Merodon zebra Vujic & Radenkovic 2021, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Vujić, Ante
name: Radenković, Snežana
name: Zorić, Ljiljana Šašić
name: Likov, Laura
name: Tot, Tamara
name: Veselić, Sanja
name: Djan, Mihajla
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2021
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Diptera
Syrphidae
Merodon
Merodon zebra

description: Merodon zebra Vujić & Radenković sp. nov.
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 9B6ABB0D-7FF4-4217-9C23-FBD06F8D80F1
Figs 1, 3D, 4D, 5D, 6D, 7A–C, 9D, 10D, 11D, 12D, 14C, 15C, 16C, 22D–F
Diagnosis
Large (10–12 mm), dark, striped species, with golden-yellow pile on the tip of abdomen (Fig. 5C). Scutum with conspicuous pollinose vittae (Fig. 10D); metafemur with medium sized apical dens on triangular lamina (Figs 6D, 16D); terga 3 and 4 with broad medial pollinose fasciae (Fig. 5D); male genitalia with S-shaped posterior lobe of surstyle, gradually narrowing toward tip (Fig. 7A: pl); anterior margin of surstyle rounded in lateral view (Fig. 7A: 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: ams), in M. vittatus sp. nov. angular in lateral view (Fig. 7D: ams); narrow, S-shaped posterior lobe of surstyle, gradually narrowing toward tip (Fig. 7A: pl), in M. multifasciatus broad, slightly curved, with almost parallel and rounded apex (Fig. 13D: 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 The name ‘zebra’ was proposed by W. Hurkmans in an unpublished manuscript, but unfortunately the designated holotype belongs to M. multifasciatus.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.
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; BMNH • 1 ♂; same collection data as for preceding; 30 May 1907; FSUNS ID 03912; NBCN AM-05-073 • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; FSUNS ID 03316, 03910; BMNH • 1 ♂; same collection data as for preceding; 31 May 1907; FSUNS ID 03315; BMNH • 1 ♀; Kasongo; 4.45° S, 26.666° E, 661 m a.s.l; 7 Nov. 1912; Dr M. Bequaert leg.; FSUNS ID 25090; RMCA • 1 ♀; same collection data as for holotype; 16 Jan. 1921; FSUNS ID 25091; RMCA • 1 ♂; Lubumbashi (former Elisabethville), R. Kimilol; 11.589° S, 27.427° E; Dec. 1928; Dr M. Bequaert leg.; FSUNS ID 05174; NBCN.
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.
Description
Length: large species, body 10–12 mm, wing 7–8 mm (n = 4).
Male
HEAD (Figs 4D, 9D, 11D, 12D). Antenna (Fig. 4D) 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). Frons from black to reddish, inflated, covered with gray pollinosity and whitish pile. Vertical triangle isosceles (Fig. 12D), 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, 10D). 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). 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). Metatrochanter without calcar. Metafemur moderately thickened, with less developed apicoventral triangular lamina, more or less dentate, the apical dens is distinct (Fig. 6D). Pile on legs predominantly whitish to yellow.
ABDOMEN (Fig. 5D). 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, 7A–C). Posterior lobe of surstyle narrow, bent, S-shaped, gradually narrowing toward tip (Fig. 7A: pl); anterior lobe of surstyle undeveloped (Fig. 7A); anterior margin of surstyle rounded in lateral view (Fig. 7A: ams); cercus square like (Fig. 7A: c). Hypandrium with theca medially distinctly narrowed (Fig. 7C: marked with arrow). Lateral sclerite of aedeagus small (Fig. 3D: s).
Female (Figs 14C, 15C, 16C)
Similar to the male except for normal sexual dimorphism: metafemur usually with small apical dens on triangular lamina (Fig. 16C); frons with non pollinose medial vitta (Fig. 15C); vertex shiny, non pollinose, mostly covered with black pile.
Period of flight and distribution (Fig. 1)
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).
description: Published as part of 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, pp. 88-135 in European Journal of Taxonomy 755 (1) on pages 117-120, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2021.755.1401, http://zenodo.org/record/5013000