Merodon aequalis Vujić, Radenković & Likov sp. nov.

Figs 23, 24 A, E, F, 25 A, 26 A, B, 28 A, 30 A, 31 A, 32, 33, 34

Type material examined.

Holotype. State of Palestine • 1 ♂; Wadi Kabala Judean hills; 30 Apr. 1947; in TAU . Paratypes. Israel • 1 ♂; Golan, Qunaitra; 19 May 1983; leg. F. Kaplan; in RMNH • 1 ♂; Golan, 5 km south Qunaitra; 19. v. 1983; leg. F. Kaplan; in TAU • 1 ♀; Ekron; 28 May 1921; in TAU • 1 ♀; Jerusalem; 6 May 1922; leg. P. A. Buxton; in RMNH • 1 ♂; Mrar; 14 May 1974; leg. M. Kaplan; in TAU • 1 ♀; Rehovot; 28 Sep. 1920; in RMNH • 1 ♀; Rehovot, 28 Apr. 1920; in TAU • 1 ♂, 2 ♀♀; in TAU • 1 ♂; 9 May 1925; in RMNH. State of Palestine • 1 ♂; Tikenias; 13 Oct. 1931; leg. U. Suenberg; in NHMUK • 1 ♂; 8 May; O. Theodor; in TAU .

Diagnosis.

Sternum 3 with long, equally distributed pilosity (Fig. 30 A). In male the metatrochanter has a small calcar, almost absent (Fig. 25 A); metafemur broad, ~ 3.5 × longer than wide, strongly curved, covered with long and dense pilosity ventrally (Fig. 25 A); sternum 4 on Fig. 28 A. Female with rounded metatrochanter (Fig. 31 A) and shorter but dense pilosity on metafemur ventrally than in male (Fig. 31 A). Similar to Merodon pallidus stat. rev. from which differs by sternum 3 with equally distributed pilosity of the same length (Fig. 30 A) (in M. pallidus stat. rev. with a conspicuous area of very long pilosity medially; Fig. 30 D: marked with arrow), the shape of sternum 4 of male (Fig. 28 A) (slightly different in M. pallidus stat. rev.; Fig. 28 D), small calcar on metatrochanter in male, almost absent (Fig. 25 A) (male of M. pallidus has a distinct calcar; Fig. 25 D, while female of M. pallidus stat. rev. has the metatrochanter angular; Fig. 31 C).

Description.

Male. Head (Fig. 24 A, E). Pedicel and scapus reddish yellow; basoflagellomere from reddish yellow to brown (Fig. 24 A), short, oval, ~ 1.3 × longer than wide, and ~ 2 × longer than pedicel, concave dorsally; fossette large, dorsolateral; arista reddish to brown and thickened at basal third; arista ~ 2.5 × longer than basoflagellomere; face and frons black, with dense whitish pollinosity; face covered with dense whitish pilosity; pile on frons yellow-whitish; oral margin shiny black, without pollinosity; lunula reddish to brown, bare; eye contiguity ~ 10–12 facets long; vertical triangle isosceles, shiny, black, covered with grey-yellowish pilosity mixed with black pile around equilateral ocellar triangle; occiput with grey-yellow to whitish pile, and grey pollinose; eyes covered with short, whitish grey pile (Fig. 24 E).

Thorax (Fig. 32 A). Scutum and scutellum black with brownish lustre, covered with short, grey-yellow to whitish pile; pilosity between wing basis mostly black, at least around wing basis; lateral sides of scutum, excluding wing basis covered with long, golden to yellowish pile; scutum with two narrow pollinose vittae; posterior margin of scutellum with long yellowish pilosity (Fig. 32 A); posterodorsal part of anterior anepisternum, posterior anepisternum (except anteroventral angle), anterior anepimeron, dorsomedial anepimeron, and posterodorsal and anteroventral parts of katepisternum with longer, dense whitish to yellow pile; wings mostly covered with microtrichia; wing veins yellowish to light brown; calypteres and halteres whitish yellow; angular calcar on metatrochanter small, almost absent; femora black except yellowish apex; metafemur broad, ~ 3.5 × longer than wide, sparsely covered with long ventral pilosity (Fig. 25 A); tibiae yellow to reddish, except brown medial ring; tarsi yellowish red, in some specimens brown dorsally.

Abdomen. Elongated, ~ 1.3 × longer than mesonotum; tergum 1 black, terga 2–4 reddish yellow, medially partly brown; terga with a pair of broad, distinct silver-grey pollinose fasciate maculae; pile on terga yellow to whitish, medially short, adpressed, in some specimens black pile present on dark parts of terga 3 and 4 medially (Fig. 26 A); sterna brown, covered with long, equally distributed whitish pile (Fig. 30 A); posterior margin of sternum 4 with characteristic posteromedial circular incision (Fig. 28 A).

Male genitalia (Fig. 33). Anterior surstylar lobe rectangular (Fig. 33 A: al); posterior surstylar lobe large and broad, ~ 1.5 × longer than wide (Fig. 33 A: pl); cercus rectangular (Fig. 33 A: c); hypandrium sickle-shaped, without lateral projections; lingula short (Fig. 33 C: l).

Female. Similar to the male except for normal sexual dimorphism and the following characteristics: frons with broad pollinose vittae along eyes or completely pollinose, and reddish at the level of the ocellar triangle (Fig. 24 F); scutum with five distinct pollinose vittae (Fig. 32 B); metatrochanter rounded; pilosity on the ventral surface of metafemur shorter but denser than in male (Fig. 31 A); tergum 2 all reddish, while terga 3–5 more brownish (Fig. 26 B).

Distribution and biology.

The range is restricted to Israel and the State of Palestine (Fig. 34). Its preferred environment is Eastern Mediterranean conifer-sclerophyllous-broadleaf forests. The vegetation of this ecoregion includes maquis, coniferous forests of Pinus halepensis Mill. and P. brutia Ten., dry Quercus spp. woodlands and steppe formations (WWF 2022). Flight period: April / October. Developmental stages: not described.

Etymology.

Adjective aequalis meaning equal, similar, refers to the equally distributed pilosity of the same length on sternum 3 in males opposite to the related species Merodon pallidus stat. rev. with a conspicuous area of very long pilosity medially. Species epithet to be treated as an adjective.