Close relatives of Mediterranean endemo-relict hoverflies (Diptera, Syrphidae) in South Africa: Morphological and molecular evidence in the Merodon melanocerus subgroup.

Snežana Radenković,Ante Vujić,Nevena Veličković,Sanja Veselić,Axel Ssymank,Gunilla Ståhls,Dragana Obreht Vidaković,Mihajla Djan,Oliver Schweiger

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0200805

Abstract

An ongoing study of the genus Merodon Meigen, 1803 in the Republic of South Africa (RSA) has revealed the existence of new species related to M. melanocerus Bezzi, 1915. The M. melanocerus subgroup belongs to the Afrotropical lineage of the M. desuturinus group. Revision of all available material from museums and detailed analyses of newly -collected specimens from our own expeditions to RSA resulted in delimitation of five species: M. capensis Hurkmans sp. n., M. commutabilis Radenković et Vujić sp. n., M. drakonis Vujić et Radenković sp. n., M. flavocerus Hurkmans sp. n. and M. melanocerus. In addition to classical morphological characters, sequences of the mitochondrial COI gene are provided for four related taxa. Results of molecular phylogenetic analyses supports monophyly of the M. desuturinus group and confirmed delimitation between species. Links between Palaearctic and Afrotropical faunas of this group, as well as possible evolutionary paths, are discussed. Based on phylogenetic analyses, four lineages (putative subgenera) have been recognized within the genus Merodon; besides the three previously established ones, albifrons+desuturinus, aureus (sensu lato) and avidus-nigritarsis, one new lineage named natans is distinguished.

Highlights

The phytophagous hoverfly genus Merodon Meigen (Diptera: Syrphidae: Eristalinae: Merodontini) is distributed over the Palaearctic and Ethiopian regions and comprises more than 160 species [1]
Here we present an ongoing study of the genus Merodon in the Republic of South Africa (RSA), as well as a detailed analysis of available material from museums and private collections, that has revealed the existence of new species of the desuturinus group, related to M. melanocerus Bezzi, 1915, native to southeastern RSA
Of the remaining species in the group, M. cuthbertsoni is very close to M. desuturinus according to morphological characters, and treated together with Mediterranean representatives of the group [25]

Summary

Introduction

The phytophagous hoverfly genus Merodon Meigen (Diptera: Syrphidae: Eristalinae: Merodontini) is distributed over the Palaearctic and Ethiopian regions and comprises more than 160 species [1]. This is the only representative of the genus in the Nearctic region, where it was probably inadvertently introduced.

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Results

Conclusion