Merodon zebra Vujić & Radenković, 2021

Vujić, Ante, Radenković, Snežana, Zorić, Ljiljana Šašić, Likov, Laura, Tot, Tamara, Veselić, Sanja & Djan, Mihajla, 2021, Revision of the Merodon bombiformis group (Diptera: Syrphidae) - rare and endemic African hoverflies, European Journal of Taxonomy 755 (1), pp. 88-135 : 117-120

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.5852/ejt.2021.755.1401
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:F8C5C34F-CCBB-420B-9319-1DA224A5D783
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5013408
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/9B6ABB0D-7FF4-4217-9C23-FBD06F8D80F1
taxon LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:act:9B6ABB0D-7FF4-4217-9C23-FBD06F8D80F1
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Merodon zebra Vujić & Radenković
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Merodon zebra Vujić & Radenković View in CoL sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:9B6ABB0D-7FF4-4217-9C23-FBD06F8D80F1

Figs 1 View Fig , 3D View Fig , 4D View Fig , 5D View Fig , 6D View Fig , 7A–C View Fig , 9D View Fig , 10D View Fig , 11D View Fig , 12D View Fig , 14C View Fig , 15C View Fig , 16C View Fig , 22D–F View Fig

Diagnosis

Large (10–12 mm), dark, striped species, with golden-yellow pile on the tip of abdomen ( Fig. 5C View Fig ). Scutum with conspicuous pollinose vittae ( Fig. 10D View Fig ); metafemur with medium sized apical dens on triangular lamina ( Figs 6D View Fig , 16D View Fig ); terga 3 and 4 with broad medial pollinose fasciae ( Fig. 5D View Fig ); male genitalia with S-shaped posterior lobe of surstyle, gradually narrowing toward tip ( Fig. 7A View Fig : pl); anterior margin of surstyle rounded in lateral view ( Fig. 7A View Fig : ams). Similar to Merodon vittatus sp. nov. and M. multifasciatus from which differs in less distinct dens on apicoventral triangular lamina of metafemur; shorter eye contiguity, about 10 ommatidia long, while in M. vittatus sp. nov. is about 15, and in M. multifasciatus about 15–20; and shape of male genitalia (rounded anterior margin of surstyle ( Fig. 7A View Fig : ams), in M. vittatus sp. nov. angular in lateral view ( Fig. 7D View Fig : ams); narrow, S-shaped posterior lobe of surstyle, gradually narrowing toward tip ( Fig. 7A View Fig : pl), in M. multifasciatus broad, slightly curved, with almost parallel and rounded apex ( Fig. 13D View Fig : pl).

Etymology

The specific epithet ‘zebra’ was given as a reference to the African equine, zebra with a distinctive black and white striped coat, pattern like in this Merodon species. It is to be treated as a noun in apposition. The name ‘zebra’ was proposed by W. Hurkmans in an unpublished manuscript, but unfortunately the designated holotype belongs to M. multifasciatus . We decided to keep this descriptive name for this African endemic.

Material examined

Holotype DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO • 1 ♂; Lubumbashi (former Elisabethville); 11.589° S, 27.427° E; 4 Feb. 1923; Dr M. Bequaert leg.; FSUNS ID 25089 ; RMCA. GoogleMaps

Paratypes DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; Lualaba River ; 7.809° S, 26.919° E; 562 m a.s.l.; 2500–4000 ft; 17 May 1907; S.A. Neave leg.; FSUNS ID 03314 , 03911 View Materials ; BMNH GoogleMaps • 1 ♂; same collection data as for preceding; 30 May 1907; FSUNS ID 03912 ; NBCN AM-05-073 GoogleMaps • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; FSUNS ID 03316 , 03910 View Materials ; BMNH GoogleMaps • 1 ♂; same collection data as for preceding; 31 May 1907; FSUNS ID 03315 ; BMNH GoogleMaps • 1 ♀; Kasongo ; 4.45° S, 26.666° E, 661 m a.s.l; 7 Nov. 1912; Dr M. Bequaert leg.; FSUNS ID 25090 ; RMCA GoogleMaps • 1 ♀; same collection data as for holotype; 16 Jan. 1921; FSUNS ID 25091 ; RMCA GoogleMaps • 1 ♂; Lubumbashi (former Elisabethville), R. Kimilol; 11.589° S, 27.427° E; Dec. 1928; Dr M. Bequaert leg.; FSUNS ID 05174 ; NBCN GoogleMaps .

TANZANIA • 1 ♀; Tanganyika Territory (former), Ugano, Matengo Highland WSW of Songea; 10.949° S, 34.934° E; 1500–1700 m a.s.l.; 11–20 Jan. 1936; H. Zerny leg.; FSUNS ID 05725 ; NHMW GoogleMaps .

Description

Length: large species, body 10–12 mm, wing 7–8 mm (n = 4).

Male

HEAD ( Figs 4D View Fig , 9D View Fig , 11D View Fig , 12D View Fig ). Antenna ( Fig. 4D View Fig ) reddish-brown; pedicel elongated, approximately as long as basoflagellomere (relation scape:pedicel: basoflagellomere =1.0: 2.5: 2.5); basoflagellomere concave dorsally, with acute apex; arista light brown to dark brown, thickened basally, 1.6 times as long as basoflagellomere. Face from black to dark brown, covered with gray pollinosity and whitish pile, except on bare medial vitta that occupies ¼ width of face. Oral margin protruded ( Fig. 9D View Fig ). Frons from black to reddish, inflated, covered with gray pollinosity and whitish pile. Vertical triangle isosceles ( Fig. 12D View Fig ), usually dark brown, predominantly covered with a long, yellow pile. Ocellar triangle equilateral. Eye pile dense, gray, slightly longer than scape. Eye contiguity about 10 ommatidia long. Occiput reddish, pollinose, covered with yellow pile.

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

ABDOMEN ( Fig. 5D View Fig ). Black to dark brown. Tergum 1 black, usually with pollinosity, covered with short whitish to yellow pile; tergum 2 with pollinose posterior margin and narrow medial fascia, in some specimens interrupted in the middle, with whitish pile except posterior half between pollinose fasciae covered with short black pilosity; terga 3 and 4 with pollinose posterior margin and broad medial fasciae; anterior half of tergum 3 covered with short black pile; tergum 4 covered with long golden yellow pilosity. Sterna reddish-brown, covered with white or yellow pile.

GENITALIA ( Figs 3D View Fig , 7A–C View Fig ). Posterior lobe of surstyle narrow, bent, S-shaped, gradually narrowing toward tip ( Fig. 7A View Fig : pl); anterior lobe of surstyle undeveloped ( Fig. 7A View Fig ); anterior margin of surstyle rounded in lateral view ( Fig. 7A View Fig : ams); cercus square like ( Fig. 7A View Fig : c). Hypandrium with theca medially distinctly narrowed ( Fig. 7C View Fig : marked with arrow). Lateral sclerite of aedeagus small ( Fig. 3D View Fig : s).

Female ( Figs 14C View Fig , 15C View Fig , 16C View Fig )

Similar to the male except for normal sexual dimorphism: metafemur usually with small apical dens on triangular lamina ( Fig. 16C View Fig ); frons with non pollinose medial vitta ( Fig. 15C View Fig ); vertex shiny, non pollinose, mostly covered with black pile.

Period of flight and distribution ( Fig. 1 View Fig )

Merodon zebra sp. nov. occurs in central parts of Africa ( Democratic Republic of the Congo and Tanzania); the flight period may extend over the whole year and probably depends on local circumstances. It appears in a deciduous forest-woodland savanna type of vegetation ( Sayre et al. 2013).