Merodon trispinus Vujic et Radenkovic 2022, sp. nov.

Merodon trispinus Vujić et Radenković sp. nov.

ZooBank link: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 93F2A6E3-F105-4697-A0F4-28A19C507C6D

GenBank accession number of the COI gene sequence: ON562606

(Figs 3B–D, 4, 5C–D, 7D, 15B, 15E, 10A, 10C–D)

Type material. HOLOTYPE: TURKEY, Bozdað Mountain, 38.332693°N, 28.109671°E, 07.VI.2014, ♂, 06927, Leg. Vujić A., Ačanski J., FSUNS. PARATYPES: TURKEY: 38.332693°N, 28.109671°E, 07.VI.2014, 4♂, ♀, 06928, 06929, 06930, 06937, 06938, Leg. Vujić A., Ačanski J., FSUNS; Bozdað Mountain, 38.411655°N, 28.081503°E, 02.V.2014, ♀, 06292, Leg. Vujić A., Ačanski J., FSUNS; Fethiye, Akdað, Cemalani, 36.600998°N, 29.515234°E, 04.VI.2014, 5♂, ♀, 06874, 06882, 06883, 06884, 06885, 06887, Leg. Vujić A., Ačanski J., FSUNS; Izmir, 38.271148°N, 27.175597°E, 06.VI.2014, ♂, 06922, Leg. Vujić A., Ačanski J., FSUNS; Babadað, near Denizli, 37.695179°N, 28.99309°E, 05.VII.2015, 3♂, 09726, 09727, 09728, Leg. Vujiă A., Radenkoviă S., Ačanski J., Veličkoviă S., Stĺhls G., Gökhan S., FSUNS; Boncuk Daðlari, near Ballik, 36.865139°N, 29.34881°E, 04.VII.2014, 2♂, ♀, 09723, 09724, 09725, Leg. Vujiă A., Radenkoviă S., Ačanski J., Veličkoviă S., Stĺhls G., Gökhan S., FSUNS.

Diagnosis. Similar to M. portschinskyi and M. turcicus. Males differ by apical part of metatibia with strong, inner, posteroventral spina (Fig. 15E: marked with black arrow) [much smaller in M. portschinskyi and M. turcicus (Figs 15D and 15F: marked with black arrow)], distinct anteroventral spur projected backwards at undulate lamella (Fig. 15E: marked with white arrow) (toward the apex in M. portschinskyi and M. turcicus (Figs 15D and 15F: marked with white arrow), and small carina in between (Fig. 15E: c); process on metatrochanter small (Fig. 15B: marked with black arrow), while medium sized in M. portschinskyi and M. turcicus (Figs 15A and 15C: marked with black arrow); basal part of metafemur ventrally usually less curved (Fig. 15B: marked with white arrow), while strongly curved in M. portschinskyi (Fig. 15A: marked with white arrow). Male genitalia: anterior surstyle lobe biramous (Fig. 10A: al), with slightly developed interior accessory lobe (Fig. 10D: il) and rounded extension (Fig. 10A: marked with arrow), while in M. portschinskyi extension of the anterior surstyle lobe is less developed and tapering (Fig. 10B: marked with arrow). Female: legs mostly black, tarsi at least ventrally, femora apically, and tibiae apically and basally brownish; tergum 4 with distinct transverse depression (Fig. 3B), much less expressed in M. turcicus and M. portschinskyi (Fig. 3A: marked with arrow). Distribution of these three species is allopatric. M. portschinskyi appears on Caucasus mountains, M. turcicus was recorded on North Anatolian Mountains, and M. trispinus sp. nov. has a range in mountains of South West Anatolia (Fig. 17).

Description. Length. Male: 10–11 mm; female: 10 mm. MALE (Figs 4A–C, 5C, 15B, 15E, 10A, 10C–D). Medium-sized species with pale pilose terga; terga 2–4 with distinct pollinose fasciate maculae (Fig. 5C); metatrochanter with medium sized process (Fig. 15B: marked with black arrow); metafemur swollen, without ventral protuberance, ventrally covered with long pile (Fig. 15B); metatibia apically with strong, inner, posteroventral spina (Fig. 15E: marked with black arrow), with distinct anteroventral spur projected backwards at undulate lamella (Fig. 15E: marked with white arrow) and with small carina in between (Fig. 15E: c); tarsomeres of all legs dorsally pale brown to black, ventrally reddish. Male genitalia: anterior surstyle lobe biramous (Fig. 10A: al), with slightly developed interior accessory lobe (Fig. 10D: il) and rounded extension (Fig. 10A: marked with arrow); posterior surstyle lobe hook-like (Fig. 10A: pl); cercus oval (Fig. 10A: c); hypandrium sickle-shaped (Fig. 10C), with folded theca (Fig. 10C: marked with arrow).

FEMALE (Figs 3B–D, 4D–F, 5D, 7D). Similar to the male except for normal sexual dimorphism and for the following characteristics: metafemur covered with shorter pilosity (Fig. 7D); metatrochanter slightly angular (Fig. 7D); pollinose fasciate maculae on terga 2–4 well defined, white-greyish (Fig. 5D); terga pale pilose, except black pile medially from posterior half of tergum 2 until anterior half of tergum 5; tergum 4 with distinct transverse depression (Fig. 3B); tergum 5 with a pair of distinct lateral, longitudinal depression (Fig. 3C: marked with arrow); vertex at the level of ocellar triangle and frons medially black pilose (Fig. 3D).

Etymology. The noun “spinus” meaning thorn-bush refers to three extensions of the exoskeleton at apical part of metatibiae.

Distribution. Merodon trispinus sp. nov. occurs in west and southwest Turkey (Figs 16–17).