Merodon obscurus Gil Collado, 1929 stat. rev.

Merodon pruni var. obscurus Gil Collado, 1929: 407 .

Type locality.

Morocco (“ Tanger ”). Merodon obscurus was described as a variety of M. pruni . Holotype: male, Morocco, (MNCN) [specimen dry pinned]. Original label: [Tanger, Mz. Escalera / M. pruni var. obscurus Gil Tipo, Gil Collado det. / M. N. C. N. Madrid] (examined).

Notes.

This species was listed as synonym of Merodon pruni by Peck (1988: 173) and Hurkmans (1993: 185). Based on our morphometry and molecular data, this is a valid taxon distributed in North West Africa, far from the range of M. pruni in the Eastern Mediterranean (Fig. 37).

Diagnosis.

Sternum 3 with long, equally distributed pilosity (Fig. 30 C). In male calcar at metatrochanter distinct (Fig. 25 E); metafemur medium broad, ~ 5 × longer than wide, with ventral margin slightly curved and covered with sparse pilosity ventrally (Fig. 25 E); sternum 4 in Fig. 28 C. Female with angular metatrochanter and sparse pile on metafemur ventrally (Fig. 31 B). Male genitalia in Fig. 36. Similar to Merodon pruni except for the posterior surstylar lobe that is broader (~ 2.2 × longer than wide) and more rounded apically (Fig. 36 A: pl) (in M. pruni the posterior surstylar lobe is ~ 2.5 × longer than wide and tapering to the tip; Fig. 29 A: pl). Merodon obscurus stat. rev. occurs in North Africa, while M. pruni is an Eastern Mediterranean species (Fig. 37). Molecular and morphometric data clearly separated these two species (Figs 15, 16, 17, Suppl. material 3).

Distribution and biology.

This species occurs in Algeria, Libya and Morocco (Fig. 37; Suppl. material 2). The preferred environment of Merodon obscurus stat. rev. includes sparsely-vegetated open ground and dry / semi-arid grassland with scattered tall herbs. Flowers visited: Ferula, Foeniculum . Flight period: April / September. Developmental stages: not described.