Melanostoma orientale (Wiedemann, 1824) MATERIAL EXAMINED. Azerbaijan: NAR, Shakhbuz, Kechili, 1800 m [39°22ʹN 45°43ʹE], 22.VII 2018, 1 ♂; Julfa, Milakh, 1430 m [39°15ʹN 45°43ʹE], 27.VII 2018, 1 ♀; Shakhbuz, Shakhbuz, 1160 m [39°23ʹN 45°32ʹE], 30.VII 2018, 1 ♂; Sharur, Akhura, 1640 m [39°33'N 45°13'E], 13. VI 2019, 1 ♂; Julfa, Gazanchi, 1300 m [39°13ʹN 45°41ʹE], 15. VI 2019, 1 ♂, 1 ♀. DISTRIBUTION. Reported for NAR for the first time. Widespread species in the Southern and Eastern Asia, found in the Eastern Georgia and the Caspian coast of Azerbaijan (Mutin & Barkalov, 1999). REMARKS. The species is difficult to distinguish from Melanostoma mellinum (Linnaeus, 1758), which also exhibits wide variability in abdominal pattern. The main diagnostic feature of this species is the yellow maculae on tergum II, which reach the lateral margin.

Published as part of Mutin, V. A. & Proshchalykin, M. Yu, 2025, A NEW SPECIES AND NEW RECORDS OF HOVERFLIES (DIPTERA: SYRPHIDAE) FROM THE NAKHCHIVAN AUTONOMOUS REPUBLIC OF AZERBAIJAN, pp. 1-14 in Far Eastern Entomologist 537 (537) on page 6, DOI: 10.25221/fee.537.1, http://zenodo.org/record/20504652