The Muscidae (Diptera) of Saudi Arabia, descriptions of two new species, new records and updated list of species
Author
Dawah, Hassan A.
Centre for Environmental Research and Studies, Jazan University, P. O. Box 2095, Jazan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Author
Abdullah, Mohammed A.
0000-0002-3323-3623
Department of Biology, College of Science, King Khalid University, PO Box 9004, Abha- 61413, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. mohd _ robiya @ hotmail. com; https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0002 - 3323 - 3623
mohd_robiya@hotmail.com
Author
Deeming, John C.
0000-0002-6703-8180
National Museum of Wales, Department of Natural Sciences, Entomology Section, Cardiff, CF 10 3 NP, UK. john. deeming @ museumwales. ac. uk; https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0002 - 6703 - 8180
john.deeming@museumwales.ac.uk
text
Zootaxa
2020
2020-10-30
4869
1
1
54
journal article
8861
10.11646/zootaxa.4869.1.1
c285848a-ccaf-4f48-8e05-7f9cf6acf225
1175-5326
4418246
C34E9D0C-336A-4F4B-A670-2F342470839D
Musca
(
Philaematomyia
)
crassirostris
Stein in
Becker, 1903
(
Fig. 11
)
Musca crassirostris
Stein in
Becker 1903: 99
.
Specimens examined.
1f,
Jazan
,
Farasan Island
,
Aziz Yousef Village
,
29.x.2014
, sweeping,
H.A. Dawah
(
CERS
);
1m
, 1f
,
Asir
,
Keratha
,
Al-Ethrebany Fruit Farm
,
6–27.v.2014
,
Malaise trap
,
H.A. Dawah
(
CERS
);
2m
, 1f,
Maraba
,
Al-Hudaithy
fruit farm,
1–17.vi.2003
,
Malaise
(
NMWC
;
CERS
);
1m
, same data but
1–30.v.2004
(
CERS
);
1m
,
Jazan
,
Sabya
,
Al-Sunef
mango farm,
8.v.–17.vi.2003
,
Malaise trap
,
H.A. Dawah
and
M.A. Abdullah
(
NMWC
);
1m
,
Asir
,
Tahama Tanoma
,
Al-Bekra village
,
20.i. 2003
, swept from grasses,
H.A. Dawah
(
NMWC
)
.
Distribution.
This species was previously recorded from
Saudi Arabia
by
Pont (1991)
;
Dawah & Abdullah (2009)
;
El-Hawagry
et al.
(2018)
. It was described from
Egypt
. In the Middle East it is known from
Bahrain
,
Oman
,
United Arab Emirates
and
Yemen
(
Mellor 1978
;
Pont 1980
;
1991
;
Deeming 2008
;
Dawah & Abdullah 2009
).
Biological remarks.
The biology of
M.
(
Philaematomyia
)
crassirostris
is very similar to that of some species of stomoxyine
Muscidae
(
Haematobia
Le Peletier & Serville
), although it is not a stomoxyine (
Crosskey 1993
). Larvae breed mainly in cow dung (
Zimin 1951
;
Pont 1991
) and horse dung (
Greenberg 1973
) and adults are bloodfeeders on cattle and buffalo (
Deeming 2008
;
Patton & Cragg 1912
).
Thomson (1947)
studied the biology of this species and noted that very fresh dung was favoured, oviposition following soon after that of
Haematobia
and
Brontaea
Kowarz. Several
authors comment on the blood-feeding habits of this species.
Greenberg (1973)
and
Pont (1991)
reported that the proboscis in this species has greatly enlarged prestomal teeth with which it is able to pierce soft skin of the host to promote a flow of blood. It is an important disease-carrying species amongst stock animals (
Desquesnes
et al
. 2018
).