Three new Eastern-Mediterranean endemic species of the Merodon aureus group (Diptera: Syrphidae) Author Veselić, Sanja Author Vujić, Ante Author Radenković, Snežana text Zootaxa 2017 4254 4 401 434 journal article 33203 10.11646/zootaxa.4254.4.1 45ce91e2-3e09-4ff1-a1bf-f3ca8f1f592c 1175-5326 556010 5F2987AA-1E89-4178-8C97-57AE92268F49 Key to species subgroups and species within the Merodon aureus group sensu Radenković et al. (2011) [Adapted from Šašić et al. (2016)] 1 Body pilosity very short ( Fig. 17 a), pile on dorsal surface of hind femur shorter than scapus; pile on tergites II and III shorter than basoflagellomere; distal half of hind tibia, and hind tarsi dorsally darkened ( Fig. 17 b).................................................................................... Merodon nisi sp. n. ( Aegean island of Rhodes, Greece ) - Body pilosity longer, pile on tergites II and III as long as or longer than basoflagellomere........................... 2 2 Tibiae and tarsi mostly pale, at least basal half of fore and mid tibiae and tarsi ventrally............................. 3 - Tibiae and tarsi predominantly black...................................................................... 4 3 Tergites reddish.................................. Merodon dobrogensis subgroup (Eastern Mediterranean, 3 species) - Tergites dark, exceptionally with small orange spots on lateral sides of tergites II and III.............................. .......................................... Merodon bessarabicus subgroup (central and southern Europe, 6 species) 4 Tergites II and III with pale lateral spots............................... Merodon unguicornis (Western Mediterranean) - Tergites uniformly dark............................................................................... 5 5 Mesonotum only with pale pile...................... Merodon aureus subgroup (central and southern Europe, 3 species) - Mesonotum, at least near wing base, with black pile......................................................... 6 6 Species with strong blue body lustre....................................... Merodon caerulescens ( Aegean islands) - Species with dark brown or greenish body lustre............................................................ 7 7 Tergites without microtrichia, shiny dark brown to black. Frons above antennae swollen and striated, with median tubercle above lunulae; metatarsus of hind leg with small dorsal depression.................................................................................................... Merodon robustus sp. n. ( Aegean island of Samos, Greece ) - Tergites with at least a trace of microtrichose stripes or spots.................................................. 8 8 Body pile shorter; pile on scutellum in male shorter than hind basitarsus; tergites in female without microtrichose bands, or with small ones on tergites II and III............................................................................................... Merodon chalybeus subgroup (islands, coastal zone or low altitudes in Mediterranean, 4 species) - Body pile longer; pile on scutellum in male as long as or longer than hind basitarsus; tergites II–IV in female with pair of microtrichose stripes......... Merodon cinereus subgroup (Central and South European mountains, 2 species complexes)