incrassate with medium long pile on ventral surface, length approximately one third of its width (Fig. 8D); male genitalia: posterior surstyle lobe with lateral hump; apical part of anterior surstyle lobe rhomboid; lingula medium size (Fig. 9G–I). Related to Merodon serrulatus from which differs in absence of medial fossette (Fig. 11H), present in geographically related Iberian populations of M. serrulatus (Fig. 3B), molecular data and distribution (Fig. 7). Related to M. bequaerti, but differs by shorter pile on ventral margin of metafemur in both sexes (Fig. 8D), narrower and oval to triangular apical part of anterior surstyle lobe (Fig. 9G), with rounded margin in M. bequaerti (Fig. 9A), and light yellow and less dense marginal pile on apical part of anterior surstyle lobe (Fig. 9G, K: al), dark brown and dense in M. bequaerti (Fig. 9A: al, J).

(based on the material from type locality, Middle Atlas, Azrou). Male. Head. Antennae black to dark brown; basoflagellomere elongated, ca. 1.8 times as long as wide, and ca. 2.5 times as long as pedicel, concave dorsally with acute apex; fossette dorsolateral; arista dark and thickened at basal one third, covered with dense microtrichia, ca. 1.8 times as long as basoflagellomere (Fig. 11G, H); face and frons black with gray microtrichia, face covered with dense whitish, and frons with yellowish gray pile; oral margin shiny, with small lateral microtrichose area; lunule shiny black, bare; vertex shiny black, except in front of anterior ocellus, covered with microtrichia; vertex isosceles, with long, pale whitish yellow pile, mixed with black pile on the ocellar triangle; ocellar triangle isosceles; eyes covered with dense pile; occiput with gray-yellow pile, ventrally covered with a dense, gray microtrichia; eye contiguity 8–11 facets long; vertical triangle: eye contiguity: frons = 3 : 1 : 3.

Thorax. Scutum and scutellum black with bronze luster, covered with dense, erect, usually yellow pile; sides of scutum at wing basis with patch of black pile or fascia of short black pile and few black pile between wing basis; scutum with two microtrichose vittae, anteriorly connected and posteriorly reaching the scutellum; anterior half of scutum dull; posterodorsal part of anterior anepisternum, posterior anepisternum (except anteroventral angle), anterior anepimeron, dorsomedial anepimeron, and posterodorsal and anteroventral parts of katepisternum with long, dense pale yellow pile and grayish microtrichia; wings entirely covered with microtrichia; wing veins brown; calypteres and halteres pale yellow; legs mostly black, except brown tarsi ventrally in some specimens; pile on legs pale yellow; metafemur moderately incrassate, ca. three times longer than wide; pile on postero- and anteroventral surface medium long, and ca. as one third of width of metafemur, approximately the same length as pile on dorsal surface (Fig. 8D).

Abdomen. Tapering, 1.2 times longer than mesonotum; terga dark, except for a pair of pale yellow-orange, triangular, lateral maculae on tergum 2; terga 3 and 4 each with a pair of white microtrichose and oblique fasciae (on tergum 2 triangular); pile on terga all yellow; sterna dark brown, covered with long whitish yellow pile.

Male genitalia. Apical part of anterior surstyle lobe rhomboid shape, ca. 1.5 times longer than wide, covered with dense, short pile (Fig. 9G, J: al); posterior surstyle lobe oval with basolateral protrusion (lateral hump) (Fig. 9G, H: bp); hypandrium sickle-shaped, without lateral projections; lingula medium size (Fig. 9I: l).

Female. Similar to the male except for normal sexual dimorphism and for the following characteristics: antennae with rounded tip, basoflagellomere ca. two times longer than wide (Fig. 11I); frons with broad microtrichose vittae along eye margins; frons covered with variable pilosity, from mostly gray-yellow until predominantly black; ocellar triangle covered with black pile; lateral side of terga, anterior two thirds of tergum 2 and all of tergum 5 with yellow pile; terga 2–4 with short adpressed black pile.

Merodon sophron is distributed in north-western Africa (Morocco) (Fig. 7).

Preferred environment: forest/open ground; open areas in evergreen oak maquis, dry Pinus forest; unimproved grassland and tracksides (Fig. 35C). Flowers visited: no data. Flight period: May-June.

Holotype [original designation by Hurkmans (1993: 168)]. Morocco • ♂; Azrou; 33°25'00"N, 5°20'00"W; 29 May 1925; E. Hartert leg.; NHMUK (studied).

Morocco • 1 ♂; Azrou; 30°40'00"N, 7°30'00"W; 31 May 1953; G. L. Spoek leg.; NBCN • 2 ♂♂; Moyen Atlas, Azrou; 30°40'00"N, 7°30'00"W; 19 Jun. 1928; R. Benoist leg.; MNHN PM0344, PM0350 • 1 ♀; Moyen Atlas, Azrou; 30°40'00"N, 7°30'00"W; 16 Jun. 1928; R. Benoist leg.; MNHN PM0371 • 1 ♀; Middle Atlas, Azrou; 33°24'51"N, 5°11'36"W; 1789 m a.s.l.; 25–26 Jun. 2014; A. Vujić, S. Radenković, J. Ačanski, S. Veselić leg.; FSUNS 07044 • 1 ♂; Moyen Atlas, Azrou; 33°25'48"N, 5°12'36"W; 16 Jun. 1928, R. Benoist leg.; MNHN 22624 • 1 ♂; Middle Atlas, Maknes, Azrou; 33°25'48"N 5°12'36"W; 1800 m a.s.l.; 25 May 1995; C. Kassebeer leg.; FSUNS 02496.

Medium sized (7.5–11.6 mm), dark brown species with characteristic large silver microtrichose fasciae on terga 2–4 in males (Fig. 23C), and silver michrotrichose ornamentation on scutum in both sexes (Fig. 23A, B); basoflagellomere with rounded apex, 1.6–1.8 times longer than wide in male (Fig. 33A, B).

Male. Head. Antennae black to dark brown; basoflagellomere rounded, 1.6–1.8 times as long as wide, and ca. 2.3 times as long as pedicel; large fossette dorsomedial and dorsolateral; arista brown and thickened at basal one third, covered with dense microtrichia, ca. 1.8 times as long as basoflagellomere (Fig. 33A, B); face and frons black with gray microtrichia, face covered with dense whitish gray, and frons with yellowish gray pile; oral margin shiny with microtrichose lateral areas; lunule shiny black, bare; vertex covered with gray microtrichia; vertex isosceles, with long, pale whitish yellow pile mixed with black pile on the ocellar triangle; ocellar triangle equilateral; eyes covered with dense pile; occiput with gray-yellow pile, covered with a dense, gray microtrichia; eye contiguity 8–12 facets long.

Thorax. Scutum and scutellum black with bronze luster, covered with dense, erect, yellow pile; scutum with conspicuous silver microtrichose ornamentation (Fig. 23A); posterodorsal part of anterior anepisternum, posterior anepisternum (except anteroventral angle), anterior anepimeron, dorsomedial anepimeron, and posterodorsal and anteroventral parts of katepisternum with long, pale yellow pile and grayish microtrichia; wings entirely covered with microtrichia; wing veins brown; calypteres and halteres pale yellow; legs mostly black, except yellowish tip of femora, basal and apical part of tibiae and brown tarsi ventrally; pile on legs pale yellow; metafemur moderately incrassate, ca. four times longer than wide; pile on metafemur long, and ca. half to two thirds of width of metafemur.

Abdomen. Tapering, 1.2 times longer than mesonotum; terga dark, with broad silver microtrichose fasciae; tergum 2 with pale orange lateral maculae; pile on terga all yellow (Fig. 23C); sterna dark brown, covered with long whitish yellow pile.

Male genitalia. Apical part of anterior surstyle lobe rhomboid shape, approximately as long as wide, covered with dense, short pile (Fig. 34A: al); posterior surstyle lobe oval with basolateral protrusion (lateral hump) (Fig. 34A, B: bp); hypandrium sickle-shaped, without lateral projections; lingula (Fig. 34C: l).

Female. Similar to the male except for normal sexual dimorphism and for the following characteristics: basoflagellomere ca. 1.8 times longer than wide, fossette dorsolateral (Fig. 33C); frons with microtrichose vittae along eye margins; frons covered with mostly gray-yellow pile mixed with black ones; ocellar triangle covered with black pile; ventral margin of metafemur with sparse pilosity, only individual pile longer; lateral side of terga, anterior two third of tergum 2 and all tergum 5 with whitish pile; terga 2–4 with short adpressed black pile medially; microtrichose fasciae on terga 3 and 4 narrower (Fig. 23D).

The name trianguloculus derives from the Latin adjective triangulus (triangular) and Latin noun loculus (spot) and describes the distinctive triangular silver pollinose fasciae on the abdomen.

Merodon trianguloculus sp. nov. was recorded only in Turkmenistan (Fig. 7).

Preferred environment: open areas extending to the forest zone; unimproved grassland; adults resting on the stones and in flight between grasses at the top of Dushak Mountain. Flowers visited: no data. Flight period: May-June.

Holotype. Turkmenistan • ♂; 120 km SW Geok-Tepe town; 38°10'31"N, 57°58'01"E; 11 May 1988; A. Barkalov leg.; SZMN 05818. Original label: “HOLOTYPE of Merodon / trianguloculus Vujić, Likov / et Radenković sp.n. 2019” [red label], “Туркмения, I20 км / юз Геок–Тепе 11.У. I988 / Сб.А. Баркалов”, “05818” (See Supplementary file 5: Figure 5). Paratypes. Turkmenistan • 1 ♀; 15 km k-s pos. Firjuza settlement, Dushak Mountain; 18 May 1988; A. Barkalov leg.; SZMN 05819 • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; SZMN 05837 • 1 ♀; Centr. Kopetdag g. Dušak; 2100–2300 m a.s.l.; 6 Jun. 1986; Dubatolov leg.; SZMN 05844 • 1 ♂; Firjuza settlement 15 km zap., Dushak Mountain; 16 May 1988; A. Barkalov leg.; SZMN 05816 • 1 ♂; same data as for preceding; 8 May 1987; SZMN 05840 • 1 ♂; 120 km SW Geok-Tepe town; 38°10'31"N, 57°58'01"E; 11 May 1988; A. Barkalov leg.; SZMN 05817.

The identity of Merodon trizonus remains unclear. The species was described based on two male and two female syntypes labelled “La Calle [el Kala], Algeria” and “Ain Draham, Tunisia”, which were not examined. Originally, the syntypes were located in the Hungarian National Museum in Budapest, but the Diptera collection was destroyed by a fire in 1956. The description of Szilády (1940) is incomplete and based on a few differences from the related species M. hirsutus. The types of M. trizonus are assumed lost and the description is insufficiently accurate to associate name to one of these species. Currently, two species from the M. serrulatus species group, to which M. hirsutus belongs, occur in northern Africa, namely M. bequaerti and M. sophron. Therefore, we propose to leave the name Merodon trizonus (Szilády, 1940) as nomen dubium.