Lispe bengalensis (Robinean-Desvoidy, 1930)

Dawah, Hassan A., Abdullah, Mohammed A. & Deeming, John C., 2020, The Muscidae (Diptera) of Saudi Arabia, descriptions of two new species, new records and updated list of species, Zootaxa 4869 (1), pp. 1-54 : 36

Lispe bengalensis (Robinean-Desvoidy, 1930) ( Fig. 56 )

Limnophora bengalensis Robineau-Desvoidy, 1930: 518 .

Specimens examined. 1m, Jazan, Water Treatment Works , 7.ix.2014, sweeping on mangrove by coast, H.A. Dawah ( CERS) .

Distribution. This species was previously recorded from Saudi Arabia by Abu-Zoherah et al. (1993). It was described from India. In terms of Middle Eastern material, there is a specimen labelled “Middle East, 1941-2, J.W. Macfie” and identified by F.I. van Emden. The scanty data is not surprising, since there was a war going on and the collector may have forgotten in the turmoil where he collected it. Prior to this J.W. Macfie was a medical doctor in Nigeria who collected insects of medical importance, mainly mosquitoes. There is also a specimen from Port Said, 15.vi.23, R. Loveridge and a further three specimens labelled “Qater Al Khor, Purple Island, 25.iv.2014, D. Whitmore.

Taxonomic remarks. This specimen lacks a posterior bristle on the fore tibia. The adults of species in the genus Lispe display morphological variation in populations. It is a fly with a grey abdomen bearing black spots and a silvery grey face.

Biological remarks. The predaceous larvae live in moist sand and mud alongside water.Adults prey upon other insects and arthropods, both adult and immature ( Gregor et al. 2002, Deeming 2008). Adults are more likely to be found running on mud.

Figures

FIGURE. 55–58. Muscidae species habitus: 55) Limnophora rufimana (Strobl, 1893), Male; 56). Lispe bengalensis (Robineau- Desvoidy, 1930), Male; 57) Lispe cilitarsis Loew, 1856, Female; 58) Lispe dichaeta Stein, 1913, Male.