Systematics and taxonomy of theruficornisgroup of genusMerodonMeigen (Diptera: Syrphidae)

Abstract

We revise the ruficornis group of species of Merodon Meigen (Diptera, Syrphidae) providing an illustrated key, a discussion of taxonomic characters and a morphological diagnosis. A total of 18 species from the ruficornis group are treated including distributional data. Descriptions are provided for seven new species: M. gallicus Vujić & Radenkovićsp.n., M. hoplitis Hurkmans sp.n., M. lamellatus Vujić & Radenkovićsp.n., M. nigripodus Vujić & Hayat sp.n., M. ovaloides Vujić & Radenkovićsp.n., M. ponticus Vujić & Radenkovićsp.n., and M. turcicus Vujić & Hayat sp.n. The taxon M. auripes Sack, is redefined and a neotype designated. Lectotypes are designated for M. graecus Loew; M. planiceps Loew and M. crymensis Paramonov. The monophyly and systematic position of this species group was assessed based on parsimony and maximum likelihood analyses of mitochondrial COI and nuclear 28S rDNA sequences. A very high level of endemism was observed in the ruficornis species group. Among 18 taxa, 12 are limited‐range endemics, present in few mountain areas or in a small part of the total range of the group. These endemics clearly show the importance of geographic isolation in the process of speciation.

Defining species boundaries in the Merodon avidus complex (Diptera, Syrphidae) using integrative taxonomy, with the description of a new species

“…The genus Merodon Meigen, 1803 (Diptera: Syrphidae: Merodontini) has become the largest European hoverfly genus due to several recent studies describing many new taxa (Marcos-García et al 2007;Popov 2010;Radenković et al 2011;Vujić et al 2007Vujić et al , 2012Vujić et al , 2013aVujić et al , 2013bVujić et al , 2015. A considerable number (37 of 57 species in southeastern Europe) of the taxa are morphologically and/or genetically cryptic, with restricted distributional ranges in particular mountain ranges or islands (Vujić et al 2016).…”

mtDNA COI in efficient use: clarifying taxonomy, linking morphologically discordant sexes and identifying the immature stages of Agathomyia Verrall flat-footed flies (Diptera: Platypezidae)

“…; Vujić et al. ). No studies employing sequence data for generic‐level molecular phylogenetic or taxonomic studies on Palaearctic Platypezidae have been published.…”

Revision of the Palaearctic species of the Merodon desuturinus group (Diptera, Syrphidae)

“…In the last decade, a number of papers have been published on particular species groups, such as aureus , melanocerus , nanus , natans , nigritarsis , ruficornis (Milankov et al 2008a, Francuski et al 2009, 2011, Vujić et al 2012, 2013, 2015, Šašić et al 2016, Radenković et al, 2018). The Mediterranean fauna has been frequently studied (Mengual et al 2006, Marcos-García et al 2007, 2011, Petanidou et al 2011, Radenković et al 2011, Ricarte et al 2012, Ståhls et al 2009, 2016, Vujić et al 2007, 2011), whereas the Afrotropical Region with less than ten recognised species (Pape and Thompson 2013), has received less attention (Radenković et al 2018).…”