The Merodon planifacies subgroup (Diptera, Syrphidae): Congruence of molecular and morphometric evidences reveal new taxa in Drakensberg mountains valleys (Republic of South Africa)

Hoverflies (Syrphidae) represent an insect group of great importance in ecosystems and indicators of ecosystem change. The genus Merodon Meigen, 1803 (tribe Merodontini) is one of the most species-rich hoverfly genera, distributed across the Palaearctic and Afrotropical regions. The genus Merodon Meigen, 1803 is less diverse in the Afrotropical Region than in the Palaearctic (11 versus 160 known species). An ongoing study of the genus Merodon in Africa has revealed the existence of two new species into the taxon previously known as Merodon planifacies Bezzi, 1915. The M. planifacies subgroup belongs to the Afrotropical lineage of the Merodon desuturinus group. Morphological analysis of male genitalia has classified the available specimens of the M. planifacies taxon into two sets: the first one corresponds to M. planifacies with folded theca, while the other with smooth theca, later named Merodon capi complex was found exclusively at the Drakensberg mountains in the Republic of South Africa, specifically in the Cathedral Peak National Park and the Royal Natal National Park. Further, molecular and morphometric evidences revealed two cryptic taxa within this complex: M. capi sp. nov. Vujić et Radenković and Merodon roni sp. nov. Radenković et Vujić.This work was funded by a project of the European Union: Horizon 2020, Marie Skłodowska-Curie action, Research and Innovation Staff Exchange (RISE) Programme: FlyHigh - Insect-plant relationships: insights into biodiversity and new applications (project number 645636, 2015e2018); and partially by the RSA SAEON network, a member of International Long-Term Ecological Research Network (ILTER) and Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia (OI173002, III43002, III44006, 451-03-68/2020-14/200358 and 451-03-68/2020-14/200125)