Nostima picta ( Fallén, 1813 )

Dawah, Hassan A., Ahmad, Syed K., Abdullah, Mohammed A. & Zatwarnicki, Tadeusz, 2019, An overview of the Ephydridae (Diptera) of Saudi Arabia, Zootaxa 4711 (3), pp. 401-445 : 428-429

Nostima picta ( Fallén, 1813)

( Fig. 33 )

Notiphila picta Fallén, 1813: 254 .

Philygria picta: Loew, 1860: 25 [generic combination].

Nostima picta: Cresson, 1930: 101 [generic combination]; Edmiston & Mathis 2005: 55–60 [revision]; Dawah & Abdullah 2006: 389 [ Saudi Arabia]; Mathis et al. 2017: 731 [ United Arab Emirates].

Notiphila pullula Fallén, 1823: 11 ; Zetterstedt 1846: 1913 [synonymy].

Philygria pullula: Becker, 1905: 203 [generic combination].

Specimens examined. 1 ♀, Najran, Al-Shurfa, Saleh Maqbol Farm , 13–30. iii. 2013, Malaise trap, H.A. Dawah ( CERS) ; 1 ♀, Asir, Abha, Hay Al-Nusub ( Abha Farm Centre), 14. iv. 2001, swept from tomatoes, H.A. Dawah ( CERS) .

Other Saudi Arabian records: Asir Region: Abha Farm Centre ( Dawah & Abdullah 2006)

Distribution. This species was previously recorded from Saudi Arabia by Dawah & Abdullah (2006). It was described from Sweden and also recorded from the following areas; Palaearctic Region: widespread in Europe, Afghanistan, Azores, Canary Islands, Egypt, Madeira, Morocco, and Japan; Afrotropical Region: United Arab Emirates; Nearctic Region: Canada and USA; Neotropical Region: Mexico and Guatemala.

Remarks. The biology of this species is largely unknown. Canzoneri & Meneghini (1983) gave some biological comments on N. picta in Italy. The species is considered to be hydrophilous but is perhaps essentially mesophilous; it has also been collected in a xerophilous environment and in halophilic areas. It was collected in Italy from March to November.

Figures

FIGURES 32–33. Habitus, lateral view. 32. Hecamede maritima Mathis, 1993, male. 33. Nostima picta (Fallén, 1813), female (Images: James Turner, NMWC).