On the fly fauna of the central region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: new country records from Riyadh Region, with a list of associated fly species and zoogeographical remarks (Insecta: Diptera)

ABSTRACT

This study presents three genera and 10 species of flies (order: Diptera) as new country records from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). The flies were identified from Rawdhat Khorim National Park in Riyadh Region, the central region of KSA. The newly recorded genera are Glabellula (Mythicomyiidae), Phora (Phoridae) and Ceroptera (Sphaeroceridae), and the newly recorded species are Dilophus lingens (Bibionidae), Stichopogon deserti (Asilidae), Glabellula sp. (Mythicomyiidae), Phora sp. (Phoridae), Liriomyza lutea (Agromyzidae), Ceroptera aharonii (Sphaeroceridae), Trixoscelis deemingi, Trixoscelis migueli and Trixoscelis puncticornis (Trixoscelididae), and Physiphora leucotricha (Ulidiidae). Glabellula sp. and Phora sp. have been identified only to the genus level and are listed herein only because this is the first time they have been recorded in KSA, and additional specimens are required for their accurate identification to the species level. Also, this is the first record of Trixoscelis deemingi Woźnica and Trixoscelis migueli Woźnica from the Palaearctic Region. Distribution, diagnoses, remarks on biology and coloured photos are given for the recorded taxa. A list of associated fly species that were previously recorded in KSA and are identified from the study area in the present study is also presented. Zoogeographically, 33% of the identified fly species showed both Afrotropical and Palaearctic affinities, while 17% were of only Palaearctic affinity, and 8% were of only Afrotropical affinity. Elements from other regions were apparently nil. The results support the idea that the central Arabian Desert, which includes the present study area, is a transitional zone between the Palaearctic and Afrotropical regions.

KEYWORDS:

• Arabian Peninsula
• distribution
• diagnoses
• biology
• zoogeographic affinities

Acknowledgements

We are grateful to Dr John Deeming, National Museum Wales, Cardiff, Wales, UK, for confirming the identification of some species. We are also grateful to Mr Ahmed Shams Al Ola, Plant Protection Department, College of Food and Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, Saudi Arabia, for taking the coloured photographs. Particular thanks are due to the research team of the KSMA for collecting and mounting specimens.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by NSTIP strategic technologies programmes (project number 12-ENV2825-02) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.