Merodon disjunctus Vujic, Likov & Radenkovic sp. nov. Figs 12G-I, 15A, 16A, B, 17A-C, 18A-C

Diagnosis.

Medium sized (8.5-10.8 mm), dark, olive-brown species, covered with pale yellow pile; males with dichoptic eyes, separated by a distance of 3-5 facets (Fig. 16B); terga 2-4 with pairs of white microtrichose fasciae, differently developed (from conspicuous to vague) (Fig. 15A); in male basoflagellomere short, 1.2 times longer than wide, with large fossette extending to the apex of basoflagellomere (Fig. 12G-I).

Description.

Male. Head. Antennae black; basoflagellomere short, 1.2 times as long as wide, and ca. 1.7 times as long as pedicel, and with rounded apex; large fossette dorsomedial and dorsolateral including apex of basoflagellomere (Fig. 12G); arista black and thickened at basal one third, covered with dense microtrichia, 1.5 times as long as basoflagellomere (Fig. 12G-H); face and frons black with gray microtrichia; face covered with dense whitish gray, while frons with mostly black pile (Fig. 16A); oral margin shiny, with lateral microtrichose area; lunule shiny black, bare; eye dichoptic, separated by distance of 3-5 facets (Fig. 16B); vertex isosceles, covered with dark gray microtrichia and long, black pile; ocellar triangle equilateral; occiput shiny covered with black pile in upper half, ventrally with gray-yellow pile and dense, gray microtrichia; eyes covered with dense pile.

Thorax. Scutum and scutellum dull, with bronze luster, covered with dense, erect, yellowish pile, except posterior half medially with few to many black pile intermixed; in some specimens scutellum with few black pile; scutum with indistinct microtrichose vittae (Fig. 17A); posterodorsal part of anterior anepisternum, posterior anepisternum (except anteroventral angle), anterior anepimeron, dorsomedial anepimeron, and posterodorsal and anteroventral parts of katepisternum with long, dark gray pile and grayish microtrichia; wings entirely covered with microtrichia; wing veins yellow-brown; calypteres and halteres whitish yellow; legs black, except yellow-brown tarsi, tip of femora and basal part of tibiae; pile on legs mostly yellowish; metafemur moderate incrassate, ca. five times longer than wide; pile on postero- and anteroventral surface long, ca. half to two thirds of width of metafemur, as same length as pile dorsally (Fig. 17B).

Abdomen. Tapering, ca. 1.2 times longer than mesonotum; terga dark brown to black, except for a pair of yellow-orange, triangular, lateral maculae on tergum 2; terga 2-4 with conspicuous or with trace of white microtrichose pair of fasciae (variable character); pile on terga mostly yellow, except terga 3 and 4 medially with black pile; sterna dark brown to black, covered with long whitish pile.

Male genitalia. Apical part of anterior surstyle lobe rhomboid in shape, ca. 1.5 times longer than wide, covered with dense, short pile (Fig. 18A: al); posterior surstyle lobe oval with basolateral protrusion (lateral hump) (Fig. 18A, B: bp); hypandrium sickle-shaped, without lateral projections; lingula medium sized (Fig. 18C: l).

Female. Similar to the male except for normal sexual dimorphism and for the following characteristics: basoflagellomere 1.6-1.8 times longer than wide, fossette large, dorsolateral (Fig. 12I); frons mostly microtrichose and predominantly covered with black pile; ocellar triangle covered with black pile; microtrichose fasciae on terga 3 and 4 conspicuous.

Etymology.

The name derives from the Latin adjective disjunctus meaning separated, disconnected which pertains to the dichoptic eyes in the males.

Distribution.

Merodon disjunctus sp. nov. has so far only been recorded in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan (Fig. 7).

Ecology.

Preferred environment: no data. Flowers visited: no data. Flight period: May-July.

Type material.

Holotype. Kyrgyzstan • ♂; Talassky Mt.R, Ara Bijik rav., 13 km NNE Majdantal Pass; 42°22'00"N, 70°00'00"E; 2700 m a.s.l.; 4 Jul. 1988; Milko leg.; SZMN 05847. Original label: "HOLOTYPE of Merodon / disjunctus Vujić, Likov et / Radenković sp.n. 2019" [red label], "NW KIRG., Talassky Mt.R, / Ara Bijik rav., 13 km NNE / Majdantal Pass ~2700 m / 42°22'N 70°57'E / 04.07.1998 D. Milko leg.", “05847” (See Supplementary file 2: Figure 2B). Paratypes. Kazakhstan • 1 ♂; Ketmen, Mt. Kirgyzsay; 43°16'60"N, 79°31'00"E; 2200 m a.s.l.; 3 Jun. 2001; M. Hauser leg.; M. H. coll. 02470 • 2 ♂♂; Ketmen, Mt. Kirgyzsay; 43°16'60"N, 79°31'00"E; 1800 m a.s.l.; 1-3 Jun. 2001; M. Hauser leg.; M. H. coll. 02467, 02472 • 1 ♀; Almaty, Charyn; 43°46'58"N, 79°23'24"E; 20 May 2003; A. Selin leg.; S. K. coll. 03971 • 2 ♀♀; Kyzyltchy; 46°03'31"N, 80°43'10"E; 21 May 2004; A. Selin leg.; S. K. coll. 03970, 02460 • 1 ♂; Kyzyltchy; 46°03'31"N, 80°43'10"E; 21 May 2004; A. Selin leg.; S. K. coll. 02461 • 1 ♂; Talasskip hr., R. Kara-Bura; 1600 m a.s.l.; 18 Jul. 1968; Pek leg.; SZMN 05815.

Kyrgyzstan • 1 ♂; Tchatkal Valley, 4 SW Ajgyr-Dzhal vill.; 41°42'00"N, 70°57'00"E; 1800 m a.s.l.; 12 Jul. 1998; Milko leg.; SZMN 05848 • 1 ♂; Issyk Kul, Chong Kemin-Tal; 42°40'60"N, 75°55'00"E; 1350 m a.s.l.; 3 Jun. 1998; M. Kraus M. leg.; NBCN 02468 • 1 ♀; Issyk Kul, Chong Kemin-Tal; 42°42'00"N, 75°54'00"E; 1350 m a.s.l.; 3 Jun. 1998; M. Kraus leg.; NBCN 02464 • 1 ♂; Issyk Kul, Chong Kemin-Tal; 42°42'00"N, 75°54'00"E; 1350 m a.s.l.; 3 Jun. 1998; M. Kraus leg.; NBCN 02469.