Abstract
The putative monophyly and systematic position of Merodon nigritarsis group was assessed based on morphological and molecular data of the mitochondrial COI and nuclear 28S rRNA genes. The previously reported concept of the group has been redefined, and M. crassifemoris Paramonov, 1925 is now excluded. The related M. avidus group is redefined here, including the Merodon avidus complex and M. femoratus Sack, 1913. Species delimitation of morphologically defined species of M. nigritarsis group was well supported by COI gene analysis, with the exception of M. alagoezicus Paramonov, 1925 and M. lucasi Hurkmans, 1993. Descriptions are given for three new species of the M. nigritarsis species group: Merodon cohurnus Vujić, Likov et Radenković sp. n., Merodon longisetus Vujić, Radenković et Likov sp. n. and Merodon obstipus Vujić, Radenković et Likov sp. n., and one new species from the M. avidus group: Merodon rutitarsis Likov, Vujić et Radenković sp. n. A lectotype is designated for M. femoratus Sack, 1913, and two new synonymies of this species were proposed: M. biarcuatus Curran, 1939 and M. elegans Hurkmans, 1993. Here we review 18 species from the M. nigritarsis group and six species from the M. avidus group and provide morphological diagnoses of the species groups. Additionally, diagnosis of 12 branches (groups or individual taxa) of M. avidus-nigritarsis lineage, an illustrated diagnostic key for the males, and distribution map are provided for the new species.
Highlights
Representing a frontier between Europe, Asia and Africa, the Mediterranean region is one of the richest biodiversity zones on the planet
Phylogenetic analyses and systematic position of M. nigritarsis and M. avidus groups Aiming to resolve the systematic position of the M. nigritarsis group, the phylogenetic trees based on two-gene (COI and 28S rRNA) matrix were constructed
The monophyly of the avidus-nigritarsis lineage was clearly supported by bootstrap values of 89 (MP, fig. 2) and 99
Summary
Representing a frontier between Europe, Asia and Africa, the Mediterranean region is one of the richest biodiversity zones on the planet. Asia Minor and Eastern Europe (especially the Balkan Peninsula) is considered one of the centers of diversity and endemism of the genus (Kaloveloni et al, 2015), as documented by many studies of the Merodon fauna in the Eastern Mediterranean (Vujić et al, 2007, 2011, 2013, 2015; Ståhls et al, 2009, 2016; Radenković et al, 2011; Kaloveloni et al, 2015; Ačanski et al, 2016a) These recent studies describing many new taxa of the genus Merodon has resulted in the taxon being the most speciose the European hoverfly genus (Marcos-García et al, 2007; Vujić et al, 2007, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2018; Popov, 2010; Radenković et al, 2011; Ačanski et al, 2016a) comprises more than 160 species in the world (Ståhls et al, 2009; Vujić et al, 2013; Šašić et al, 2016; Speight, 2018)
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