Aphaniosoma approximatum Becker, 1903

Ebejer, Martin J., 2023, The genus Aphaniosoma Becker, 1903 (Diptera: Chyromyidae) in the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East, with descriptions of new species, European Journal of Taxonomy 872, pp. 1-161 : 28-31

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.5852/ejt.2023.872.2131

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:05098E38-AB11-486E-8F28-8567DE6BC19C

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8018329

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/505487F2-B05F-FFC8-FDD2-F96D08373942

treatment provided by

Felipe (2023-06-08 17:21:03, last updated 2024-11-26 00:17:38)

scientific name

Aphaniosoma approximatum Becker, 1903
status

 

Aphaniosoma approximatum Becker, 1903 View in CoL

Figs 9–10 View Fig View Fig

Aphaniosoma arabicum Ebejer, 1996: 287 View in CoL , figs 3b, 4. Synonymized by Ebejer 2008: 683.

Material examined

EGYPT • 1 ♂, 2 ♀♀; Cairo, Golo Island, along Nile river ; 29.58° N, 31.15° E; 21 Mar. 1996; M. Barták leg.; CULSP GoogleMaps 1 ♂, 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; MJE GoogleMaps 3 ♂♂, 6 ♀♀; Cairo, El-Marg ; 30.16° N, 31.23° E; 29 Mar. 1996; M. Barták leg.; margin of field; CULSP GoogleMaps 1 ♀; Cairo, 20 km S; 29.52° N, 31.15° E; 31 Mar. 1996; M. Barták leg.; riverbank; CULSP GoogleMaps 2 ♂♂, 1 ♀, preserved in alcohol; Alexandria, Abu Kir ; 20 Oct. 2003; P. Gatt leg.; beach, wrack; MJE 3 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀, preserved in alcohol; Alexandria, Ras Rashid ; 21 Oct. 2003; P. Gatt leg.; beach; MJE .

ISRAEL • 3 ♂♂; Ne’ot haKikkar ; 25 Jul. 1995; A. Freidberg leg.; SMNHTAU 1 ♂; ‘ En Gedi / N. Arugot ; 31 May 2000; B. Merz leg.; MHNG .

JORDAN • 1 ♂, 1 ♀, preserved in alcohol; Wadi Rum, Seitental [side valley]; 29°34.29ʹ N, 35°24.75ʹ E; 14 Oct. 2010; J.-H. Stuke leg.; J-HS GoogleMaps .

SAUDI ARABIA • 13 ♂♂, 48 ♀♀, preserved in alcohol; Jazan, Farasan Island, Aziz Yousef village ; 16°40ʹ N, 42°50ʹ E; 6 Mar. 2017; Malaise trap; H.A. Dawah leg.; NMWC GoogleMaps .

YEMEN • 9 ♂♂, 5 ♀♀; Ta‘Izz; 5 Jan.–2 Feb. 1998; A. van Harten and M. Mahyoub leg.; light trap; NMWC 4 ♂♂, 10 ♀♀; Ta‘Izz; Aug. 1999; A. van Harten and A. Awad leg.; light trap; NMWC .

Remarks

A. approximatum Becker, 1949 was re-described ( Ebejer 2008) with illustrations supplementary to those of Collin (1949) and Ebejer (1998). As with many similar species, it is quite variable in the intensity of darkening of the scutal vittae, which in some specimens coalesce anterior to the scutal suture. The lateral aspect of the abdominal tergites show a variable extent of yellow merging with the brown dorsally. It is a species with a distinct pair of setae in front of the anterior ocellus clearly longer than other setae on the frons. Although not easy to identify, the overall pallor of the male hypopygium, with pale brown, narrow, curved postgonites, a pointed epiphallus and a mostly translucent bilobed distiphallus, should suggest this species. Similar species are: A. brevivittatum Ebejer, 1995 , which has a much longer ventro-lateral projection on tergite 6 twisted along its axis and a longer pregonite ( Ebejer 1995: 204, fig. 1); A. claridgei Ebejer, 1995 , which has a blunt slightly upcurved apex of the epiphallus, black postgonite and aedeagus, and very different pregenital sternites ( Ebejer 1995: 204, figs 2–3; 1998: 204, figs 16–17); A. proximum Ebejer, 1998 , which has a pointed epiphallus, dark postgonite, smaller and darker distiphallus and a different pregenital sternite ( Ebejer 1998: 220, figs 63–64); A. suboculicauda Frey, 1958 , which has a longer more pointed ventro-lateral projection of sternite 6, pale structures of the hypopygium including the aedeagus, and a triangular sternite 6 ( Ebejer 2009: 408, fig. 52a–c); and A. trisetum Ebejer, 1988 , which has as its most distinct character the 3 long, broad, white setae at the ventral margin of tergite 6 ( Fig. 82C View Fig ). Fig. 10 View Fig shows a specimen very similar to the type and Fig. 9 B View Fig shows the extruded aedeagus, which matches the figures of the holotype given previously by the author ( Ebejer 1998: 200, figs 5–6). Few specimens have been collected in Israel. This might be due to the species having a greater affinity for date palm groves than for Tamarix trees ( Baba Aissa 2017).

Distribution

Algeria, Cape Verde Islands, Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Niger, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates ( Becker 1903; Ebejer 1996, 2008, 2009, 2018; Baba Aissa et al. 2017; Ebejer & Barták 2019). New records for Israel, Jordan and Yemen.

BabaAissa N., Doumandji S. E. & Ebejer M. J. 2017. First records of Aphaniosoma (Diptera: Chyromyidae) from Algeria. African Entomology 25 (2): 481 - 484. https: // doi. org / 10.4001 / 003.025.0481

Becker T. 1903. Aegyptische Dipteren (Fortsetzung und Schluss). Mitteilungen aus dem zoologischen Museum in Berlin 2: 67 - 195.

Collin J. E. 1949. The Palaearctic species of the genus Aphaniosoma Beck. (Diptera, Chiromyidae). Annals and Magazine of Natural History 2 (14): 127 - 147. https: // doi. org / 10.1080 / 00222934908653973

Ebejer M. J. 1995. Some records of Aphaniosoma (Dipt. Chyromyidae) from Greece with descriptions of four new species. Entomologist's Monthly Magazine 131: 199 - 205.

Ebejer M. J. 1996. Chyromyidae (Diptera: Schizophora) from the Arabian Peninsula with descriptions of twelve new species. Fauna of Saudi Arabia 15: 280 - 299.

Ebejer M. J. 1998. A Review of the Palaearctic species of Aphaniosoma Becker (Diptera, Chyromyidae), with descriptions of new species and a key for the identification of adults. Mitteilungen Museum fur Naturkunde Berliner Deutsche entomologische Zeitschrift 45 (2): 191 - 230. https: // doi. org / 10.1002 / mmnd. 4810450208

Ebejer M. J. 2008. Order Diptera, Family Chyromyidae. In: A. van Harten (ed.) Arthropod Fauna of the UAE Vol I: 683 - 695. Abu Dhabi.

Ebejer M. J. 2009. A revision of Afrotropical Chyromyidae (excluding Gymnochiromyia Hendel) (Diptera: Schizophora), with the recognition of two subfamilies and the description of new genera. African Invertebrates 50 (2): 321 - 434. https: // doi. org / 10.5733 / afin. 050.0208

Ebejer M. J. 2018. Recent additions to the Chyromyidae of Morocco with description of a new species of Gymnochiromyia Hendel (Diptera: Acalyptrata). Entomologist's Monthly Magazine 154: 207 - 212. https: // doi. org / 10.31184 / M 00138908.1543.3940

Ebejer M. J. & Bartak M. 2019. Chyromyidae (Diptera: Acalyptrata) of Turkey. Zookeys 872: 69 - 75. https: // doi. org / 10.3897 / zookeys. 872.35378

Gallery Image

Fig. 9. Aphaniosoma approximatum Becker, 1903, ♂ (MJE). A. Habitus, lateral view. B. Hypopygium in situ, lateral view.

Gallery Image

Fig. 10. Aphaniosoma approximatum Becker, 1903, ♀ (MJE), head and thorax, dorsal view.

Gallery Image

Fig. 82. Aphaniosoma trisetum Ebejer, 1998, ♂ (SMNHTAU). A. Head, lateral view. B. Hypopygium, posterior view. C. Pregenital sternites, ventral view. Abbreviations: See Material and methods.

MHNG

Switzerland, Geneva, Museum d'Histoire Naturelle

MHNG

Museum d'Histoire Naturelle

NMWC

National Museum of Wales

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Diptera

SubOrder

Brachycera

Family

Chyromyidae

Genus

Aphaniosoma