Merodon rufitarsis Sack, 1913
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publication ID |
https://dx.doi.org/10.3897/asp.81.e93570 |
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publication LSID |
lsid:zoobank.org:pub:FF52A05B-BDC0-474E-9848-0DC95A8155B2 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/F2CB95C2-C0E3-5888-938F-6A12F23A1F60 |
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treatment provided by |
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scientific name |
Merodon rufitarsis Sack, 1913 |
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Figs 5D View Figure 5 , 11E View Figure 11 , 13E View Figure 13 , 15C View Figure 15 , 16F View Figure 16 , 19C View Figure 19 , 21D View Figure 21 , 22D-F View Figure 22 , 26 View Figure 26 , 30D View Figure 30
Merodon fulcratus Sack 1913, subsp. Merodon fulcratus rufitarsis Sack 1913: 438.
Type locality.
Tajikistan, the Alajsski Mountains.
Type material examined.
Holotype: TAJIKISTAN • ♂; original label: 'Alai mont’ Hurkmans (1993): the Alajasski Mountains, Tadzhikistan, approx. 39°30'N, 71 to 73°E (ZHMB).
Additional material examined.
KAZAKHSTAN • 1 ♀; Aksu-Zhabagly ; 42°17 ’33” N, 70°40 ’15” E; 1400-1500 m a.s.l.; 4 Jun. 1996; Dolin W. leg. GoogleMaps ; M. H. coll. 02575. - KYRGYZSTAN • 1 ♀; 40 km S of Jany Bazar ; 41°42 ’00” N, 71°06 ’00” E; 8-11 Jun. 1995; Halada J. leg. GoogleMaps ; AM-05-216; NBCN 02576 • 1 ♂; Tash-Arik , 11 km E of Talas; 42°31 ’00” N, 72°22 ’00” E; 4 Jul. 1992; Halada J. leg. GoogleMaps ; NBCN 04217. - TAJIKISTAN • 1 ♂; Sughd Province, Iskanderkul, Sarytag Village ; 39°05 ’00” N, 68°32 ’00” E; 2374 m a.s.l.; 13 Jun. 2018; Barkalov A. leg. GoogleMaps ; SZMN • 1 ♂; same data as for preceding; 17 Jun. 2018 GoogleMaps . - TURKMENISTAN • 1 ♀; Kuhitang Mountain, Airibaba, plateau Dzheilyau ; 37°47 ’19” N, 66°33 ’22” E; 1800-1900 m a.s.l.; 10 May 1991; Zinchenko V. leg. GoogleMaps ; SZMN 05802 • 1 ♂; near Chalatsh Amudarva ; 20 May 1996; Dolin W. leg. ; M. H. coll. 02574.
Diagnosis.
Medium sized (8-11 mm), medium long pilose, dark species, with olive-brown reflection (Figs 19C View Figure 19 , 21D View Figure 21 ); antennae reddish-yellow to brown (Figs 11E View Figure 11 , 13E View Figure 13 ), basoflagellomere elongated, about 2 times as long as wide with more or less straight dorsal margin; femora mostly black, tibiae and tarsi entirely reddish-yellow, except brown medial ring on tibiae (Figs 15C View Figure 15 , 16F View Figure 16 ); body pile whitish, yellow to gray. Male: metafemur broad, about 3.2 times longer than wide, covered with long and dense pilosity (Fig. 15C View Figure 15 ); basotarsomere of metatarsus less expanded, about 1.2 times broader than second tarsomere, ventrally without well-defined brush-like area of dense pile; ventral margin of metatrochanter angular; sternum 4 with medium-size laminate extensions on posterior margin (Fig. 5D View Figure 5 ); male genitalia: surstyle lobe with deep invagination between lobes (Fig. 22D View Figure 22 ); anterior surstyle lobe narrow from lateral view, elongated (Fig. 22D View Figure 22 : al); posterior surstyle lobe oval, beak-like (Fig. 22D View Figure 22 : pl); ejaculatory apodeme longer than broad (Fig. 22F View Figure 22 : ea); lingula very long and narrow (Fig. 22F View Figure 22 : l). Female: metafemur broad, covered with long and dense pilosity (Fig. 16F View Figure 16 ).
Similar to Merodon angustitarsis Vujić & Gilasian sp. nov. from which differs by absence of ventrolateral row of setae on basotarsomere of metaleg, present in M. angustitarsis Vujić & Gilasian sp. nov. (Fig. 7A-C View Figure 7 ), and by very different shape of surstyle lobe of male genitalia (Fig. 22A, D View Figure 22 ). Similar in shape of male genitalia to M. hypochrysos , but differs with beak-like ventral margin of posterior surstyle lobe (Fig. 22D View Figure 22 : pl), oval in M. hypochrysos (Fig. 22G View Figure 22 : pl).
Re-description.
Male. Head: Antenna reddish-yellow to brown; basoflagellomere (Fig. 11E View Figure 11 ) yellowish, elongated, about 2 times as long as wide, about 2 times as long as pedicel, more or less straight dorsally, gradually tapering to apex; fossette dorsolateral and large (Fig. 11E View Figure 11 ); arista black and thickened at basal third; face and frons black with sparse gray microtrichia; face covered with dense whitish pile, frons with gray-yellowish pile; oral margin black; lunule shiny black to brown, bare; eye contiguity short, about 4-6 facets long; vertex isosceles, shiny black; vertex with long, whitish-gray pile, in some cases mixed with a few black pile on ocellar triangle; ocellar triangle equilateral; occiput with white-gray pile, ventrally covered with dense gray microtrichia; eyes covered with dense whitish-gray pile (Fig. 30D View Figure 30 ); vertical triangle: eye contiguity: frons = 3-4: 1: 3-4. - Thorax: Scutum and scutellum black with olive-green to brown lustre, covered with dense, erect reddish-yellow to gray and white pile; scutum without pollinose vittae; anterior half of scutum from dull to shiny; posterodorsal part of anterior anepisternum, posterior anepisternum (except anteroventral angle), anterior anepimeron, dorsomedial anepimeron, and posterodorsal and anteroventral parts of katepisternum with long, dense pale yellow to gray pile; wings mostly covered with microtrichia; wing veins brown-yellow; calypter pale yellow; halter yellow; femora mostly black, tibiae and tarsi entirely reddish-yellow, except brown medial ring on tibiae; pile on legs pale yellow; ventral margin of metatrochanter angular; metafemur broad, about as 3.5 times longer than wide, with long pile on ventral surface, about half width of metafemur, longer than pile on dorsal surface (Fig. 15C View Figure 15 ); apicomedial lamina on metatibia medium long, covered with yellowish pile; basotarsomere of metatarsus about 1.2 times broader than second tarsomere, ventrally without well-defined brush-like area of dense pile. - Abdomen: About 1.3 times longer than mesonotum; terga dark brown to black; terga 2-4 without or with pair of indistinct, narrow, white pollinose fasciae; pile on terga yellow to gray-whitish (Fig. 19C View Figure 19 ); sterna dark brown, covered with long whitish pile. - Male genitalia: Anterior surstyle lobe narrow from lateral view, elongated (Fig. 22D View Figure 22 : al); posterior surstyle lobe oval, beak-like (Fig. 22D View Figure 22 : pl); ejaculatory apodeme longer than broad (Fig. 22F View Figure 22 : ea); cercus rectangular (Fig. 22D View Figure 22 : c); hypandrium sickle-shaped, without lateral projections; lingula very long and narrow (Fig. 22F View Figure 22 : l). - Female. Similar to male except for normal sexual dimorphism and following characteristics: basoflagellomere about 1.5 times longer than wide, with slightly rounded apex (Fig. 13E View Figure 13 ); frons with pollinose vittae along eye margins; frons covered with mostly yellow pile; ocellar triangle covered with black and yellowish-gray pile; terga covered with gray-whitish to yellow pilosity; pollinose fasciae on terga 2-4 distinct (Fig. 21D View Figure 21 ); all tarsi bright yellow; basotarsomere of metaleg narrow, without spine-like setae along ventrolateral margin (Fig. 16F View Figure 16 ).
Distribution and ecological data.
Merodon rufitarsis occurs in northwestern Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, eastern Turkmenistan and southern Kazakhstan (Fig. 26 View Figure 26 ). Localities where M. rufitarsis was found belong to three ecoregions: Tian Shan foothill arid steppe, Gissaro-Alai open woodlands and Alai-Western Tian Shan steppe ( Olson et al. 2001). A variety of landscapes of Gissaro-Alai open woodlands range from foothill semideserts to alpine meadows, combined with characteristic mountain forests ( WWF 2022). Many geophytes (e.g., Allium L., Iris , Tulipa , Gagea , Eremurus , Rheum ) are present. The steppe grasses grow alongside wild fruit and nut forests, and at the higher altitudes a mosaic of open coniferous evergreen Juniperus forests forms the montane belt. The valleys of mountain rivers house riparian forests. Tall-forb vegetation of the localities of M. rufitarsis in the Pamir-Alai and western Tian Shan Mountains in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan includes: mesic mown and grazed subalpine meadows and pastures on fertile soils, forb rich mesophilious tall-forb communities of the western Pamir-Alai Mountains, scree-like tall-forb communities of the eastern Irano-Turanian region, dry tall-forb communities of the subhumid zone of the eastern Irano-Turanian region ( Nowak et al. 2020a). The habitat of adults of M. rufitarsis in Tajikistan is presented in Fig. 32C View Figure 32 . On the basis of our data the flight period is May to early July.
Remarks.
This species was described as subspecies of Merodon fulcratus , but Hurkmans (1993) revised the status of the holotype, established it as distinct and valid species, and classified it as a member of " alexeji group".
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