Taxonomic revision of the Merodon tarsatus species group (Diptera, Syrphidae) Author Vujic, Ante https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8819-8079 University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Sciences, Department of Biology and Ecology, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia; Author Radenkovic, Snezana https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7805-9614 University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Sciences, Department of Biology and Ecology, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia; Author Barkalov, Anatolij Institute of Systematics and Ecology of Animals, Siberian Branch of the Academy of Sciences, 630091 Novosibirsk, Russia; Author Kocis Tubic, Natasa https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6077-7378 University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Sciences, Department of Biology and Ecology, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia; Author Likov, Laura https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7215-1006 University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Sciences, Department of Biology and Ecology, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia; Author Tot, Tamara https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8776-9362 University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Sciences, Department of Biology and Ecology, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia; Author Popov, Grigory https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2519-1937 Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, 01030 Kyiv, Ukraine; Grigory Popov Author Prokhorov, Alex https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3367-260X Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, 01030 Kyiv, Ukraine; Grigory Popov Author Gilasian, Ebrahim Insect Taxonomy Research Department, Iranian Research Institute of Plant Protection, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization, Tehran, 19395 - 1454 Iran; Author Anjum, Shehzad National Insect Museum, National Agriculture Research Centre, 44000 Islamabad, Pakistan; Author Djan, Mihajla https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2427-0676 University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Sciences, Department of Biology and Ecology, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia; Author Kakar, Banafsha Department of Zoology, Sardar Bahadur Khan Women's University, 87300 Quetta, Pakistan; Author Andric, Andrijana https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8239-7595 University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Sciences, Department of Biology and Ecology, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia; andrijana.andric@biosense.rs text Arthropod Systematics & amp; Phylogeny 2023 2023-02-10 81 201 256 http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/asp.81.e93570 journal article http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/asp.81.e93570 1864-8312-81-201 FF52A05BBDC0474E98480DC95A8155B2 6948310230AC5B61A4F483591644E453 Merodon nigroalatus Vujic , Likov & Radenkovic sp. nov. Figs 28 , 37 , 38 , 39 M. aff. tarsatus 6 ( Vujic et al 2021a ). Type locality. PAKISTAN: Khyber Paktunkhawa Province, Haripur District, Tehsil, Khanur Nikrian. Type material. Holotype : ♂; NARC 05922 [specimen dry pinned, in good condition, both wings are damaged, genitalia in separate microvial]. Original labels: "Nikrian, Khan Pur / 29.iii.[20]13 / A. Haq", "6B" , "05922" . - Paratypes : PAKISTAN • 1 ♂; Khyber Paktunkhawa Province, Haripur District, Tehsil, Khanur Nikrian; 29 Mar. 2013; Haq A. leg.; NARC 05923 • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; NARC 05933. Diagnosis. Species with unique combination of morphological characters in Merodon avidus-nigritarsis lineage: abdomen with red markings (Figs 37A , 38A ) and wing blackish in male (Fig. 37C ). Medium sized (8-10 mm), medium long pilose species, with dark brown reflection; antennae reddish-yellow, basoflagellomere with concave dorsal margin (Figs 37D , 38C ); tarsus of proleg expanded and modified (Fig. 37E ), proleg and mesoleg with reddish-yellow apex of femora, and tibiae and tarsi partly reddish-yellow; metafemur mostly black, metatibia dark medially and tarsus of metaleg dark dorsally, the rest is reddish-yellow (Figs 37G-I , 38D ); body pile whitish, yellow to gray. Male: metafemur about 4 times longer than wide, covered with long pilosity (Fig. 37G ); basotarsomere of metatarsus ventrally with setae (Fig. 37I ); sternum 4 with triangular posterior margin (Fig. 37F ); male genitalia: anterior surstyle lobe quadratic (Fig. 39A : al), posterior surstyle lobe bilobate (Fig. 39B : marked with red arrows), oval, with broadly rounded apex (Fig. 39A : pl); lingula medium size (Fig. 39C : l). Figure 37. Merodon nigroalatus Vujic , Likov & Radenkovic sp. nov. , male. A body, dorsal view; B head, frontal view; C wing, dorsal view; D basoflagellomere, lateral view; E protibia and protarsus, dorsal view; F sterna, ventral view; G metafemur and metatibia, lateral view; H metatibia and metatarsus, dorso-lateral view; I metatarsus, lateral view. Scale bars: 1 mm (A-C, E-H), 0.25 mm (D), 0.5 mm (I). Description. Male. Head : Antenna reddish-yellow; basoflagellomere (Fig. 37D ) about 2 times as long as wide, about 2.5 times as long as pedicel, concave dorsally, with rounded apical margin; fossette dorsolateral (Fig. 37D ); arista reddish-brown and thickened at basal third; face and frons black with gray microtrichia, face covered with dense whitish pile, frons with yellowish pile; oral margin black, with sparse microtrichia; lunule yellowish, bare; eye contiguity about 10-12 facets long; vertex isosceles, shiny black, anterior corner pollinose; vertex with long, whitish-gray pile, or mixed with a few black pile on ocellar triangle; ocellar triangle isosceles; occiput with white-gray pile, ventrally covered with dense gray microtrichia; eyes covered with dense whitish-gray pile (Fig. 37A, B ); vertical triangle: eye contiguity: frons = 3: 1: 2.5. - Thorax : Scutum and scutellum black with dark brown lustre, covered with dense, erect pale yellow pile; scutum without distinct pollinose vittae; anterior half of scutum from dull to shiny; 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 to gray pile; wings black to dark, mostly covered with microtrichia; wing veins black; calypter pale yellow; halter yellow; tarsus of proleg modified, slightly expanded (Fig. 37E ); proleg and mesoleg with reddish apex of femora, and tibiae and tarsi partly reddish-yellow; metafemur mostly black, metatibia dark medially and tarsus of metaleg dark dorsally, remaining tarsi reddish-yellow (Fig. 37E-I ); pile on legs pale yellow; metafemur moderately broad, about 4 times longer than wide, with long pile on ventral surface, about 2/3 of width of metafemur, and as long as dense pile on apicodorsal surface (Fig. 37G ); metatibia apicomedially covered with a few long yellowish pile (Fig. 37H ); basotarsomere of metatarsus more than 2 times longer than second tarsomere (Fig. 37I ). - Abdomen : Broad, about 1.3 times longer than mesonotum; terga 2-4 with large, lateral reddish-yellow markings (Fig. 37A ); terga 2-4 each with pair of poorly visible white, pollinose fasciae; pile on terga gray-whitish except black pilosity on medial part of terga 3-4; sterna yellowish, covered with whitish pile; sternum 4 with median V-shaped incision on posterior margin (Fig. 37F ). - Male genitalia : Anterior surstyle lobe quadratic, about 1.5 times longer than wide, covered with dense short pile (Fig. 39A : al); posterior surstyle lobe divided in two lobes (Fig. 39B : marked with red arrows) connected with fine membrane (Fig. 39B : d), oval, with broadly rounded apex (Fig. 39A : pl); hypandrium sickle-shaped, without lateral projections; lingula narrow and of medium length (Fig. 39C : l). - Female. Similar to male except for normal sexual dimorphism and following characteristics: basoflagellomere about 1.7 times longer than wide (Fig. 38C ); frons with pollinose vittae along eye margins (Fig. 38B ); frons covered with gray-yellow pile mixed with black ones on ocellar triangle; scutum with four distinct pollinose vittae (Fig. 38A ); reddish-yellow markings on abdomen smaller and limited to terga 2 and 3 (Fig. 38A ); medial part of terga 2-4 with short adpressed black pile; pollinose fasciae on terga 2-4 distinct; sterna 4-5 black (Fig. 38E ). Figure 38. Merodon nigroalatus Vujic , Likov & Radenkovic sp. nov. , female. A body, dorsal view; B head, frontal view; C basoflagellomere, lateral view; D metaleg, lateral view; E sterna, ventral view. Scale bars: 1 mm (A), 0.5 mm (B, D, E), 0.25 mm (C). Etymology. The name " Merodon nigroalatus ", as arbitrary combination, is derived from Latin adjectives "niger" meaning black and "alatus" meaning winged. This describes the distinctive dark wing of the species. Figure 39. Merodon nigroalatus Vujic , Likov & Radenkovic sp. nov. , male genitalia. A epandrium, lateral view; B posterior surstyle lobe, dorsal view; C hypandrium, lateral view. Abbreviations: al - anterior surstyle lobe, c - cercus, d - membrane connecting two lobes of posterior surstyle lobe, l - lingula, pl - posterior surstyle lobe. Two lobes of posterior surstyle lobe marked with arrows. Scale bar: 0.5 mm. Distribution and ecological data. Merodon nigroalatus Vujic , Likov & Radenkovic sp. nov. has only been recorded in northern Pakistan so far (Fig. 28 ). Its only known locality belongs to the Baluchistan xeric woodlands ( Olson et al. 2001 ) and is situated in the north-east of this ecoregion, characterized by Olea europaea subsp. cuspidata accompanied by Dodonaea viscosa . These xerophytic forests support Tamarix spp., Savadora oleoides , Ziziphus mauritiana , Acacia modesta , and bulbous plants such as Iris , Tulipa , and Allium spp. are found on the slopes ( WWF 2022 ). The collection site is located between subtropical and temperate zones in dry deciduous forests. The area's arid subtropical habitat is characterized by mountainous terrain with elevations below 1000 m with high precipitation rates. Type material was collected from citrus ( Citrus sinensis ) orchard with wheat ( Triticum aestivum ) as intercropped. On the basis of our data the flight period is late March. Remarks. Mimics bees of the genus Sphecodes Latreille ( Hymenoptera : Halictidae ). This species has a unique position inside the genus based on very distinct morphological characters. Based on molecular marker and structure of the male genitalia it is related to the Merodon tarsatus group, but because of absence of the main diagnostic characters of the group, such as structure of sternum 4 and basotarsomere of metaleg, it should be kept as unplaced species inside the Merodon avidus-nigritarsis lineage.