Two new species of the genus Merodon Meigen 1803 (Diptera: Syrphidae) from the island of Lesvos (Greece), in the eastern Mediterranean

Abstract

Descriptions are given of two new species of Merodon Meigen (Diptera: Syrphidae) from the island of Lesvos (Greece): Merodon papilius Vujić, Radenković & Pérez-Bañon n. sp. from the ruficornis group species and Merodon sapphous Vujić, Pérez-Bañon & Radenković n. sp. from the aureus group. In addition to classical morphological characters, partial sequences of the mitochondrial COI gene are generated for each taxon as DNA ‘barcodes’. Main characteristics of the species habitats are reported. The zoogeographical significance of these endemic taxa to the biodiversity of the island is discussed. © 2007 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.