Polyodaspis robusta ( Lamb, 1918 )

Dawah, Hassan A., Abdullah, Mohammed A. & Deeming, John C., 2020, An overview of the Chloropidae (Diptera) of Saudi Arabia, Zootaxa 4791 (1), pp. 1-71 : 33-34

Polyodaspis robusta ( Lamb, 1918)

( Fig 32 )

Siphonella robusta Lamb, 1918: 343 .

Specimens examined. 2♀, Asir, Abha, Hay Al-Nusub ( Abha Farm Centre), 1–25.v.2013, sweeping grasses, H.A. Dawah ( NMWC); same data but, 3.vi.2001 ( CERS) .

Distribution. This species was previously recorded from Saudi Arabia by Dawah & Abdullah (2006); El-Hawagry et al. (2013). It was described from Zimbabwe, and since recorded from Kenya, South Africa and Tanzania ( Sabrosky 1980). Material with individual puparia in NMWC was reared from the tunnels of a species of Parthenodes Guenée ( Lepidoptera : Crambidae ) in bracken in April 1985 from the Katberg, South Africa.

Remarks. Larvae of species of Polyodaspis Duda feed on animal matter and are parasitoids or predacious on caterpillars and other insects. Some species are predators in mantids egg cases ( Ferrar 1987).

Figures

FIGURE 32. Polydaspis robusta (Lamb, 1918). Female.