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 turkestanicus Paramonov, 1927 Figs 1E, F , 2C , 5F , 6G , 9E, F , 10F , 15H, I , 18B , 20F , 27 , 29D , 31E, F , 35D Merodon turkestanicus Paramonov, 1927: 77 (= 321). Type locality. Uzbekistan, Tashkent. Type material examined. Holotype : UZBEKISTAN • ♂. Original labels: "N 339", "d. Tashkent / Turkestan / 12.V.15." [yellowish black-bordered, pale violet ink], " Merodon / turkestanicus / n. sp. ♂ Typus / Paramonov. det" [pink double black-bordered, violet ink], "Holotypus / Merodon Merodon Par., 1927 G.V.Popov des. 2007" [red]. Additional material examined. KAZAKHSTAN • 1 ♂ ; Krasnogorski , Dzhushy-Dala , near Anrakhay ; 43°41 '53" N , 74°49 '33" E ; 28 Apr. 1956 ; Marikovsky P. leg.; SZMN 05804 • 1 ♀ ; same data as for preceding; SZMN 05805 • 1 ♂ ; 140 km NW of Almaty , Kanshengel ; 44°19 '13" N , 75°33 '04" E ; 600 m a.s.l. ; 13 Apr. 2002 ; Danilevsky Merodon leg.; Sommaggio D. det. as Merodon ; D.S. coll. 24945 . - TAJIKISTAN • 1 ♂ ; 6 km N of village Kalon ; 39°05 '51" N , 68°49 '56" E ; 7 Jun. 2021 ; Zinchenko V. leg.; SZMN • 1 ♂ ; Barchadev gorge; 7 Jul. 2021 ; Barkalov A. leg.; SZMN . - TURKMENISTAN • 1 ♂ ; Scharlouk , Hura Houdon ; 37°51 '23" N , 58°11 '41" E ; 26 Apr. 1996 ; Dolin W. leg.; M. H. coll. 02546 • 1 ♂ ; 15 km W of Firyuza , Dushak Mountain ; 37°54 '05" N , 57°54 '44" E ; 2100 m a.s.l. ; 8 May 1987 ; Barkalov A. leg.; SZMN • 2 ♂♂ ; same data as for preceding; SZMN 05841, 05842 • 59 ♂♂ , 25 ♀♀ ; Dushak Mountain ; 4-11 May 1987 , 16-20 May 1988 ; Barkalov A. , Dubatolov V.V. leg.; SZMN • 1 ♂ ; Firyuza-Vanovski ; 37°54 '34" N , 58°05 '20" E ; 23-26 Apr. 1989 ; Becvar S. leg.; D.D. coll . • 70 ♂♂ , 22♀♀ ; Environs of Ashkhabad , Firyuza settlement; 37°54 '58" N , 58°05 '22" E ; 652 m a.s.l. ; SZMN • 134 ♂♂ , 80♀♀ ; Ahal Province , Ak bugday District , SEE of Annau settlement; 37°50 '08" N , 58°36 '09" E ; 22-30 Apr. 1988 ; Barkalov A. , Chekanov Yu. leg.; SZMN • 31 ♂♂ , 17 ♀♀ ; Ahal Region , Goekdepe District , SW of Geok Tepe ; 38°04 '52" N , 57°52 '48" E ; 8-11 May 1988 ; Barkalov A. , Chekanov Yu. leg.; SZMN • 14♂♂ , 9♀♀ ; Kopet-dag Mountains , 20 km E Nokhur settlement, Karayalchi gorge; 38°28 '25" N , 57°09 '09" E ; 28 Apr. 1991 ; Dubatolov V.V. , Zinchenko V. leg.; SZMN . Diagnosis. Medium sized (9-11 mm), long pilose, dark species, with olive-brown reflection (Fig. 20F ); antennae dark brown, basoflagellomere elongated, about 2.3 times as long as wide (Fig. 10F ); legs mostly black (Fig. 15H, I ); body pile pale yellow to gray. Male: metafemur about 4 times longer than wide, covered with long and pale pilosity (Fig. 15H, I ); basotarsomere of metatarsus expanded, about 2 times broader than the second tarsomere (Fig. 9E ), ventrally with well-defined brush-like area of dense pile extended for 3/4 of its length (Fig. 9F ); ventral margin of metatrochanter angular; sternum 4 with large laminate extensions on posterior margin (Fig. 5F ); male genitalia: anterior surstyle lobe oval (Fig. 1E : al) and posterior surstyle lobe oval to triangular (Fig. 1E : pl); ejaculatory apodeme as long as broad (Fig. 2C : ea); lingula variable, from distinct to small (Fig. 2C : l). Differs from males of Merodon smirnovi , M. tarsatus and M. pakistanicus Vujic , Likov & Radenkovic sp. nov. by dichoptic eyes or shortly connected by distance of 1-5 facets long in M. turkestanicus (Fig. 31E, F ), while these species have holoptic eyes, where the eye contiguity is more than 6 facets long. Similar to M. namaghijamii Vujic , Likov & Radenkovic sp. nov. from which differs in narrower basotarsomere of metaleg (Fig. 9E, F ) compared with M. namaghijamii Vujic , Likov & Radenkovic sp. nov. (Fig. 9A-C ); male genitalia: ejaculatory apodeme narrower than basal width of hypandrium in lateral view in M. turkestanicus (Fig. 2C : ea), while in M. namaghijamii Vujic , Likov & Radenkovic sp. nov. wider than basal width of hypandrium in lateral view (Fig. 2D : ea). Re-description. Male. Head : Antenna dark brown; basoflagellomere (Fig. 10F ) elongated about 2.3 times as long as wide, about 2.5 times as long as pedicel, more or less straight dorsally, tapering to apex; fossette dorsolateral and large (Fig. 10F ); arista dark and thickened at basal third; face and frons black with gray microtrichia, face covered with dense whitish pile, frons with gray-yellowish pile; oral margin black, with sparse microtrichia; lunule shiny black to brown, bare; eye dichoptic or with short eye contiguity about 1-5 facets long; vertex isosceles, shiny black; vertex with long, pale yellow-whitish pile, in some cases mixed with a few black pile on ocellar triangle; ocellar triangle equilateral; occiput with gray-yellow pile, ventrally covered with dense gray microtrichia; eyes covered with dense whitish-gray pile (Fig. 31E, F ); vertical triangle: frons = 1: 2. - Thorax : Scutum and scutellum black with olive-green to brown lustre, covered with dense, erect whitish-yellow pile; scutum usually without 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 pile; wings mostly covered with microtrichia; wing veins brown; calypter pale yellow; halter yellow; legs mostly black, except brown base of metatibia and tarsi ventrally in some specimens; pile on legs pale yellow to whitish; ventral margin of metatrochanter angular; metafemur moderately broad, about as 4 times longer than wide, with long pile on ventral surface, about as wide as metafemur, longer than pile on dorsal surface (Fig. 15H, I ); apicomedial lamina on metatibia distinct, covered with very long yellow pile (Fig. 18B ); basotarsomere of metatarsus expanded, about 2 times broader than second tarsomere (Fig. 9E ), ventrally with well-defined brush-like area of dense pile extended for 3/4 of its length (Fig. 9F ). - Abdomen : About 1.2 times longer than mesonotum; terga dark brown to black; terga 2-4 without or with pair of narrow, white pollinose fasciae; pile on terga all yellow to gray-whitish (Fig. 20F ); sterna dark brown, covered with long whitish-yellow pile (Fig. 35D ). - Male genitalia : Anterior surstyle lobe oval, about 1.5 times longer than wide, covered with dense short pile (Fig. 1E, F : al); posterior surstyle lobe oval to triangular (Fig. 1E : pl); cercus rectangular (Fig. 1E : c); hypandrium sickle-shaped, without lateral projections; lingula elongated (Fig. 2C : l). - Female. Similar to male except for normal sexual dimorphism and following characteristics: basoflagellomere with rounded apex, about 1.5 times longer than wide; frons with pollinose vittae along eye margins; frons covered with mostly gray-yellow pile; ocellar triangle covered with black pile; terga covered with gray-whitish to yellow pilosity; medial part of terga 2-4 usually with short adpressed black pile; pollinose fasciae on terga 2-4 more distinct; basotarsomere of metatarsus less expanded, without well-defined brush-like area of dense pile ventrally. Figure 33. Maximum-Parsimony 5′ COI tree of the Merodon tarsatus species group (filled circles stand for unique changes; open circles stand for non-unique changes; bootstrap values ≥ 50 are presented near nodes). Strict consensus tree of 16 equally parsimonious trees, L = 351, Ci = 63, Ri = 75. Figure 34. Maximum-Likelihood 5′ COI tree of the Merodon tarsatus species group based on the Tamura-Nei model. Tree with highest log likelihood (-2540.4813) is shown. A discrete Gamma distribution was used to model evolutionary rate differences among sites (5 categories (+G, parameter = 0.1619)). Bootstrap values ≥ 50 are presented near nodes. Distribution and ecological data. Merodon turkestanicus occurs in Tajikistan, Southeastern Kazakhstan, northeastern Uzbekistan and southern Turkmenistan (Kopet-Dag mountain range) (Fig. 27 ). It was recorded on diverse types of localities which belong to five ecoregions: Gissaro-Alai open woodlands, Alai-Western Tian Shan steppe, Central Asian northern desert, Pamir alpine desert and tundra, and Kopet Dag woodlands and forest steppe ( Olson et al. 2001 ). Tall-forb vegetation of the localities of M. turkestanicus in the Pamir-Alai and western Tian Shan Mountains in Tajikistan includes: forb rich mesophilous tall-forb communities of the western Pamir-Alai Mountains, scree-like tall-forb communities of the eastern Irano-Turanian region, and dry tall-forb communities of the subhumid zone of the eastern Irano-Turanian region ( Nowak et al. 2020a ). Many geophytes (e.g., Allium , Iris , Eremurus ) are present. Artemisia spp. communities characterize desert vegetation of Southern Kazakhstan, and Pamir alpine zone consists of Kobresia spp. and Carex spp. sedge-meadows. A variety of landscapes of Gissaro-Alai open woodlands range from foothill semideserts to alpine meadows; the steppe grasses grow alongside wild fruit and nut forests, and at the higher altitudes a mosaic of open Juniperus forests forms the montane belt; the valleys of mountain rivers house riparian forests ( WWF 2022 ). The Kopet-Dag mountains are characterized by several community types: xeric shrublike woodlands (800-2500 m a.s.l.) dominated by Acer tucomanicum Pojark. and Paliurus spina-christi Mill.; Juniperus woodlands (1300-2000 m a.s.l.); steppe vegetation (1000-2200 m a.s.l.) on mountain plateaus with Stipa spp. and Festuca valesiaca Schleich. ex Gaudin; mesophytic riparian and deciduous forest communities (1000-1500 m a.s.l.) formed by Juglans regia L., Fraxinus angustifolia subsp. syriaca (Boiss.) Yalt., Ulmus minor subsp. minor and Cornus meyeri (Pojark.) Pilip. with mesophilic herbaceous layer; Artemisia spp. communities (300-800 m a.s.l.); subtropical grasslands (800-1000 m a.s.l.) with Thinopyrum intermedium subsp. intermedium , and meadows (700-1600 m a.s.l.) with Elymus repens (L.) Gould in the depressions of mountain plateaus or in the river valleys. On the basis of our data the flight period is from April to early July. Remarks. Original description was based on a holotype from Uzbekistan ( Paramonov 1927 ). Type material studied. This species was revised by Hurkmans (1993) as a member of the " Merodon tarsatus group" without examination of holotype.