1urn:lsid:arphahub.com:pub:F9B2E808-C883-5F47-B276-6D62129E4FF4urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:245B00E9-BFE5-4B4F-B76E-15C30BA74C02Biodiversity Data JournalBDJ1314-28361314-2828Pensoft Publishers10.3897/BDJ.9.e602876028715092Taxonomic PaperInsectaAcalyptrataeBrachyceraCyclorrhaphaShizophoraDipteraHexapodaConopoideaArthropodaInvertebrataAnimaliaSystematicsCatalogues and ChecklistsAfricaArabian PeninsulaNorth AfricaAsiaSaudi ArabiaMiddle EastEgyptThe family Conopidae (Diptera) in Egypt and Saudi ArabiaEl-HawagryMagdielhawagry@cu.edu.eghttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-9162-52651SolimanAhmed Mostafaammsoliman@gmail.comhttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-5284-713X23Al DhaferHathal Mohammedhdhafer@ksu.edu.sahttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-4911-23322Entomology Department, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Giza, EgyptEntomology Department, Faculty of Science, Cairo UniversityGizaEgyptPlant Protection Department, College of Food and Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, PO BOX 2460, Riyadh, Saudi ArabiaPlant Protection Department, College of Food and Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, PO BOX 2460RiyadhSaudi ArabiaAl-Azhar University, Faculty of Science, Cairo, EgyptAl-Azhar University, Faculty of ScienceCairoEgypt
Corresponding authors: Magdi El-Hawagry (elhawagry@cu.edu.eg), Ahmed Mostafa Soliman (ammsoliman@gmail.com), Hathal Mohammed Al Dhafer (hdhafer@ksu.edu.sa).
Academic editor: Torsten Dikow
2021130120219e6028752C8BC2A-7CCF-533D-B094-FCDE6B1515E844539160211202008012021Magdi El-Hawagry, Ahmed Mostafa Soliman, Hathal Mohammed Al DhaferThis is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.Background
The present study is one in a series of planned studies aiming to catalogue the whole order Diptera in both Egypt and Saudi Arabia.
New information
All known Egyptian and Saudi Arabian conopid taxa are systematically catalogued in the present study. Three species are recorded herein for the first time from Saudi Arabia: Conops (Asiconops) elegans Meigen, 1804 and Thecophoraatra (Fabricius, 1775) (Al-Baha region, south-western of Saudi Arabia), and Conops (Conops) quadrifasciatus De Geer, 1776 (Tabuk region, north-western of Saudi Arabia). Physocephalavariegata (Meigen, 1924) is also recorded for the first time from Gebel Elba, the south-eastern triangle of Egypt. Considering that Gebel Elba in Egypt and Al-Baha in Saudi Arabia are affiliated to the Afrotropical Region, this is the first time Physocephalavariegata and Thecophoraatra have been recorded from the Afrotropical Region. An updated taxonomy, world and local distributions, dates of collection and some coloured photographs are provided.
thick-headed flieslocal distributiondates of collectionnew recordsIntroduction
The Conopidae, commonly known as thick-headed flies, are an interesting brachycerous family of usually large-sized wasp-like flies. Many conopids are most frequently found at flowers feeding on nectar using their long proboscis and considered as important pollinators. The majority of conopid larvae are obligatory endoparasitoids of adult Hymenoptera, such as bees and wasps. Adult conopid females aggressively intercept their hymenopterous hosts in the field to deposit their eggs (Freeman (1966), Gibson and Skevington (2013), Pape et al. (2011), Stuke (2017), Azmy et al. (2016)). The family Conopidae is represented by 808 valid species assigned to 57 genera worldwide (Stuke 2017). Conopids are found in all parts of the world, except Antarctica and the Pacific Islands (Gibson et al. 2013).
Egypt and Saudi Arabia are two neighbouring Middle Eastern countries, separated by the Gulf of Aqaba and the Red Sea (Fig. 1). Both countries are located at the junction of the Palaearctic and the Afrotropical Regions and the faunal affiliation of them is mainly Palaearctic, except Gebel Elba, the south-eastern triangle of Egypt and the south-western part of Saudi Arabia, south to the Tropic of Cancer, which are considered as Afrotropical (Hölzel 1998, Wallace 1876, El-Hawagry and Gilbert 2014, El-Hawagry et al. 2020).
Some previous studies have been carried out in Egypt on the taxonomy and faunistics of the family Conopidae, including Kröber (1924), Kröber (1925), Kröber (1927), Kröber (1929), Steyskal and El-Bialy (1967), Mohammed and Negm (1991), Azmy (2016) and Azmy et al. (2016), in addition to some miscellaneous studies which described some new species from Egypt as Kröber (1915a), Wiedemann (1830), Macquart (1835) and Rondani (1850). On the other hand, no previous faunistic or taxonomic studies on the family Conopidae have been carried out before in Saudi Arabia and only a few species have been described or recorded there amid some miscellaneous studies, such as Macquart (1851), Kröber (1915a), Zimina (1963), Walker and Pittaway (1987), Abu-Zoherah et al. (1993), Stuke and Clements (2008), El-Hawagry et al. (2016) and El-Hawagry et al. (2017).
The abundance and diversity of conopid species in both Egypt and Saudi Arabia seem to be low (17 species in Egypt and 12 species in Saudi Arabia) comparable with the total number of species known from the Palaearctic Region (173 species) and from the Afrotropical Region (187 species) (Stuke 2017). However, this should be taken with caution, since the family Conopidae seems to lack sampling efforts, especially in Saudi Arabia. This is most likely due to the fact that documentation of biological diversity in Saudi Arabia began in the second half of the 1960s and no systematic studies on the Conopidae have been previously conducted in this country. We think that the faunistic data of these flies in Egypt and Saudi Arabia is still scanty and more efforts would be highly required.
The taxonomy of Conopidae in both Egypt and Saudi Arabia is updated in the present study. Twenty species assigned to five genera and three subfamilies (Conopinae, Myopinae and Zodioninae) are treated (Table 1). Three species, Conops (Asiconops) elegans Meigen, 1804, Conops (Conops) quadrifasciatus De Geer, 1776 and Thecophoraatra (Fabricius, 1775), are recorded for the first time from Saudi Arabia.
Physocephalavariegata (Meigen) is recorded for the first time from Gebel Elba, the south-eastern triangle of Egypt and Thecophoraatra (Fabricius) is recorded for the first time from the south-western part of Saudi Arabia. Considering that Gebel Elba in Egypt and the south-western part in Saudi Arabia including Al-Baha Region are affiliated to the Afrotropical Region, this is the first time that these two species from the Afrotropical Region have been recorded.
Walker (1871) described Conopsauratus from “Hor Tamanib” which belonged to Egypt at the time of description; however, it lies now in Sudan. Steyskal and El-Bialy (1967) inaccurately listed this species as an Egyptian species, based mainly on the misleading type locality. Thus, this species is excluded from the Egyptian list in the present study.
This study is one in a series of taxonomic studies on different Egyptian and Saudi Arabian dipteran taxa aiming to catalogue the whole order Diptera in the two countries.
Materials and methods
Data sources. Data of the present study are obtained from three main sources: 1. Specimens preserved in the Egyptian and Saudi Arabian insect collections and museums, namely: Efflatoun Bey’s collection, Cairo University, Egypt (EFC); Collection of Entomological Society of Egypt (ESEC); King Saud University Museum of Arthropods, Saudi Arabia (KSMA) and Personal collection M. El-Hawagry (MSHC). 2. Material collected by the authors and their co-workers. 3. Previous studies on the Egyptian and Saudi Arabian Conopidae. The majority of specimens preserved in EFC and ESEC were determined by Dr. Otto Kröber. However, all identifications have been rechecked by the first author using Kröber (1927), Stuke and Clements (2008), Azmy (2016) and Azmy et al. (2016). Photos of Thecophoraatra have been checked by Dr. Jens-Hermann Stuke (personal communication).
Study area. Ecologists divide Egypt into eight ecological zones: the Coastal Strip (= Mediterranean Coastal Strip), Lower Nile Valley and Delta, Upper Nile Valley, Fayoum, Eastern Desert, Western Desert, Sinai and Gebel Elba (El-Hawagry and Gilbert 2014). These ecological zones are used in the present study in the sections of local distribution. However, Saudi Arabia is not divided into ecological zones by ecologists, so the administrative divisions (also called regions, provinces or emirates) are used instead, namely: Makkah, Riyadh, Eastern Province, Asir, Jazan, Al-Madinah, Al-Qaseem, Tabuk, Hail, Najran, Al-Jawf, Al-Baha and Northern Frontier (Fig. 1) (El-Hawagry et al. 2020).
Classification. The classification and nomenclature in the present study basically follows that used in Stuke (2017), in addition to the tribal arrangement suggested by Gibson and Skevington (2013). Full lists of synonyms for genera and species are not given in the present study as they are already listed in world and regional catalogues; however, we listed only the synonyms of species that have been mentioned in previous Egyptian and Saudi Arabian literature.
World distribution. Stuke (2017) has collected all sources of world distribution of species and it is used here as our basic source. The additional sources, if any, are given between parentheses after each record.
Local distribution and dates of collection. Localities within each Egyptian ecological zone or each Saudi Arabian administrative region are arranged alphabetically and written after a colon following each zone or region, followed by the dates of collection between parentheses. Sources for the local distribution of each species in each country are given between square brackets at the end of the section. Coordinates of Egyptian and Saudi Arabian localities of the family Conopidae are listed (Table 2). Local distribution maps of species based on all available records are given, using SimpleMappr (Shorthouse 2010).
Abbreviations used:
AF, Afrotropical.
EFC, Efflatoun Bey’s collection, Department of Entomology, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Egypt.
ESEC, Collection of Entomological Society of Egypt, Cairo, Egypt.
KSMA, King Saud University Museum of Arthropods, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
MSHC, Personal collection M. El-Hawagry.
OR, Oriental.
PA, Palearctic.
ChecklistsThe catalogue2886EBB0-F4EB-58D7-8BF6-EAD3A69B6FFECONOPIDAEA9C02511-9D07-57D5-BD4F-EA81E057285ECONOPINAE07DBF252-FE1F-5C41-96FD-2D0273F8B1BCCONOPINIBC310CE2-5316-5909-895B-815792C7DEDBConopshttps://www.gbif.org/species/1444664LinnaeusConops Linnaeus, 1758: 604. Type species: Conopsflavipes Linnaeus, by subsequent designation of Curtis (1831).5168C48E-6A17-5C60-AC1A-7862169A67D9AsiconopsChenAsiconops Chen, 1939: 171. Type species: Conopsaureomaculatus Kröber, by original designation.EA1D392D-75C8-5867-AD62-3DD8AD852EAAConops (Asiconops) eleganshttps://www.gbif.org/species/5076777Meigen, 1804Conopselegans Meigen, 1804: 275. Type locality: France (Marseille).Conopselegansvar.fuscipennis Macquart 1849: 472. Type locality: Algeria.Conopsalgirus Macquart 1849: 473. Type locality: Algeria (environs du Cercle de Lacalle).Conopaejusaegyptiacus Rondani, 1850: 167. Type locality: Egypt.Conopsfuscanipennis Bigot, 1887: 32. Type locality: Italy (Sicily).Conopselegansvar.minutus Kröber, 1916: 48. Type locality: Not given (Cyprus, Limassol in Kröber 1939).Materials
This species was listed by Steyskal and El-Bialy (1967), Chvála and Smith (1988), Azmy (2016) as recorded from Egypt, but these records could not be verified and require confirmation as no specimens have been collected or preserved in Egyptian museums.
8C73F907-C774-50D8-964C-66C249D68A06Conops (Asiconops) nubeculipennishttps://www.gbif.org/species/5076815Bezzi, 1901Conopsnubeculipennis Bezzi, 1901: 21. Type locality: Eritrea.Conopsatrogonius Séguy 1930: 134. Type locality: Morocco.Materials
Type status:Other material. Occurrence: recordedBy: Aldhafer H.M. et al.; sex: 1 male; lifeStage: adult; Taxon: taxonID: https://www.gbif.org/species/5076815; scientificName: Conopsnubeculipennis; kingdom: Animalia; phylum: Arthropoda; class: Insecta; order: Diptera; family: Conopidae; Location: country: Saudi Arabia; stateProvince: Al-Qassim; locality: Unayzah; decimalLatitude: 26.085478; decimalLongitude: 43.9768123; Identification: identifiedBy: M. El-Hawagry; dateIdentified: May 2020; Event: samplingProtocol: Malaise trap; eventDate: 05-01-2018; Record Level: institutionCode: KSMA
Local distribution and dates of collection (Fig. 2): EGYPT: Upper Nile Valley: South Aswan (as “Nubien”) [Source: Kröber (1915b)]. SAUDI ARABIA: Al-Qassim: Unayzah (May); Asir: Raydah Nature Reserve (May and June); South-western part of Saudi Arabia including Jazan and Najran (September and October) [Sources: Walker and Pittaway (1987), El-Hawagry et al. (2017)) and collected material].
Notes
This species was listed by Kröber (1915b), Steyskal and El-Bialy (1967), Azmy (2016), Stuke (2017) as recorded from Egypt, but no specimens have been collected or preserved in Egyptian museums.
95513370-78CD-5EE7-B198-0A8838230483ConopsLinnaeusC37A3C82-52E9-5907-A837-5A5656702F6DConops (Conops) flavicaudahttps://www.gbif.org/species/5076720(Bigot, 1880)Sphixosomaflavicauda Bigot, 1880: 149. Type locality: Iran (Northern Iran and Caucasus).Conopseuzonatus Bigot, 1887: 33. Type locality: Caucasus Mountains.Conopssuperbus Röder, 1889: 6. Type locality: Lebanon (Beirut) [as “Beyrut, Syria (Asia minor)”].Conopscypris Janssens, 1955: 2. Type locality: Cyprus (Akrotiri Bay, Yermdoyia & Erimi).Distribution
Local distribution and dates of collection (Fig. 4): SAUDI ARABIA: Jazan: Abu-Arish (March) [Source: Stuke et al. (2008)].
0CF0A37A-3709-53B4-8806-EF4E4B18A3A7PHYSOCEPHALINI2ABD2B29-4CB6-56BF-B851-931FE8B51E63Physocephalahttps://www.gbif.org/species/1568868SchinerPhysocephala Schiner, 1861: 138. Type species: Conopsrufipes Fabricius, by original designation.F05F8C8C-6F7A-539B-8DE6-96B58ED73222Physocephalaantiquahttps://www.gbif.org/species/1569080(Wiedemann, 1830)Conopsantiqua Wiedemann, 1830: 239. Type locality: Egypt.Conopsarabica Macquart, 1851: 134. Type locality: Saudi Arabia (Jeddah).Physocephalafurax Becker, 1913: 612. Type locality: Iran.Physocephalasyriaca Kröber, 1915: 72. Type locality: Egypt (Cairo) & Palestinian West Bank (Jericho).Physocephalaobscurifacies Kröber, 1924: 67. Type locality: Egypt (Wadi Hoff).Materials
Type status:Other material. Occurrence: recordedBy: Aldhafer H.M. et al.; sex: 1 male; lifeStage: adult; Taxon: taxonID: https://www.gbif.org/species/1569080; scientificName: Physocephalaantiqua; kingdom: Animalia; phylum: Arthropoda; class: Insecta; order: Diptera; family: Conopidae; Location: country: Saudi Arabia; stateProvince: Jazan; locality: Jazan; decimalLatitude: 16.902448; decimalLongitude: 42.570516; Identification: identifiedBy: M. El-Hawagry; dateIdentified: May 2020; Event: samplingProtocol: Malaise trap; eventDate: 05-12-2019; Record Level: institutionCode: KSMA
Distribution
AF: Egypt [as “Gebel Elba”], Saudi Arabia [as “South-western part”], United Arab Emirates, Yemen. PA: Afghanistan, Algeria, China, Cyprus, Egypt, Greece, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Palestinian Territories, Russia, Saudi Arabia (Jeddah), Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan.
Local distribution and dates of collection (Fig. 5): EGYPT: Coastal Strip: Abu-Kir, Dekhela, Mariout (April to August); Eastern Desert: Abu Sueir, Cairo-Suez Road, El-Mallah, Geneifa, Ismailia, Wadi Asal (30 km S. Kosseir), Wadi Digla, Wadi El-Maskhara, Wadi Garawi, Wadi Gharagid, Wadi Hoff, Wadi Ibtadi, Wadi Rishrash (February to September); Fayoum: Kom Osheem (May, August and November); Gebel Elba: locality unknown (January); Lower Nile Valley and Delta: Abu-Rawash, Barrage, Burgash, Cairo, El-Katta, El-Magadlah, Ezbet El-Nakhl, Helwan, Kafr Hakim, Kerdassa, Maadi, Mansouriah, Pyramids, Turah (April to October); Sinai: Wadi Gedeirat (June and July); Upper Nile Valley: Kom Ombo (January); Western Desert: Dahshour, Dakhla Oasis (Balat, Ewina & Rashda), Saqqara, Siwa Oasis (March to December) [Sources: Kröber (1915a), Kröber (1924), Kröber (1927), Stuke and Clements (2008), Stuke (2014), Azmy (2016) and museum material in EFC and ESEC]. SAUDI ARABIA: Al-Baha: Al-Mekhwa (March); Asir: Marabah (April); Jazan: Abu-Arish Road (Al-Mahdag and Arada), Jazan City (March to May); Makka Al-Mukarramah: Jeddah (date unknown) [Sources: Kröber (1915a), Stuke and Clements (2008) and collected material].
9F4DA306-0CC6-5601-8A31-9FE15AF9280DPhysocephalachrysorrhoeahttps://www.gbif.org/species/1569093(Meigen, 1824)Conopschrysorrhoea Meigen, 1824: 128. Type locality: Austria.Conopspallasi Meigen, 1824: 128. Type locality: Russia.Conopsserpylleti Zeller, 1842: 837. Type locality: Germany.Physocephalazarudnyi Becker, 1913: 614. Type locality: Iran.Physocephalatruncatavar.pseudomaculigera Kröber, 1915: 72. Type locality: Egypt & Tunisia.Materials
Local distribution and dates of collection (Fig. 6): EGYPT: Coastal Strip: Burg El-Arab, Mariout (February to May); Eastern Desert: Bir El-Fahm, Ogret El-Sheikh, Wadi El-Mallah, Wadi El-Maskhara, Wadi Garawi, Wadi Hoff, Wadi Morrah, Wadi Um-Elek, Wadi Zohleiga (March and April); Fayoum: Girza, Sennouris (January to March); Gebel Elba: locality unknown (January); Lower Nile Valley and Delta: Abu-Rawash, Barrage, Ezbet El-Nakhl, Hawamdiya, Helwan, Kafr Hakim, Kubba, Maadi, Mansouriah, Mazghouna (February to August); Sinai: Ein Gedeirat, Ein Moussa, Wadi El-Arbaein, Wadi El-Rabba (February to May); Western Desert: Dahshour (April) [Sources: Azmy (2016) and museum material in EFC and ESEC]. SAUDI ARABIA: locality and date unknown [Sources: Stuke (2017)].
6CEC5DCC-417E-50CD-A2FF-8D365781D445Physocephalapusillahttps://www.gbif.org/species/1568897(Meigen, 1804)Conopspusilla Meigen, 1824: 280. Type locality: Germany (Frankreich).Conopslacera Meigen, 1824: 130. Type locality: Austria.Conopspumila Macquart, 1835: 26. Type locality: France.Conopspersica Becker, 1913: 609. Type locality: Iran.Conopspunctithorax Becker, 1913: 611. Type locality: Iran.Materials
PA: Afghanistan, China, Egypt, Europe (widespread), Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, Turkmenistan.
Local distribution and dates of collection (Fig. 6): EGYPT: Eastern Desert: Cairo-Suez Road, El-Wasfia, Geneifa, Wadi Digla, Wadi Gharagid (April to September); Fayoum: Fayoum City, Kom Osheem (March to October); Lower Nile Valley and Delta: Abu-Rawash, Ashmoun, Ezbet El-Nakhl, Kafr Hakim, Maadi, Mansouriah, Pyramids (April to October); Sinai: Wadi El-Lega, Wadi El-Rabba, Wadi Firan, Wadi Isla, Wadi Khoshbi (April to August); Western Desert: Madinet El-Sadat, Siwa Oasis (July to October) [Sources: Zalat et al. (2008), Azmy (2016) and museum material in EFC and ESEC]. SAUDI ARABIA: locality and date unknown [Source: Abu-Zoherah et al. (1993) as Conopslacera].
B5A64EBE-FF12-52AE-A76D-CE6400E12594Physocephalavariegatahttps://www.gbif.org/species/1569101(Meigen, 1824)Conopsvariegata Meigen, 1824: 132. Type locality: Austria & France.Materials
Local distribution and dates of collection (Fig. 7): EGYPT: Coastal Strip: Mariout, Salloum (May to August); Eastern Desert: Abu Sueir, Geneifa, Wadi Digla, Wadi Dir El-Maskhara, Wadi Garrariyat, Wadi Gharagid, Wadi Hoff, Wadi Ibtadi, Wadi Rishrash, Wadi Um-Elek (April to August); Gebel Elba: Mersa Halaib, Wadi Edeib, Wadi Ibib (January to March); Lower Nile Valley and Delta: Abu-Rawash, Kafr Ghatati (May to July); Sinai: El-Arish, Wadi El-Daiqa, Wadi El-Rabba, Wadi Firan, Wadi Gedeirat (April to August) [Sources: Kröber (1927), Kröber (1929), Azmy (2016) and museum material in EFC and ESEC]. SAUDI ARABIA: locality and date unknown [Source: Zimina (1963), Stuke (2017)].
86C49695-1BE7-59CB-8642-60F1BC8B84A8Physocephalavittatahttps://www.gbif.org/species/1569046(Fabricius, 1794)Conopsvittata Fabricius, 1794: 392. Type locality: Germany (Kiel).Conopsdorsalis Wiedemann in Meigen, 1824: 133. Type locality: Austria.Conopssolaeformis Gimmerthal, 1842: 672. Type locality: Latvia.Conopssemiatrata Costa, 1844: 89. Type locality: Italy.Conopsfraternus Loew, 1847: 18. Type locality: Turkey, Greece, Croatia & Italy.Conopstruncata Loew, 1847: 21. Type locality: Italy (Sicily).Physocephaladetecta Becker, 1913: 615. Type locality: Iran.Physocephalavittatavar.abdominalis Kröber, 1915: 57. Type locality: Turkey, Syria & Cyprus.Physocephalavittatavar.semirufa Kröber, 1915: 58. Type locality: Israel.Physocephalatruncatavar.maculigera Kröber, 1915: 71. Type locality: Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria & Syria.Physocephalavittatavar.immaculata Kröber, 1939: 365. Type locality: Cyprus.Distribution
Local distribution and dates of collection (Fig. 7): EGYPT: Coastal Strip: El-Burg, Mariout (May); Sinai: locality and date unknown; Upper Nile Valley: locality and date unknown [Sources: Kröber (1915a), Kröber (1927), Azmy (2016)].
CBC63EAC-B7F2-5B01-A625-1D7784F019FAMYOPINAE113B4D60-A103-5B85-8BE8-F621A2CB8191MYOPINIA1376120-EB6D-5604-AD52-58567D1CB98EMyopahttps://www.gbif.org/species/1568357FabriciusMyopa Fabricius, 1775: 798. Type species: Conopsbuccata Linnaeus, by subsequent designation of Curtis (1831).4561A5BB-F557-5A95-A89B-4FC0F211ACC5Myopadorsalishttps://www.gbif.org/species/1568413Fabricius, 1794Myopadorsalis Fabricius, 1794: 397. Type locality: Germany.Myopaferruginea Panzer, 1794: 24. Type locality: Germany.Myopagrandis Meigen, 1804: 284. Type locality: Germany.Myopadorsalisvar.nigrifacies Becker, 1922: 289. Type locality: Not given.Materials
Local distribution and dates of collection (Fig. 8): EGYPT: Coastal Strip: Behig, Burg El-Arab, Mariout (February and March); Lower Nile Valley and Delta: Madinet Badr (January); Sinai: Wadi El-Rabba (April) [Sources: Azmy et al. (2016) and museum material in EFC and ESEC].
2657AEC4-4949-5D2C-8006-B3693AFC63B2Myopapictahttps://www.gbif.org/species/1568425Panzer, 1798Myopapicta Panzer, 1798: 22. Type locality: Austria.Myopavaria Wiedemann, 1830: 242. Type locality: Egypt.Myopameridionalis Macquart, 1835: 34. Type locality: Egypt.Materials
AF: Ethiopia. OR: India, Pakistan. PA: Afghanistan, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, Iran, Italy, Kyrgyzstan, Morocco, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine.
Local distribution and dates of collection (Fig. 8): EGYPT: Coastal Strip: Amria, Behig, Burg El-Arab, Mariout, Mersa Matrouh (February to May); Sinai: Ein Gedeirat (June) [Sources: Kröber (1925), Azmy et al. (2016) and museum material in EFC and ESEC].
33C3A52E-EDDF-5238-8854-C8C13C857252Myopastigmahttps://www.gbif.org/species/1568382Meigen, 1824Myopastigma Meigen, 1824: 148. Type locality: Austria.Myopaarabica Macquart 1851: 138. Type locality: Saudi Arabia (Jeddah).Distribution
Local distribution and dates of collection (Fig. 9): SAUDI ARABIA: Makka Al-Mukarramah: Jeddah (date unknown) [Source: original description of M.arabica Macquart and Stuke and Clements 2008].
5DBDE653-63AB-533E-8BF5-2E34BCA1A11DMyopatestaceahttps://www.gbif.org/species/1568398(Linnaeus, 1767)Conopstestacea Linnaeus, 1767: 1006. Type locality: "Europa australis Ascanius".Myopalongirostris Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830: 243. Type locality: Not given.Myopapictipennis Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830: 243. Type locality: Not given.Myopaumbripennis Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830: 243. Type locality: Not given.Myopatestaceavar.japonica Kröber, 1916: 89. Type locality: Japan.Materials
Local distribution and dates of collection (Fig. 9): EGYPT: Coastal Strip: Amria, Burg El-Arab, Mariout (February to June); Lower Nile Valley and Delta: Kubba (February) [Sources: Azmy et al. (2016) and museum material in EFC and ESEC].
F28F8D07-2E94-5BAC-8C4A-460D355BB105THECOPHORINI4725D923-F9C0-5829-9C2C-7A4F875AC92FThecophoraRondaniThecophora Rondani, 1845: 15. Type species: Myopaatra Fabricius, by monotypy.C9C45211-4E80-5505-9B32-38BB065160CDThecophoraatrahttps://www.gbif.org/species/1569366(Fabricius, 1775)Myopaatra Fabricius, 1775: 799. Type locality: Denmark (Copenhagen).Myopaannulata Fabricius, 1794: 399. Type locality: Italy.Myopamaculata Meigen, 1804: 287. Type locality: France.Myopamicans Meigen, 1804: 288. Type locality: France.Myopafemorata Fabricius, 1805: 181. Type locality: Germany.Occemyafulvifrons Robineau-Desvoidy, 1853: 134. Type locality: France.Occemyameigeni Robineau-Desvoidy, 1853: 135. Type locality: France.Occemyagrisea Robineau-Desvoidy, 1853: 137. Type locality: France.Occemyalamarckii Robineau-Desvoidy, 1853: 140. Type locality: France.Occemyaguerini Robineau-Desvoidy, 1853: 141. Type locality: France.Occemyabigoti Robineau-Desvoidy, 1853: 142. Type locality: France.Occemyabrunipes Robineau-Desvoidy, 1853: 143. Type locality: France.Occemyalucasi Robineau-Desvoidy, 1853: 144. Type locality: France.Materials
Type status:Other material. Occurrence: recordedBy: El-Hawagry; sex: 1 female; lifeStage: adult; Taxon: taxonID: https://www.gbif.org/species/1569366; scientificName: Thecophoraatra; kingdom: Animalia; phylum: Arthropoda; class: Insecta; order: Diptera; family: Conopidae; Location: country: Saudi Arabia; locality: Al-Aqiq; Identification: identifiedBy: M. El-Hawagry; dateIdentified: June 2020; Event: samplingProtocol: Sweeping; eventDate: 4-20-2011; Record Level: institutionCode: MSHC
Distribution
AF: Saudi Arabia [as “South-western part”] (first record). OR: India, Sri Lanka. PA: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, China, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Hungary, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Netherlands, North Korea, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine.
Local distribution and dates of collection (Fig. 10): EGYPT: Coastal Strip: Mariout (April and May); Lower Nile Valley and Delta: Ezbet El-Nakhl, Hawamdia, Helwan, Kafr Hakim, Mazghouna (March to December) [Sources: Azmy et al. 2016 and museum material in EFC and ESEC]. SAUDI ARABIA: Al-Baha: Al-Aqiq (April) [Source: collected material].
Notes
This species (Fig. 12b) is recorded herein for the first time from Saudi Arabia and this is the first record in the Afrotropical Region considering the south-western part of Saudi Arabia to be affiliated with the Afrotropical Region.
C580F758-DF0E-52A7-A4B8-24E460A2EEA4Thecophorafulvipeshttps://www.gbif.org/species/1569429(Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830)Myopafulvipes Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830: 246. Type locality: France (Paris).Myopasundewalli Zetterstedt, 1844: 942. Type locality: Sweden.Materials
AF: Saudi Arabia [as “South-western part”] (El-Hawagry et al. 2017El-Hawagry et al. 2017). PA: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Mongolia, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine.
Local distribution and dates of collection (Fig. 10): EGYPT: Fayoum: Kom Osheem (June); Lower Nile Valley and Delta: Helwan (December) [Sources: Azmy 2016]. SAUDI ARABIA: Asir: Raydah Nature Reserve (June) [Source: El-Hawagry et al. 2017 and collected material].
31F6A9C8-4794-58AF-90F5-A2645E6B4DEDZODIONINAE7C6AD3BD-43E6-5BB2-BC92-2A7FB81957C9Zodionhttps://www.gbif.org/species/1568754LatreilleZodion Latreille, 1797: 162. Type species: Myopacinerea Fabricius, by Subsequent monotypy of Latreille (1802).B669E2C8-1C91-559F-A10D-8DB9A0F9AE59Zodioncinereumhttps://www.gbif.org/species/1568846(Fabricius, 1794)Myopacinerea Fabricius, 1794: 399. Type locality: Italy.Myopanotata Meigen, 1804: 288. Type locality: France.Myopatibialis Fabricius, 1805: 182. Type locality: Europe.Zodionconopsoides Latreille, 1809: 337. Type locality: France.Zodionpedicillatum Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830: 252. Type locality: Not given.Zodionfuliginosum Robineau-Desvoidy, 1853: 156. Type locality: France.Zodionfulvipes Robineau-Desvoidy, 1853: 157. Type locality: France.Zodionfulvicorne Robineau-Desvoidy, 1853: 158. Type locality: France.Zodioncinereumvar.rubescens Szilády, 1925: 223. Type locality: Hungary.Zodioncinereumvar.kerteszi Szilády, 1926: 589. Type locality: Hungary.Materials
AF: Central African Republic, Saudi Arabia [as “South-western part”] (El-Hawagry et al. 2016, United Arabian Emirates. OR: India. PA: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Armenia, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, China, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Hungary, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine.
Local distribution and dates of collection (Fig. 11): EGYPT: Coastal Strip: Behig, Burg El-Arab, Mariout (February and March); Sinai: Wadi El-Lega, Wadi El-Rabba (April, August and September) [Sources: Azmy (2016) and museum material in EFC]. SAUDI ARABIA: Al-Baha: Ghabet Shahba (Al-Baha City) (May and June 2012), Jabal Shada al-A’la Nature Reserve (May) [Source: Stuke (2008), El-Hawagry et al. (2016) and collected material].
A862FD02-D012-50A3-8142-283DF648131FZodionerythrurumhttps://www.gbif.org/species/1568759Rondani, 1865Zodionerythrurum Rondani, 1865: 146. Type locality: Italy (Etruria).Zodionpulchrum Loew, 1868: 384. Type locality: Italy.Zodionvittipes Strobl, 1906: 331. Type locality: Spain.Distribution
Local distribution and dates of collection (Fig. 11): EGYPT: Coastal Strip: Burg El-Arab, Mariout (February to April); Eastern Desert: Wadi Digla (July and August); Gebel Elba: locality and unknown (April and May); Upper Nile Valley: Esna (January) [Sources: Kröber (1927), Azmy (2016) and museum material in ESEC].
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to extend their sincere appreciation to the Deanship of Scientific Research at King Saud University for funding this work [Research group No: RG-1437-009].
We are grateful to Dr. Jens-Hermann Stuke, Roter Weg 22, D-26789 Leer, Germany and Dr. David Clements, 7 Vista Rise, Llandaff, Cardiff, CF5 2SD, U.K. for providing critical assistance throughout this study and for supplying us with some relevant papers. We are also grateful to the research team in KSMA for collecting, mounting and photographing specimens.
ReferencesAbu-ZoherahR.Al-TaherK.TilkianS.1993Kingdom of Saudi ArabiaRiyadh394AzmyR. M.2016Department of Entomology, Faculty of Science, Ain Shams UniversityCairo180AzmyR. M.SolimanA. M.AlyF. I.Gad AllahS. M.MohammadS. K.2016A Taxonomic review of the subfamily Myopinae Macquart, 1834 (Conopidae, Diptera) from Egypt121169178ChválaM.SmithK. G. V.1988ConopidaeSóosA.PappL.Vol. 8Elsevier, Amsterdam-Oxford-New York-Tokyo363CurtisJ.1831Vol. 15CurtisLondonEl-HawagryMagdiGilbertFrancis2014Zoogeographical affinities and faunal relationships of bee flies (Diptera: Bombyliidae) in Egypt601505610.1080/09397140.2014.892339El-HawagryMagdi S.SharafMostafa R.Al DhaferHathal M.FadlHassan H.AldawoodAbdulrahman S.2016Addenda to the insect fauna of Al-Baha Province, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with zoogeographical notes501209123610.1080/00222933.2015.1103913El-HawagryM. S.Abdel-DayemM. S.El-SonbatiS. A.HMAl2017A preliminary account of the fly fauna in Garf Raydah Nature Reserve, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with new records and biogeographical remarks (Diptera: Insecta)511499153010.1080/00222933.2017.1347299El-HawagryM. S.Abdel-DayemM. S.Al DhaferH. M.2020The family Oestridae in Egypt and Saudi Arabia (Diptera, Oestroidea94711314210.3897/zookeys.947.52317FreemanB. A.1966Notes on conopid flies, including insect host, plant and phoretic relationships (Diptera: Conopidae39123131GibsonJoel F.SkevingtonJeffrey H.2013Phylogeny and taxonomic revision of all genera of Conopidae (Diptera) based on morphological data1671438110.1111/j.1096-3642.2012.00873.xGibsonJ. F.SkevingtonJ. H.KelsoS.2013A phylogenetic analysis of relationships between genera of Conopidae (Diptera) based on molecular and morphological data29219322610.1111/j.1096-0031.2012.00422.xHölzelH.1998Zoogeographical features of Neuroptera of the Arabian Peninsula209120140KröberO.1915Die palaearktischen Arten der Gattung Physocephala804377KröberO.1915Die palaearktischen Arten der Gattung Conops L813560KröberO.1924Aegyptische Dipteren aus den Familien der Conopidae, Omphralidae und Therevidae757116KröberO.1925Neue Dipteren aus Aegypten9232–243KröberO.1927Aegyptische Dipteren aus den Familien der Conopidae und Therevidae11916KröberO.1929Neue Dipteren aus Aegypten aus den Familien Tabanidae, Therevidae, Omphralidae und Conopidae137384KröberO.1939Beitrge zur Kenntnis der Conopiden. I, II. Die Conopiden der Aethiopischen Region; III. Die Conopiden Sud- und Mittelamerikas (incl. Antillen und Mexiko); IV. Die Conopiden der Australischen Region; V. Die Conopiden der Orientalischen fauna4362395LatreilleP. A.18023DufartParis467MacquartP. J.M.18352RoretParis710MacquartP. J.M.1851Diptères exotiques nouveaux ou peu connus. Suite du 4.e Supplement1850134249MohammedS. K.NegmF.1991A list of Conopidae of Egypt (Cyclorrhapha, Diptera)1109115PapeT.BlagoderovV.MostovskiM. B.2011Order Diptera Linnaeus, 1758. In: Zhang Z-Q (Ed.), Animal biodiversity: An outline of higher–level classification and survey of taxonomic richness314822222910.11646/zootaxa.3148.1.42RondaniA. C.1850Osservazioni sopra alquante specie di esapodi ditteri del Museo Torinese2165179ShorthouseD.SimpleMappr, an online tool to produce publication-quality point mapshttps://www.simplemappr.net2020-10-25T00:00:00+03:00SteyskalG. C.El-BialyS.1967A list of Egyptian Diptera with a bibliography and key to families32425StukeJ. H.2008Order Diptera, family Conopidae A. Arthropod fauna of the United Arab Emiratesvan HartenA.Vol. 1Dar Al Ummah PublishersAbu Dhabi754StukeJ HClementsD K2008Revision of the Myopatestacea species-group in the Palaearctic region (Diptera: Conopidae)171312610.5281/zenodo.274119StukeJ. H.HayatR.ÖzbekH.2008Records of notable Conopidae (Diptera) from Turkey26109117StukeJ. H.2014A contribution to the knowledge of Physocephalaantiqua (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Conopidae212209220StukeJ. H.201715e.J. Brill, leidenBostonxxxviii + 354WalkerD. H.PittawayA. R.1987Patron: H.E. Sheikh Nahayan bin Mubarak Al-Nahayan, Emirates Natural History Group175WalkerF.1871List of Diptera collected in Egypt and Arabia, by J. K. Lord, Esq., with descriptions of the species new to science5255263WallaceAlfred Russel1876Vol.1 & 2MacmillanLondon574 + 650WiedemannC. R.W.18302Schulz, Hammxii + 684ZalatS. M.GilbertF.FadlH. H.El-HawagryM. S.Abdel-DayemM. S.KamelS.GilbertJ.2008Biological explorations of Sinai: flora and fauna of Wadi Isla and Hebran, St Katherine Protectorate5615ZiminaL. V.1963The genus Myopa Fabr. (Diptera, Conopidae) in the USSR42211218C798DB2C-1FD6-5911-91A5-E550450AE01410.3897/BDJ.9.e60287.figure14453918