Taxonomic problems in the subgenus <i>Meloehelea</i> Wirth of the genus <i>Atrichopogon</i> Kieffer (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) inferred from both morphological and molecular characters

The classification of Meloehelea (Ceratopogonidae) species isbased on morphological characters. The taxonomic revision ofgenerally well-known species recovered interesting facts onpossible geographic intraspecific variability or on thepresence of an additional valid species. In this study, 5European species and 2 species from the U.S.A. and Canada havebeen compared based on their morphological characters.Subsequently, the 16S rDNA sequences analyses of well knownEuropean species have been performed to confirm the charactersmentioned in the determination key of this subgenus. Although,this study was limited by the number of examined non-Europeanspecimens, it provides some interesting facts on the possiblemorphological variability of well-known species and also aninitial phylogenetic backbone for the progressivereconstruction of infrageneric relationships within the genusAtrichopogon.