Merodon vittatus Vujić & Likov, 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 : 115-117

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.5013402
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/591CEDD4-80E4-4978-B13E-3F66511C9026
taxon LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:act:591CEDD4-80E4-4978-B13E-3F66511C9026
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Merodon vittatus Vujić & Likov
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Merodon vittatus Vujić & Likov View in CoL sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:591CEDD4-80E4-4978-B13E-3F66511C9026

Figs 1 View Fig , 4C View Fig , 5C View Fig , 6C View Fig , 7D–F View Fig , 8B View Fig , 9C View Fig , 10C View Fig , 11C View Fig , 12C View Fig , 18C View Fig , 21E View Fig

Diagnosis

Brown, large (12 mm), striped species, with golden yellow pile on the tip of abdomen ( Fig. 5C View Fig ); frons and postpronotum dark brown; scutum with five pollinose vittae ( Fig. 10C View Fig ); metafemur with distinct apical thorn on triangular process ( Figs 6C View Fig , 8B View Fig ); terga 3 and 4 with broad medial pollinose fasciae ( Fig. 5C View Fig ). Similar to Merodon multifasciatus from which differs only in male genitalia with narrow, S-shaped posterior lobe of surstyle, gradually narrowing toward tip ( Fig. 7D View Fig : pl) (in M. multifasciatus broad, slightly curved, with almost parallel sides and rounded apex ( Fig. 13D View Fig : pl).

Etymology

The specific epithet ‘ vittatus ’ ‘wearing or carrying a vitta’, an adjective, refering to the broad golden gray fasciae on the terga 2–4.

Material examined

Holotype GHANA • 1 ♂; Transvolta Togoland , Amedzofe; 6.853° N, 0.433° E; 2 Nov. 1959; N.D. Jago leg.; FSUNS ID 04085 ; NBCN. GoogleMaps

Description

Length: large species, body 12 mm, wing 8.5 mm (n = 1).

Male

HEAD ( Figs 4C View Fig , 9C View Fig , 11C View Fig , 12C View Fig ). Antenna ( Fig. 4C View Fig ) reddish-yellow; pedicel elongated, approximately as long as basoflagellomere (relation scape:pedicel: basoflagellomere =1.0: 2.5: 2.5); basoflagellomere concave dorsally, with acute apex; arista yellow to reddish, thickened basally, 1.7 times as long as basoflagellomere. Face dark brown, covered with gray pollinosity and whitish pile, except on bare medial vitta that occupies ¼ width of face. Oral margin protruded ( Fig. 9C View Fig ). Frons dark brown, inflated, covered with gray pollinosity and whitish pile. Vertical triangle isosceles ( Fig. 12C View Fig ), reddish, covered with a long, whitish pile. Ocellar triangle equilateral. Eye pile dense, gray, slightly longer than scape. Eye contiguity about 15 ommatidia long. Occiput reddish-brown, pollinose, covered with a whitish pile.

THORAX ( Figs 6C View Fig , 8B View Fig , 10C View Fig ). Mesonotum black, except lateral side of scutum including postpronotum, postalar callus, and posterior margin of scutellum red-brown; covered with grayish-yellow pile; scutum with five pollinose longitudinal vittae ( Fig. 10C 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 and anepimeron. Wing hyaline, with dense microtrichia and yellow to brown veins. Calypter pale yellow. Halter with pale yellow pedicel and capitulum. All three femora dark brown; tibiae mostly reddish, medially dark brown; tarsi reddish ( Figs 6C View Fig , 8B View Fig ). Metatrochanter without calcar. Metafemur moderately thickened, with less developed apicoventral triangular lamina, more or less dentate, the apical dens is distinct ( Figs 6C View Fig , 8B View Fig ). Pile on legs predominantly whitish to yellow.

ABDOMEN ( Fig. 5C View Fig ). Black to dark brown. Tergum 1 with gray pollinosity, covered with black basal sockets of pile and with short pale yellow pile; tergum 2 with pollinose posterior margin and narrow medial fascia, interrupted in the middle, covered with pale yellow pile; terga 3 and 4 with pollinose posterior margin and broad medial fasciae ( Fig. 5C View Fig ); tergum 3 covered with pale yellow pile except anterior half with few short black pile; tergum 4 covered with long golden-yellow pilosity ( Fig. 5C View Fig ). Sterna reddish-brown, covered with pale yellow pile.

GENITALIA ( Figs 7D–F View Fig , 18C View Fig ). Posterior lobe of surstyle S-shaped, gradually narrowing toward tip ( Fig. 7D View Fig : pl); anterior margin of surstyle angular ( Fig. 7D View Fig : ams); cercus elongated ( Fig. 7D View Fig : c). Hypandrium with theca medially distinctly narrowed ( Fig. 7F View Fig ). Lateral sclerite of aedeagus small ( Fig. 18C View Fig : s).

Female

Unknown.

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

Only the holotype is known, which originated from Ghana and was collected in November. It was found in a deciduous forest-woodland savanna type of vegetation.