A preliminary account of the fly fauna in Garf Raydah Nature Reserve,Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,with new records and biogeographical remarks (Diptera: Insecta)

A preliminary list of Diptera (Insecta) in Garf Raydah Nature Reserve (GRNR), Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) with remarks on their zoogeographic affinities is presented. This is the first in a series of planned faunal studies on different insect orders as an output of a project proposed to study the entire entomofauna of GRNR. A total number of 177 Diptera species belonging to 130 genera, representing 38 families has been listed. Some species have been identified only to genus and listed herein as genera that were not previously recorded from KSA or of a taxonomic or faunal importance. The list records five families, 11 genera and 31 species for the first time in KSA, namely: the families Acroceridae, Asteiidae, Chamaemyiidae, Heleomyzidae and Pipunculidae; the genera Acrocera (Acroceridae), Eremisca (Asilidae), Asteia (Asteiidae), Chamaemyia sp. (Chamaemyiidae), Ochthera (Ephydridae), Physoconops (Conopidae), Pseudoleria (Heleo-myzidae), Salentia (Therevidae), Sapromyza (Lauxaniidae), Sternobrithes (Stratiomyidae), Tomosvaryella (Pipunculidae); and the species Apoclea algira (Linnaeus), Apoclea femoralis (Wiedemann), Promachus rectangularis Loew, Eremisca sp. and Oligopogon nitidus Efflatoun [Asilidae]; Phycus sp., Salentia sp. and Thereva nobilitata (Fabricius) [Therevidae]; Drapetis flavipes Macquartand Platypalpus flavicornis (Meigen) [Hybotidae]; Acrocera sp.1 and Acrocera sp.2 [Acroceridae]; Aspida-cantha atra Kertesz and Sternobrithes sp. [Stratiomyidae]; Tomos-varyella sp.1 and Tomosvaryella sp.2 [Pipunculidae]; Eristalinus taeniops (Wiedemann) and Eumerus amoenus Loew [Syrphidae]; Asteia sp. [Asteiidae]; Chamaemyia sp. [Chamaemyiidae]; Physoconops sp., and Thecophora fulvipes Rubineau-Desvoidy [Conopidae]; Ochthera sp. [Ephydridae]; Pseudoleria pectinata (Loew) [Heleomyzidae]; Cestrotus megacephalus Loew and Sapromyza sp. [Lauxaniidae]; Campylocera oculata Hendel [Pyrgotidae]; Australosepsis niveipennis (Becker) [Sepsidae]; Metasphenisca transilis Munro [Tephritidae]; Anthomyia xanthopus (Hennig) [Anthomyiidae]; and Sarcophaga inaequalis Austen [Sarcophagidae]. More than 50% of the recorded fly species are of an Afrotropical affinity, whereas the Palaearctic elements did not exceed 20%. Only 7% of the species were of both Afrotropical and Palaearctic affinities, and Oriental elements were close to nil. This emphasizes the fact that the southwestern part of KSA, including the study area, belonging to Asir Province, ought to be part of the Afrotropical Region rather than the the Palaearctic Region.     

A contribution to the knowledge of fly fauna in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: new country records and an account of flies identified from Rawdhats,Riyadh Region,with biogeographical remarks (Insecta: Diptera)

A total of 80 fly species (Insecta: Diptera) belonging to 66 genera, and representing 26 families was identified from three natural areas or ‘Rawdhats’ in the Riyadh Region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). The Rawdhats surveyed are Al-Harmaliyah (Al Quwayiyah Province), Al-Sabalah (Azulfi Province) and Farshet Sheaal (Al Aflaj Province). One family, one subfamily, 11 genera and 18 species were recorded for the first time from KSA, namely: the family Trixoscelididae; the subfamily Suilliinae (Heleomyzidae); the genera Oligodranes (Bombyliidae), Pseudomphrale (Scenopinidae), Actorthia (Therevidae), Crossopalpus (Hybotidae), Scatella (Ephydridae), Suillia (Heleomyzidae), Trixoscelis (Trixoscelididae), Renocera [Sciomyzidae], Melanophora and Stevenia [Rhinophoridae], Miltogramma [Sarcophagidae]; and the species Eremisca heleni (Efflatoun) and Ommatius tenellus van der Wulp [Asilidae], Oligodranes sp. [Bombyliidae], Pseudomphrale flavoscutellata Kröber [Scenopinidae], Actorthia lacteipennis (Becker), Actorthia sp. and Efflatouniella sinatica Mohammad and Badrawy [Therevidae], Crossopalpus hirsutipes Collin [Hybotidae], Eumerus mucidus Bezzi [Syrphidae], Ephydra riparia Fallén and Scatella sp. [Ephydridae], Suillia apicalis (Loew) [Heleomyzidae], Trixoscelis sp. (Trixoscelididae) and Renocera pallida (Fallén) [Sciomyzidae], Goniurellia longicauda Freidberg [Tephritidae], Melanophora sp. and Stevenia sp. [Rhinophoridae], and Miltogramma sp. [Sarcophagidae]. The zoogeographic affinities of the identified species showed a closer affiliation with the Palaearctic Region (26%) than to the Afrotropical Region (12.5%), while about 16% of the species were of both Afrotropical and Palaearctic affinities. Elements from other regions were apparently absent. The result support the idea that the central Arabian Desert which includes our study area is a transitional zone between the Palaearctic and Afrotropical regions.     

A review of Coelotinae epigynal teeth morphology,with descriptions of two species from China (Araneae: Amaurobiidae)

Five Exorista species from Malaysia and Indonesia are treated and diagnostic characters of the male postabdomen are illustrated. Three of them are described as new: Exorista globosa sp. nov., E. flaviventris sp. nov. and E. sabahensis sp. nov. Phylogenetic analysis is performed with previously published morphological data along with the five species treated here. Based on the generated tree, the five species treated here are assigned to Spixomyia Crosskey. Exorista ladelli (Baranov) is transferred to Spixomyia from the subgenus Podotachina Brauer and Bergenstamm. Evolutionary patterns of host use in the genus Exorista Meigen are discussed. Host information is optimized on the resultant tree under the most parsimonious reconstruction. The original host of the tribe Exoristini (except Ctenophorinia Mesnil and Phorinia Robineau-Desvoidy) was order Lepidoptera, and transitions to other orders (Hymenoptera, Mantodea and Orthoptera) occurred in subgenera Adenia Robineau-Desvoidy and Spixomyia, respectively.     

The genus Teuchophorus in South-East Asia and New Guinea,description of new species,species-groups and their phylogeny (Insecta,Diptera, Dolichopodidae)

Forty new Teuchophorus species are described and illustrated from Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and Thailand. New data are given for 14 of the 16 species described from Papua New Guinea by Meuffels and Grootaert in 1986. The genera Mastigomyia Becker, 1924 and Olegonegrobovia Grichanov, 1995 are placed in synonymy with the genus Teuchophorus Loew, 1857. Various species-groups are recognized and described and a phylogenetic relationship is proposed. A key is given for the 63 species occurring in South-East Asia and New Guinea, and a world checklist is added.     

Notes on the Amazonian genus Hyogonia China (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Proconiini) with a description of a new species

Oncometopia batesi Distant, described from northern Brazil (State unknown), is transferred to the genus Hyogonia China. Hyogonia brasiliana sp. nov. is described from Northern Brazil, Pará State, the easternmost record of the genus. The new species is easily distinguished from all other Hyogonia species by the following combination of characters: (1) pronotum without distinct transverse contrasting band; (2) pygofer with short processes that do not attain its apex; (3) both pairs of aedeagal atrial processes divergent and short, never longer than aedeagal shaft; and (4) aedeagal caudal pair of atrial processes with bases close to each other, appearing as a single bifurcated robust process. Hyogonia batesi and H. brasiliana, together with an unidentified female from Acre State, represent the first authentic records of the genus Hyogonia from Brazil. Previous records of H. reticulata (Melichar) and H. youngi Emmrich and Lauterer from Brazil are erroneous as their recorded locality ‘Cumbase’ is most probably located in Peru (San Martín Department). Other new records from countries and major federal divisions are noted as follows: the genus Hyogonia (unidentified species) from Barinas State (Venezuela); H. batesi from Ecuador (Orellana Province); H. reticulata from Amazonas and Junín Departments (Peru); and H. youngi from Ecuador (Napo Province). A key to the known species of Hyogonia is provided.     

A new genus and two new species of Philotarsidae. (Insecta: Psocoptera) from East Africa

Summary

Genus Tarsophilus and its species lineatus and aequabilis (Insecta: Psocoptera: Philotarsidae) are described as new. The specimens, all males, were collected in highland areas of East Africa. The new genus is placed in Philotarsidae rather than Pseudocaeciliidae on characters of hypandrium, phallosome, and lacinial tip. Its position in the subfamily Philotarsinae is justified and it is compared to the other genera of this group on both male and on trans-sexual characters.     

Disentangling an Asian puzzle: Two new bathynellid (Crustacea,Syncarida, Parabathynellidae) genera from Vietnam

In this paper the 17 asiatic species of the family Parabathynellidae are reviewed from a taxonomic point of view using bibliographic data. Two new genera and two new species are described from caves in Vietnam. Paraeobathynella n. g. presents a unique combination of characters (antennule: seven segments; antenna: six segments; mandible: pars incisiva with five teeth and pars molaris with 10 teeth; maxillule: distal endite with seven claws; exopod of the thoracopods with three or more segments and epipods present in thoracopods 3–7; pleopods absent; endopod of the Th 8 male with two setae; seven spines on the sympod and two spines on the endopod of the uropod and the small minimum size of the adult body) and exclusive characters like the Th 8 female having two small spines and one long seta and the general size and aspect of the Th 8 male and its lobes. Sketinella n. g. presents a unique combination of characters (antennule: eight segments; antenna; six segments; mandible: pars incisiva with six teeth and pars molaris with eight teeth: maxillule: distal endite with seven claws; exopod of the thoracopods with three or more segments and epipods present in Th 3–7; endopod of the thoracopod 8 male with two setae; 12 spines on the sympod and two spines on the endopod and seven setae on the exopod of the uropod) and characters exclusive to the asiatic species are: a pair of pleopods reduced to a single seta; a very distinctive basipod and outer lobe of the Th 8 male and an exopod of the Th 8 male with a small tooth or protuberance. This is the first time that the Parabathynellidae has been found in Vietnam, this find extends the range of distribution of this family in Asia.     

The saproxylic hoverflies (Diptera: Syrphidae) of Serbia

The revision of the saproxylic hoverflies collected in Serbia from 1950 to 2010 has revealed a total of 56 species, of which Sphiximorpha subsessilis (Illiger in Rossi) is new to the Balkan Peninsula and Arctophila superbiens (Muller), Blera fallax (Linnaeus), Brachyopa panzeri Goffe, Brachyopa testacea (Fallén), Brachyopa vittata Zetterstedt and Chalcosyrphus piger (Fabricius) are new to Serbia. According to “Syrph the Net, the database of European Syrphidae”, 16 of the 56 species are threatened with extinction in Europe, while 6 species are “strictly protected” and 13 are “protected” under Serbian legislation. Distribution maps for each species, as well as new data on adult habitats, are provided. The conservation status of the saproxylic hoverflies of Serbia is discussed. The present study attempts to provide a basis for the conservation of the saproxylic hoverflies of this Balkan country.     

Flowers,faeces and cadavers: natural feeding and laying habits of flesh flies in Thailand (Diptera: Sarcophagidae,Sarcophaga spp.)

Baiting and flower watching mainly in forest habitats throughout Thailand (1997–2002) yielded 46 species of Sarcophaga Meigen. About 50% of the species are new to Thailand and several new to science. All 67 species of Sarcophaga so far reported from Thailand are listed and their taxonomic status and nomenclature updated. Emphasis on rearing (523 broods) ensured species identification through the male progeny of the otherwise mostly unidentifiable females, and allowed several new correct male–female associations, besides offering new insights into the flies' breeding strategies. Three natural larviposition habits were observed in the wild: (1) on faeces of carnivorous and omnivorous, but not herbivorous, mammals (coprobiodotic), e.g. S. africa (Wiedemann), S. albiceps Meigen, S. misera Walker; (2) on cadaver (necrobiodotic), e.g. S. krathonmai Pape and Bänziger, S. nathani (Lopes), S. saprianovae Pape and Bänziger; and (3) on both of them (amphibiodotic), e.g. S. dux Thompson, S. ruficornis (Fabricius). However, larvae of copro- and necrobiodotic species experimentally transferred to cadaver and faeces, respectively, also developed to normal adults. The unexpected laying choosiness between excrement or carrion in the wild is discussed, together with the role played by laying habits in deceptive pollination systems and myiases.     

XV.—Descriptions of three new freshwater fishes from China

The North American members of the eulophid subfamily Tetrastichinae are reviewed in light of systematic advances which have occurred in other geographic realms. Forty-two genera are recognized as valid, with the largest of these, Aprostocetus, having four subgenera in the study area. Thirteen new genera are described: Apterastichus, Careostrix, Chytrolestes, Comastichus, Cucarastichus, Dapsilothrix, Eriastichus, Exalarius, Exastichus, Hadrotrichodes, Mesofrons, Oxypracetus, Styotrichia; the new subgenus Quercastichus is described in the genus Aprostocetus. Five new generic synonymies are made. With Aprostocetus Westwood, 1833: Exurus Philippi, 1873, Omphalomopsis Girault, 1917, Paromphaloidomyiia Girault, 1917, and Prothymus Girault, 1917. With Pentastichus Ashmead, 1894: Hypertetrastichus Moser, 1965. Six previously described genera are newly recorded from North America: Aceratoneuromyia, Anaprostocetus, Henryana, Kocourekia, Lisseurytomella and Pentastichus. Two hundred and twelve species of North American Tetrastichinae are currently recognized as valid. Eighty new combinations are proposed from North America, and three from the Neotropical Region. The majority of these species are being moved from the genus Tetrastichus, which had previously held most of the North American Tetrastichinae species. Eighteen new species are described: Aprostocetus (Quercastichus) burksi, Apterastichus oculatus, Careostrix yoshimotoi, Chytrolestes alibaba, Comastichus zopheros, Cucarastichus texanus, Dapsilothrix jeanae, Eriastichus cigdemae, E. masneri, E. nakos, Exalarius huachucensis, Exastichus odontos, Hadrotrichodes waukheon, Kostjukovius grahami, Mesofrons villosus, Oxypracetus opacus, Styotrichia bicolor, S. quadrata. One new specific synonymy is made. With Aprostocetus (Quercastichus) pattersonae (Fullaway, 1912): Tetrastichus spilopteris Burks, 1943. A lectotype is designated for Tetrastichus pattersonae Fullaway. Aprostocetus (Ootetrastichus) mymaridis (Girault) is removed from synonymy with Tetrastichus polynemae Ashmead and considered as valid. Twelve previously described species are newly recorded from North America: Aceratoneuromyia fimbriata Graham, Anaprostocetus acuminatus (Ratzeburg), Aprostocetus antiguensis (Crawford), A. leucone (Walker), A. pygmaeus (Zetterstedt), A. strobilanae (Ratzeburg), A. longicauda (Thomson), A. terebrans (Erdös), Henryana magnifica Yoshimoto, Kocourekia debilis (Ratzeburg), Lisseurytomella flava (Ashmead), Tamarixia leucaenae Bou?ek.     

A new Arietellidae (Copepoda: Calanoida) from the Red Sea

A new species of the calanoid copepod genus Paramisophria T. Scott, 1897 is described from the Egyptian sublittoral zone of the Red Sea. Paramisophria aegypti sp. nov. appears to be closely related to the species Paramisophria ammophila and Paramisophria platysoma. Paramisophria aegypti differs from P. ammophila in having two unequal lateral setae plus one long terminal process and two tiny equal lateral setae plus one long terminal process on the third exopodal segment on the male right and left fifth legs (vs three terminal processes increasing in size inward on both male fifth legs). Paramisophria aegypti can be distinguished from P. platysoma in the following characters: prosome symmetrical (vs extreme asymmetry); third exopod segment of the right leg completely separated from the second segment and bears two unequal lateral setae plus one long terminal process (vs partially fused to the second segment and bears four terminal processes increasing in size inward); third exopod segment of the left leg with two lateral setules and one long terminal process (vs two lateral setules, one short outer medial process and one long terminal process); endopodal lobes of the female legs 5 bear one long plumose seta (vs setae are lacking).http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:C0A92BF9-2306-4A35-AA39-CE3B5865A396     

Hysterothylacium,Iheringascaris and Maricostula new genus,nematodes (Ascaridoidea) from Australian pelagic marine fishes

The state of knowledge of Australian fish parasitic ascardioids is briefly reviewed. The following species are described in full: Hysterothylacium cornutum, H. pelagicum, H. scomberoidei n. sp. Additional data are provided for Iheringascaris inquies. Maricostula n. gen. is established for those species that have lips with lateral flanges, deep postlabial grooves, interlabia, and elongate intestinal caecum, pyriform ventriculus, long sac-like ventricular appendix, an expanded filamentar excretory system and excretory pore near the nerve ring. The males of all the species have precloacal crests. Species included are: M. caballeroi (Deloya), M. cenatica n. sp., M. histiophori (Yamaguti), M. incurva (Rudolphi), M. makairi n. sp. and M. tetrapteri n. sp. All are recorded from billfishes, and all but M. caballeroi are recorded from Australian waters. The systematic position of the genus is discussed. New characters of taxonomic utility used in the discrimination of fish parasitic ascaridoids are discussed. These include fine details of alae, male caudal crests and papillae. We demonstrate that these characters can be used to separate species of Maricostula. Remarks are also given on nomenclatural problems within the Indo-Pacific fish parasitic Ascardioidea.     

Expanding the taxonomic conundrum: Three new species of groundwater crustacean (Syncarida,Bathynellacea, Parabathynellidae) endemic to the Iberian Peninsula

Two new species of the genus Iberobathynella and one new species of the cosmopolitan genus Hexabathynella are described from the Iberian Peninsula. The three new species were found in the groundwater of caves and the gravelly bank of a river, two species in the north of Spain (Cantabria and Burgos) and one in the south (Sevilla). The two new species of the genus Iberobathynella present a unique combination of characters. These character combinations for the species from Cantabria are: thoracopod 8 female with wrinkled cuticle and two teeth; seven spines on the furca; nine spines on the sympod, three barbed and one plumose seta on the exopod and two barbed setae on the endopod of the uropod; maxilla with 0, 0 and 15 setae on the three segments, respectively; five teeth on the pars incisiva and six teeth on the pars molaris of the mandible and seven segments on the antennule. The combinations of characters for the species from Burgos are: antennule with seven segments; segment 5 of the antennule with one aesthetasc; mandible with four and five teeth on the pars incisiva and pars molaris respectively; maxillule with one seta on segment 1 and 14 setae on segment 3; segment 1 of the endopod of the thoracopod 1 with two setae; uropod with six spines on the sympod, four barbed setae and one plumose seta on the exopod and no setae on the endopod; furca with five spines and the thoracopod 8 female with wrinkled cuticle and two teeth. This last species has an exclusive character for the genus: the absence of setae on the endopod of the uropod. The new species of the genus Hexabathynella has six spines of similar length on the sympod of the uropod (in all other species within the genus the distal spine is longer than the others); the form of the antennal organ in the males is shown to be a new unique character for the genus; the maxilla has three and 13 setae on segments 2 and 3, respectively; the uropod has six spines on the sympod, three barbed setae on the exopod and two smooth setae on the endopod, the endopod is twice as long as the exopod and the shape of the female thoracopod 8 is unique.     

Two new genera and five new species of the feather mite subfamily Proctophyllodinae (Astigmata: Proctophyllodidae) from suboscine birds in Brazil

Two new genera and five new species of feather mites of the family Proctophyllodidae are described from passerine birds from Brazil: Tyranniphyllodes pitangi gen. n., sp. n. from Pitangus sulphuratus (Tyrannidae); Atrichophyllodes delalandi gen. n., sp. n. from Corythopis delalandi (Tyrannidae); A. mentalis gen. n., sp. n. from Dysithamnus mentalis (Thamnophilidae); Anisophyllodes candango sp. n. from Elaenia chiriquensis (Tyrannidae); and Platyacarus sittasomi sp. n. from Sittasomus griseicapillus (Dendrocolaptidae). The discovery of these taxa might give data for a better understanding of the evolution of the family Proctophyllodidae in general and the dispersion of these mites on passerines in South America in paricular.     

Cirolanid isopod crustaceans from the Townsville region of Queensland,Australia, with descriptions of six new species

Summary

A wide variety of littoral and sublittoral marine habitats have been sampled in the vicinity of Townsville in N.E. Australia in order to assess the diversity of cirolanid isopods present.

Of the thirteen species represented in the collections six were previously undescribed. The species present were: Cirolana schioedtei Miers, 1884 (16m in mud/sand); C. pustulosa Hale, 1925 (mainly littoral habitats such as crevices in wooden installations); C. cranchii var. australiense Hale, 1925 (mainly littoral cryptic habitats); C. tumulosa sp. nov. (3–9 m in soft particulate substrata); C. arcicauda sp. nov. (3–10 m in soft particulate substrata); C. variguberna sp. nov. (2–18 m in soft particulate substrata); C. luticola sp. nov. (2–14 m in soft particulate substrata); Neocirolana bicrista sp. nov. (11 m in particulate substrata); Excirolana orientalis Dana, 1853 (littoral sand); Pseudolana concinna (Hale, 1925) (littoral sand); Pseudolana brevifimbria sp. nov. (littoral sand); Eurydice orientalis Hansen, 1890 (plankton and 5–11 m in soft particulate substrata); Eurydice inermis Hansen, 1890 (plankton and 2–11 m in soft particulate substrata).

The new species are described in detail and additional information is given on the other species—some of which have been poorly described in the past. In addition two closely related species, i.e. Cirolana tenuistylis Miers, 1884 and C. woodjonesi Hale, 1924 are also redescribed so as to avoid any confusion with the Townsville species.