Premium
Systematics and taxonomy of the ruficornis group of genus Merodon Meigen (Diptera: Syrphidae)
Author(s) -
VUJIĆ ANTE,
RADENKOVIĆ SNEŽANA,
STåHLS GUNILLA,
AČANSKI JELENA,
STEFANOVIĆ ANA,
VESELIĆ SANJA,
ANDRIĆ ANDRIJANA,
HAYAT RÜSTEM
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
systematic entomology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.552
H-Index - 66
eISSN - 1365-3113
pISSN - 0307-6970
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-3113.2012.00631.x
Subject(s) - biology , monophyly , endemism , systematics , zoology , taxon , taxonomy (biology) , genus , phylogenetics , ecology , clade , genetics , gene
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 & Radenković sp.n. , M. hoplitis Hurkmans sp.n. , M. lamellatus Vujić & Radenković sp.n. , M. nigripodus Vujić & Hayat sp.n. , M. ovaloides Vujić & Radenković sp.n. , M. ponticus Vujić & Radenković sp.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.