Research Article |
Corresponding author: Arafa Elsayed El-Hashash ( arafa.elhashash@yahoo.com ) Academic editor: Torsten Dikow
© 2021 Arafa Elsayed El-Hashash, Haitham Badrawy Mousa Badrawy, Ayman Mohyie-Eldin Ibrahim.
This 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.
Citation:
El-Hashash AE, Badrawy HBM, Ibrahim AM-E (2021) A review of tangle-veined flies (Nemestrinidae, Diptera) in Egypt. ZooKeys 1071: 11-42. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1071.70743
|
The Egyptian fauna of the genus Nemestrinus Latreille, 1802 is revised. In 1967, Steyskal and El-Bialy listed 12 species from the region, but only six species are now recognized. The primary type specimens of the species N. aegyptiacus (Wiedemann, 1828), N. rufipes (Olivier, 1810), and N. lateralis Wiedemann, 1828 (N. lateralis being a synonym of N. rufipes) deposited in the Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin, Germany were examined. Two species (N. abdominalis Olivier, 1811 and N. fascifrons (Bigot, 1888) are placed as new synonyms of N. ater (Olivier, 1811), and N. ruficornis Macquart, 1840 is synonymized with N. rufipes (Olivier, 1811). Nemestrinus jullieni (Efflatoun, 1925) is confirmed as a synonym of N. aegyptiacus. Furthermore, three species (N. caucasicus Fischer, 1806, N. pallipes (Olivier, 1811), and N. persicus Lichtwardt, 1909) have been removed and are doubtful records from Egypt. A key to the species, lists of specimens examined, and Illustrations and distributions for each species are provided. The status of species of doubtful occurrence in Egypt is discussed.
Distribution, Egypt, Nemestrinus, taxonomy
Nemestrinidae (tangle-veined flies) are a small dipteran family belonging to the suborder Brachycera-Orthorrhapha and occur all over the world, but are most abundant and diverse in the Palaearctic, Australian and Afrotropical Regions (
The Nemestrininae comprise ca. 175 species worldwide in six genera (
The genus Nemestrinus was described by Latreille in 1802 based on specimens collected from Egypt and Syria. It comprises 66 species in the Palaearctic Region (
Nemestrinus is primarily distributed along the arid desert belt of the Palaearctic Region where several species occur in North Africa (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Egypt) and the Middle East (Arabia, Israel, Iran), east to Central Asia, as far as Mongolia and southern Russia, and in addition southern Europe (Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, France, Spain, and Turkey). The genus penetrates south into the Saharan part of the Afrotropical Region, being recorded from Sudan and Ethiopia (
Two catalogues cover the nemestrinid fauna of Egypt: the monograph of
There is no modern comprehensive work identifying and cataloguing the Egyptian nemestrinine fauna. The subfamily in Egypt has never been monographed, and the genus is very much in need of a modern revision. This study was undertaken to revise, update, and clarify the taxonomic status of the species of genus Nemestrinus Latreille in the Egyptian fauna.
Specimens examined in this study are deposited in the following collections:
AZUC Faculty of Agriculture, Alfieri, Al Azhar University
MAC Department of Taxonomy, Plant Protection Institute, Ministry of Agriculture
The Museum für Naturkunde, Germany, Berlin (ZMHB) is the depository of type specimens of N. aegyptiacus, N. rufipes, and N. lateralis Wiedemann, 1828 (the latter is a synonym of the second species). We obtained this information by personal communication with Mr. Sven Marotzke and Ms. Elena Grigoryeva.
We could not access the types of other species because some are missing, as in the Egyptian Society of Entomology, wherein type specimens of the species N. jullieni have apparently been destroyed, and it is not known where the other types are. We examined and revised the original descriptions of all Egyptian nemestrinid species.
The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History (
Morphological terms follow McAlpine et al. (1981),
Nemestrinus Latreille, 1802: 437. Type species: Nemestrinus reticulatus Latreille, 1802: 437.
Rhynchocephalus Fischer, 1806: 219–220.
Andrenomyia Rondani, 1850: 189.
Heminemestrinus Bequaert, 1932: 21.
Symmictoides Bequaert, 1932: 105.
Nemestrellus Sack, 1933: 7.
Nemestrina Rondani, 1850: 189, 197: incorrect subsequent spelling of Nemestrinus Latreille, 1802 or subsequent usage of Nemestrina Blanchard, 1845: 468.
Currently there are six species the Egyptian fauna (N. aegyptiacus, N. ater, N. exalbidus, N. fasciatus, N. reticulatus, and N. rufipes). The type specimens of N. jullieni deposited in
Three species (N. caucasicus N. pallipes, and N. persicus) have been treated as doubtful since there is no evidence of their occurrence in Egypt. This is based on their known distributions as listed in the world catalogue by
1 | Wing without supernumerary transverse veins (Fig. |
N. fasciatus |
– | Wing with supernumerary transverse veins, resulting in reticulate venation (Fig. |
2 |
2 | Small cells extending forward posterior to R1 (Fig. |
N. ater |
– | Small cells extending forward posterior to R2 (Fig. |
3 |
3 | Small cells restricted between R2 and hind margin (Fig. |
4 |
– | Small cells restricted between R2 and M1 or M2 (Figs |
5 |
4 | Abdomen entirely black (Fig. |
N. aegyptiacus |
– | Abdomen gray with incomplete transverse black stripes (Fig. |
N. reticulatus |
5 | Frons yellowish black; vertex black; venter of abdomen black with yellowish incisions | N. pallipes |
– | Frons yellow or grey; vertex black or brown; venter of abdomen entirely orange or with black sides | 6 |
6 | Frons yellow pollinose; tergum II with a transverse white band (Figs |
N. rufipes |
– | Frons grey pollinose; tergum II without a transverse white band (Fig. |
N. exalbidus |
Nemestrinus aegyptiacus Wiedemann, 1828: 249.
Nemestrinus tripolitana Lichtwardt, 1907: 443.
Nemestrinus jullieni Efflatoun, 1925: 357.
Nemestrinus aegyptiacus: Syntype female, without date, Egypt (ZMHB) (pers. comm., Mr. Sven Marotzke). Nemestrinus jullieni: Type W. Hoff 29°53'02.6"N, 31°18'42.2"E , 15.iii.1922, Helwan 29°50'37.6"N, 31°19'05.0"E , 20.iii.1925; Lectotype male “W. Hoff 29°53'02.6"N 31°18'42.2"E, 23.iii.1922”, Egypt (formerly
N. aegyptiacus: Burg El-Arab 30°54'12.7"N, 29°33'13.7"E, 25.iii.1927 (1 f#), 25.iii.1934 (1 m#); Helwan 29°50'37.6"N, 31°19'05.0"E, 17.iii.1934 (1 f#), 16.iii.1935 (1 f#); W. dar El Maskhara 29°47'02.9"N, 31°24'59.9"E , 11.iv.1927 (1 f#); W. Garawi 29°47'43.9"N 31°25'54.9"E, 22.iii.1930 (1 f#), 31.iii.1930 (1 m#); W. Hoff 29°53'02.6"N, 31°18'42.2"E, 10.iii.1930 (2 m#) (AZUC); Abu Rawash 30°04'30.7"N, 31°11'59.7"E, 7.iii.1955 (9 m#), 8.iii.1955 (3 m# & 1 f#), 13.iii.1955 (4 m# & 3 f#), 17.iii.1955 (5 m# & 4 f#), 20.iii.1955 (2 m# & 5 f#); Giza 30°00'40.0"N, 31°11'31.4"E, 22.iii.1954 (1 m#), 17.v.1955 (1 m#); Helwan 29°50'37.6"N, 31°19'05.0"E, 17.iii.1934 (1 m#), 20.iii.1934 (1 m#), 3.iv.1934 (1 f#); Ogret El-Sheik 29°52'50.1"N, 31°18'27.8"E , 25.ii.1927 (1 m#); W. Garawi 29°47'43.9"N 31°25'54.9"E, 25.iii.1932 (1 f#); W. Rishrash 29°27'51"N, 31°22'2"E, 29.iii.1935 (1 f#); W. Silly Helwan 29°50'37.6"N, 31°19'05.0"E, 19.iii.1926 (1 f#); Ain Mousa 29°52'22.0"N, 32°39'00.7"E , 16.iii.1925 (2 f#) (
Specimens previously identified as N. julieni: Abu Rawash 30°04'30.7"N, 31°11'59.7"E, 7.iii.1955 (1 m#), 8.iii.1955 (1 m#), 13.iii.1955(1 m#); Burg El-Arab 30°54'12.7"N, 29°33'13.7"E, 25.iii.1934 (4 m# & 4 f#); W. Garawi 29°47'43.9"N, 31°25'54.9"E, 25.iii.1932 (2 f#), 21.iii.1930 (1 f#); W. Hoff 29°53'02.6"N, 31°18'42.2"E, 28.ii.1927 (1 m#); W. Um Elek 29°52'59.9"N, 31°31'00.1"E, 21.iii.1924 (1 f#) (
Frons and face entirely yellow or grayish pollinosity; thorax completely shiny black with yellowish hairs; wing with many small cells restricted between R2 and hind margin; abdomen entirely black with short erect hairs. Male genitalia with only outer gonocoxal process; gonocoxal apodemes long, narrow, sinuate, fused medially and forming a narrow dorsal bridge; gonostyli wider than gonocoxal processes, ventrally with a cleft and small projection. Aedeagal complex with tapered aedeagus and lateral parameres, which are usually separated apically, fused with basal part of the aedeagus; parameral apodeme rather long; ejaculatory apodeme long and broad.
Length: male body 14–17 mm, wing 13.5–15 mm. Female body 14–20 mm, wing 13.5–16.5 mm. Head wider than thorax; frons with yellow or grayish yellow pollinosity, with rather long hairs, at antennal elevation frons wide but narrowing toward vertex; face relatively shorter than high, with dull pollinosity, its hairs similar to those of the frons (Figs
Coastal strip, Lower Nile.
Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Italy (Sicily), and Tunisia (
After examining the female type specimen of Nemestrinus aegyptiacus (Fig.
Male of Nemestrinus aegyptiacus, head, frontal (4), head, dorsal (5), head, lateral (6), antenna (7), wing (8), abdomen (9). 10–13 male genitalia: epandrium, proctiger, and cerci (10), gonocoxite with gonostylus, ventral (11), aedeagal complex, lateral (12) and dorsal (13). Abbreviations: aedg. aedeagus, aec. aedeagal complex, aedg tn. aedeagal tine A2. anal vein, al. alula, ant. Antenna, bm. basal medial cell, br. basal radial cell, c. cerci, C. costa, CuA1,2, CuP. cubital veins, d. discal cell, db. dorsal bridge, DV. diagonal vein, e. epandrium, ej. ejaculatory apodeme, enaedg pr. endoaedeagal process, fc. Face, 1st fl. first flagellomere, fr. Frons, gap. gonocoxal apodeme, gc. gonocoxite, gpr. gonocoxal process, gs. gonostylus, h. hypandrium, h. humeral cross vein, lat ej pr. lateral ejaculatory process, m3. third medial cell, pm. parameres, pm ap. parameral apodeme, pr. proctiger, pt. phallic plate, M1, M2, M3. medial veins, m-cu. cross vein between medial and cubital veins, pd, pedicel, plp. Palpus, R1, R2, R3+4, R5,Rs. radial veins, r-m. cross vein between redial and medial veins, Sc. subcostal vein, sc. Scape, st. stylus, vt. vertex.
Female of Nemestrinus aegyptiacus, head, frontal (14), head, dorsal (15), head, lateral (16), antenna (17), wing (18), and abdomen (19). 20–22 female genitalia: subgenital plate (20), genital furca (21), and spermathecae (22). Abbreviations: ma. median aperture, pl. posterolateral projection, sp. spermatheca, spd. spermathecal duct, ut. uterus.
Nemestrinus ater Olivier, 1811: 171.
Nemestrinus abdominalis Olivier, 1811: 171. Syn. nov.
Nemestrinus nigra Wiedemann, 1828: 560.
Nemestrinus osiris Wiedemann, 1828: 561.
Nemestrina fascifrons Bigot, 1888: 8. Syn. nov.
Egypt.
Abu Rowash 30°04'30.7"N, 31°11'59.7"E, 24.ii.1926 (1 f#), 26.ii.1927 (1 f#); Rafah 31°17'03.0"N, 34°14'18.0"E , 25.iv.1921 (1 f#); W. Garawi 29°47'43.9"N, 31°25'54.9"E, 31.iii.1930 (1 f#) (AZUC); W. Garawi 29°47'43.9"N, 31°25'54.9"E, 22.iii.1930 (1 f#), 31.iii.1930 (1 f#) (
Specimens previously identified as N. fascifrons: Abu Rowash 30°04'30.7"N, 31°11'59.7"E, 6.ii.1926 (2 m#); Helwan 29°50'37.6"N, 31°19'05.0"E, 18.iii.1927 (1 m#), 7.iii.1930 (1 m#); Mansouriah 29°58'05.3"N,31°08'51.9"E , 18.ii.1926 (1 m#); Mariut 31°08'32.5"N, 29°54'10.5"E , 5.iv.1921 (1 m#); W. Garawi 29°47'43.9"N, 31°25'54.9"E, 22.iii.1930 (1 m#), 31.iii.1930 (1 f#); W. Morrah 22°22'39.1"N, 33°46'00.3"E, 26.iii.1927 (1 m#) (AZUC); Kafr Hakim 30°04'39.7"N, 31°06'46.3"E, 20.iii.1926 (1 m#); Mansouriah 29°58'05.3"N, 31°08'51.9"E, 13.ii.1926 (1 m#), 2.iii.1927 (1 m#); W. Garawi 29°47'43.9"N, 31°25'54.9"E, 22.iii.1930 (1 m#), 31.iii.1930 (2 m#) (
Specimens previously identified as N. abdominalis: Egypt (1 f#), without date, specimen number USNMENT01371553 (
Frons shiny black with a transverse white band; wing with small cells extending forward from R1 to hind margin; abdomen orange with longitudinal black vitta in male but entirely black in female.
Length: male body 10–16 mm, wing 9–15 mm. Female body 14–21 mm, wing 10–13 mm. Male: Frons shiny black with transverse white band; face rather short, snout-like, sides with grayish yellow pollinosity (Figs
Thorax black or blackish brown, with blackish to yellowish brown hairs, pleurae with long and dense black hairs; leg blackish or dark yellow; claws well developed; pulvilli almost rudimentary. Wing blackish brown, but apex and postero-apical margin pale brown; wing with many small cells extend forward from R1 to hind margin (Fig.
Male of Nemestrinus ater, head, frontal (23), head, dorsal (24), head, lateral (25), antenna (26), wing (27), and abdomen (28). 29–32 male genitalia: epandrium, proctiger, and cerci (29), gonocoxite with gonostylus, ventral (30), aedeagal complex, lateral (31) and dorsal (32). Abbreviations: aedg. aedeagus, aec. aedeagal complex, aedg tn. aedeagal tine A2. anal vein, al. alula, bm. basal medial cell, br. basal radial cell, c. cerci, C. costa, CuA1,2, CuP. cubital veins, d. discal cell, db. dorsal bridge, DV. diagonal vein, e. epandrium, ej. ejaculatory apodeme, endaedg pr. endoaedeagal process, 1st fl. first flagellomere, gap. gonocoxal apodeme, gc. gonocoxite, gpr. gonocoxal process, gs. gonostylus, h. hypandrium, h. humeral cross vein, lat ej pr. lateral ejaculatory process, m3. third medial cell, pm. parameres, pm ap. parameral apodeme, pr. proctiger, pt. phallic plate, M1, M2, M3. medial veins, m-cu. cross vein between medial and cubital veins, pd, pedicel, R1, R2, R3+4, R5,Rs. radial veins, r-m. cross vein between redial and medial veins, Sc. subcostal vein, sc. Scape, st. stylus.
Female of Nemestrinus ater, head, frontal (33), head, dorsal (34), head, lateral (35), antenna (36), wing (37), and abdomen (38). 39–41 female genitalia: subgenital plate (39), genital furca (40), and spermathecae (41). Abbreviations: ma. median aperture, pl. posterolateral projection, sp. spermatheca, spd. spermathecal duct, ut. uterus.
Coastal strip, Lower Nile.
Algeria, Egypt, Ethiopia, Israel, Spain, and Tunisia (
Nemestrinus abdominalis and N. fascifrons are newly synonymized with N. ater. The earlier works of
Nemestrina exalbidus Lichtwardt, 1907: 441. Type locality: Israel (Jerusalem).
W. Dar El-Maskhara 29°47'02.9"N, 31°24'59.9"E, 12.iv.1930 (1 f#); W. Hodein South Eastern Desert 23°5'14’"N, 35°19'45"E, 17.iii.1928 (1 m#); W. Hoff 29°53'02.6"N, 31°18'42.2"E, 12.iv.1921 (1 f#), 24.iii.1930 (1 m#); W. Zohleiga 26°07'59.9"N, 33°45'00.0"E, 27.iii.1925 (1 f#) (AZUC); Abu Rowash 30°04'30.7"N, 31°11'59.7"E, 16.iii.1927 (1 f#); Ogret El-Sheikh 29°52'50.1"N, 31°18'27.8"E, 31.iii.1926 (1 f#); W. Hoff 29°53'02.6"N, 31°18'42.2"E, 24.iii.1930 (1 m#); W. Rishrash 29°27'51"N, 31°22'2"E, 29.iii.1935 (7 m# & 4 f#) (
Frons covered with dense gray pollinosity except shiny black oval callus below ocellar triangle; wing hyaline, except slightly brownish along anterior margin, with a few small cells extending forward from R2+3 to M1 or M2. Abdomen orange or reddish with longitudinal median black vitta.
Length: male body 14–17 mm, wing 12.5–14.5 mm. Female body 18 mm, wing 15.5 mm. Head shiny black with white hairs; frons covered with dense gray pollinosity except shiny black oval callus below ocellar triangle; face rather conical (Figs
Male of Nemestrinus exalbidus, head, frontal (42), head, dorsal (43), head, lateral (44), antenna (45), wing (46), and abdomen (47). 48–51 male genitalia: epandrium, proctiger, and cerci (48), gonocoxite with gonostylus, ventral (49), aedeagal complex, lateral (50) and dorsal (51). Abbreviations: aedg. aedeagus, aec. aedeagal complex, aedg tn. aedeagal tine A2. anal vein, al. alula, bm. basal medial cell, br. basal radial cell, c. cerci, C. costa, CuA1,2, CuP. cubital veins, d. discal cell, db. dorsal bridge, DV. diagonal vein, e. epandrium, ej. ejaculatory apodeme, endaedg pr. endoaedeagal process, 1st fl. first flagellomere, gap. gonocoxal apodeme, gc. gonocoxite, gpr. gonocoxal process, gs. gonostylus, h. hypandrium, h. humeral cross vein, lat ej pr. lateral ejaculatory process, m3. third medial cell, pm. parameres, pm ap. parameral apodeme, pr. proctiger, pt. phallic plate, M1, M2, M3. medial veins, m-cu. cross vein between medial and cubital veins, pd, pedicel, R1, R2, R3+4, R5,Rs. radial veins, r-m. cross vein between redial and medial veins, Sc. subcostal vein, sc. Scape, st. stylus.
Female of Nemestrinus exalbidus, head, frontal (52), head, dorsal (53), head, lateral (54), antenna (55), wing (56), and abdomen (57). 58–60 female genitalia: subgenital plate (58), genital furca (59), and spermathecae (60). Abbreviations: ma. median aperture, pl. posterolateral projection, sp. spermatheca, spd. spermathecal duct, ut. uterus.
Eastern Desert, Lower Nile.
Egypt, Iran, and Israel (
Nemestrina fasciata Olivier, 1811: 171–172. Type locality: Egypt.
Burg El-Arab 30°54'12.7"N, 29°33'13.7"E, 6.v.1926 (1 m#); Burg El-Arab, 2.v.1921 (10 m#) (AZUC); Burg El-Arab 30°54'12.7"N, 29°33'13.7"E, 5.v.1926 (1 f#) (
Frons and face with dense whitish hairs and pollinose; inner ends of transverse suture with two white spots; wing hyaline with brownish base, veins yellowish, without additional small cells; abdomen black with transverse white bands, slightly curved medially; gonocoxite with inner and outer processes, the inner tapered apically, outer slightly curved subapically; gonostyli broader than gonocoxal processes with broad subapical projection; aedeagal complex narrow, aedeagus slightly broader distally.
Length: male body 13–16.5 mm, wing 1–12 mm. Female) body 12–19.5 mm, wing 1–13 mm.
Head triangular in profile, ventrally with dense, short, whitish hairs; frons and face with dense whitish hairs and pollinosity (Figs
Male of Nemestrinus fasciatus, head, frontal (61), head, dorsal (62), head, lateral (63), antenna (64), wing (65), and abdomen (66). 67–70 male genitalia, epandrium, proctiger and cerci (67), gonocoxite with gonostylus, ventral (68), aedeagal complex, lateral (69) and dorsal (70). Abbreviations: aedg. aedeagus, aec. aedeagal complex, aedg tn. aedeagal tine A2. anal vein, al. alula, bm. basal medial cell, br. basal radial cell, c. cerci, C. costa, CuA1,2, CuP. cubital veins, d. discal cell, db. dorsal bridge, DV. diagonal vein, e. epandrium, ej. ejaculatory apodeme, enaedg pr. endoaedeagal process, 1st fl. first flagellomere, gap. gonocoxal apodeme, gc. gonocoxite, gpr. gonocoxal process, gs. gonostylus, h. hypandrium, h. humeral cross vein, lat ej pr. lateral ejaculatory process, m3. third medial cell, pm. parameres, pm ap. parameral apodeme, pr. proctiger, pt. phallic plate, M1, M2, M3. medial veins, m-cu. cross vein between medial and cubital veins, pd, pedicel, R1, R2, R3+4, R5,Rs. radial veins, r-m. cross vein between redial and medial veins, Sc. subcostal vein, sc. Scape, st. stylus.
Female of Nemestrinus fasiciatus, head, frontal (71), head, dorsal (72), head, lateral (73), antenna (74), wing (75), and abdomen (76). 77–79 female genitalia: subgenital plate (77), genital furca (78), and spermathecae (79). Abbreviations: ma. median aperture, pl. posterolateral projection, sp. spermatheca, spd. spermathecal duct, ut. uterus.
Female: eyes separated in both sexes but considerably broader than in male at vertex; genitalia with sub-rectangular subgenital plate (Fig.
Coastal strip.
Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Israel, and Syria (
Nemestrinus reticulatus
Latreille, 1802: 437. Type locality: not given but according to
Rhynchocephalus latreillei Fischer, 1812: 195.
Nemestrina cinctus Macquart, 1840: 16.
Nemestrina kindermanni Bischof, 1905: 172.
Frons with shiny yellow or black spot below ocelli; mesonotum with two gray spots at inner ends of the transverse suture, between them there is a thin longitudinal stripe; wing hyaline in posterior 1/2 and apex but brownish on anterior 1/2 and slightly infuscate at base; wing with small cells that extend forward from R2 to hind margin; abdomen gray, matte, with incomplete transverse black stripes; tergite II bears shiny black spots divided in the middle by a transverse longitudinal gray strip; black spots on tergites III–V more or less fused into bands with an emargination along the posterior margin; on tergite III, gray emargination varies from very deep to nearly absent; abdominal venter with dense gray pollinosity, the second sternite with central black spot.
Length: body 14–15 mm. Head black with dense gray pollinosity and whitish hairs; frons with shiny yellow or black spot below ocelli, in male frons at vertex nearly as wide as eye width (Figs
Nemestrinus reticulatus, male head, frontal (80), female head, frontal (81), male antenna (after Bequaert, 1938) (82), male head, lateral (83), female abdomen (after
Unknown.
Armenia, Egypt, Greece, Russia (Caucasus), Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Turkey (
This species is not represented in Egyptian collections nor in the field. We include the species here and in the key below as it has been recorded from Egypt (
Nemestrina rufipes Olivier, 1811: 171.
Nemestrina lateralis Wiedemann, 1828: 560.
Nemestrina ruficornis Macquart, 1840: 15. Syn. nov.
Nemestrinus rufipes: Type male, “Aegypten”, Egypt (ZMHB) (pers. comm. Mr. Sven Marotzke). Nemestrina lateralis: Type female, “Aegypten”, Egypt (ZMHB) (pers. comm. Mr. Sven Marotzke).
Ezbet El-Nakhl 30°08'22.6"N, 31°19'27.8"E, 20.iv.1921 (1 m# & 3 f#); Helwan 29°50'37.6"N, 31°19'05.0"E, 8.iv.1932 (2 f#); W. Morrah 22°22'39.1"N, 33°46'00.3"E, 26.iii.1927 (1 m#) (AZUC); Abu Rawash 30°04'30.7"N, 31°11'59.7"E, 13.iii.1955 (3 m# & 4 f#), 17.iii.1955 (1 m#); Kerdasa 30°01'32.1"N, 31°06'27.5"E, 11.iv.1926 (1 m#); Giza 30°00'40.0"N, 31°11'31.4"E, 7.v.1955 (1 m#), 2.iii.1927 (1 m#); Helwan 29°50'37.6"N, 31°19'05.0"E, 8.iv.1932 (2 f#), 3.iv.1934 (1 m# & 3 f#), 8.iv.1934 (6 f#), 17.iii.1934 (1 f#), 17.iv.1934 (1 f#), 23.iv.1935 (3 f#); W. Garawi 29°47'43.9"N, 31°25'54.9"E, 31.iii.1930 (1 f#) (
Frons covered with dense orange yellow pollinosity except with shiny blackish brown transverse oval callus below dark orange ocellar triangle; wing with yellowish brown band in the middle, but clear in apical part and along posterior margin; wing with small cells extending forward from R2 to M1 or M2. Abdomen orange to reddish orange with longitudinal black median vitta; first tergite entirely black, tergite II on anterior margin with transverse white band. Gonocoxite with inner process slightly tapered; gonostyli longer than gonocoxal process, curved subapically with small projection; aedeagus fused proximally with parameres and separated distally, parameres and aedeagus with small indentations distally in lateral view.
Length: male body13.5–18.5 mm, wing 11.5–16 mm. Female body 14–21 mm, wing 12–17.5 mm. Head short, wider than thorax; frons covered with dense orange-yellow pollinosity except with shiny blackish brown transverse oval callus (Figs
Male of Nemestrinus rufipes, head, frontal (86), head, dorsal (87), head, lateral (88), antenna (89), wing (90), and abdomen (91). 92–95 male genitalia: epandrium, proctiger and cerci (92), gonocoxite with gonostylus, ventral (93), aedeagal complex, lateral (94) and dorsal (95). Abbreviations: aedg. aedeagus, aec. aedeagal complex, aedg tn. aedeagal tine A2. anal vein, al. alula, bm. basal medial cell, br. basal radial cell, c. cerci, C. costa, CuA1,2, CuP. cubital veins, d. discal cell, db. dorsal bridge, DV. diagonal vein, e. epandrium, ej. ejaculatory apodeme, enaedg pr. endoaedeagal process, 1st fl. first flagellomere, gap. gonocoxal apodeme, gc. gonocoxite, gpr. gonocoxal process, gs. gonostylus, h. hypandrium, h. humeral cross vein, lat ej pr. lateral ejaculatory process, m3. third medial cell, pm. parameres, pm ap. parameral apodeme, pr. proctiger, pt. phallic plate, M1, M2, M3. medial veins, m-cu. cross vein between medial and cubital veins, pd, pedicel, R1, R2, R3+4, R5,Rs. radial veins, r-m. cross vein between redial and medial veins, Sc. subcostal vein, sc. Scape, st. stylus, T2. tergite 2, wb. White band.
Female of Nemestrinus rufipes, head, frontal (96), head, dorsal (97), head, lateral (98), antenna (99), wing (100) and abdomen (101). 102–104 female genitalia: subgenital plate (102), genital furca (103), and spermathecae (104). Abbreviations: ma. median aperture, pl. posterolateral projection, sp. spermatheca, spd. spermathecal duct, ut. uterus, T2. tergite 2, wb. White band.
Coastal strip, Lower Nile, Upper Nile, Sinai.
Algeria, Egypt, and Syria (
In the present study, three species are treated as doubtful and are excluded from the list of Egyptian Nemestrinidae: Nemestrinus caucasicus, Nemestrinus pallipes, and Nemestrinus persicus.
As a result of this revision, we can confirm six species of Nemestrinus present in Egypt. This is lower than the 12 taxa (eleven species and one subspecies) listed by
The first species (N. caucasicus) does not occur in Egypt according to
The second species (N. pallipes) is not represented in Egyptian collections. This species was previously considered to be an Egyptian species based on an erroneous interpretation of its type locality (Java) by
The third species (N. persicus) is reported in
Nemestrinus reticulatus is stated here as not having any specimens in Egyptian collections and is not excluded from the Egyptian fauna in our study because we trust the descriptions of
As we observed on the maps there are similarities in the distributions of N. aegyptiacus and N. rufipes, which are longitudinally scattered from Lower to Upper Egypt and the western and eastern deserts, while N. faciatus is concentrated only in some localities on the coastal strip in Alexandria. Nemestrinus exalbidus is dispersed around the lower Egyptian delta and a few localities in the western and eastern deserts. Nemestrinus ater has a crosswise distribution in the northern area of Egypt including Sinai, and the lower and upper Nile valley (see Map
The species of Nemestrinus are concentrated in the semiarid areas around the Nile delta, especially around Lower Egypt and in some arid areas in western, eastern, and the Egyptian Sinai deserts. The wider geographical distribution of Nemestrinus in the adjacent countries includes North Africa (Algeria, Libya, Morocco, and Tunisia) which all have a large percentage of the arid deserts that these nemestrinid species prefer. And at nearly the same latitude are Israel, Saudi Arabia, and Syria which also have arid areas (deserts) and may support species.
We found based that the seasonal imago flight activity of all Nemestrinus species in Egypt is in the spring season (March, April, and May) and only the species N. ater and N. exalbidus may also be activate in February.
We extend our sincere thanks to Dr. Neveen S. Gadallah, Dr. Magdy Shaban, and Dr. Yusuf Edmardash, the curators of the Cairo University Collection (