Syritta fasciata (Wiedemann, 1830)

(Figs 61–64)

Xylota fasciata Wiedemann, 1830: 103

Examined specimens. 1♂, 1♀, Abha, Madenate Al-Ameer Sultan, Hay Al-Sad, 25.ii–25.v.2002, Malaise trap, H.A.Dawah (CERS) ; 1♂, Najran, Al-Shurfa, Saleh Maqbol Farm, 7–28.v.2014, Malaise trap, H.A. Dawah (CERS) ; 1♂, Abha, Al-Souda, Bani Mazen, 19.vi.–9.vii.2013, Malaise trap, H.A. Dawah (CERS) ; 4♂, Jazan, Harob, Wadi Lejab, 30.xi–17.xii.2015, Malaise trap, H.A. Dawah (CERS) ; 1♂, Al-Baha, W. Turubah, sweeping, 14.x.2010, H. Al-Dhafer (KSMA) ; 1♀, Al-Riyadh, Al Aziziyah, 3.xi.1981, A. Talhouk & S. Tilkian (KSMA) .

Distribution. This species was previously recorded for Saudi Arabia by Abu-Zoherah et al. (1993). It was described from Sudan, and also recorded from other Afrotropical Region: Aldabra, Botswana, Burundi, Eritrea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, UAE, Uganda, Yemen and Zimbabwe; Palaearctic Region: Egypt, Iran, Israel, Lebanon; Oriental Region: India (Smith & Vockeroth 1980; Dirickx 1998; Whittington 2003; Lyneborg & Barkemeyer 2005, Sengupta et al. 2016; Smit et al. 2017; Speight 2020).

Remarks. Lyneborg & Barkemeyer (2005: 98) have discussed the status of S. fasciata and have presented a redescription of both sexes and useful information on its distribution. This species is a member of the pipiens speciesgroup. Lyneborg & Barkemeyer (2005) treated Syritta subtilis Becker as a synonym of S. fasciata . They reported that S. fasciata is very closely related to S. pipiens, differing from it mainly in characters requiring male genital dissection. They believe that S. pipiens and S. fasciata may interbreed and they are sympatric in their distribution in Israel and India (Lyneborg & Barkemeyer 2005).