Simulium (Wilhelmia) pseudequinum Séguy, 1921

Crosskey, R. W., 2002, A taxonomic account of the black y fauna of Iraq and Iran, including keys for species identi cation (Diptera: Simuliidae), Journal of Natural History 36 (15), pp. 1841-1886 : 1874-1875

16. Simulium (Wilhelmia) pseudequinum Séguy

Iran references. Rubtsov (1951: 791, as Wilhelmia mediterranea , mentioned from Shahrud), Crosskey and Howard (1997, world inventory entry, based on Rubtsov, 1951).

Iraq references. Abul-hab (1978a, 1978b, 1981, 1983, records, as mediterraneum ), Mohsen et al. (1987, desert biotope record, as mediterraneum ), Mohsen and Mehdi (1989, voltinism), Mohsen et al. (1989, larval development), Crosskey and Howard (1997, world inventory entry). [Junior synonym of the name mediterraneum (- a) with pseudequinum established in Crosskey (1981: 138).]

Material seen

Iraq: 1, Kurdistan, Arbil (5 Irbil) Province, Khalifan (36ss14¾/44ss44¾), 28 August 1976 (Abul-hab) . 21 pupae (incl. pharate), Kurdistan, Sulaymaniyah Province, Dola Sur [? co-ordinates], 2 June 1976 (Abul-hab). 6, 8, Diyala Province, Khanaqin (34ss22¾/45ss22¾), 8 July 1978 (Kassal); 2, 4, same data except date 27 August 1976. 1, 11, Diyala Province, Khanaqin, Shaykh Lankar (5 Langar) (34ss22¾/45ss14¾), 30 January 1977 (Kassal) . 7 pupae (incl. pharate), Diyala Province, Khanaqin, Qoratu (5 Kuretu ) (34ss36¾/45ss29¾), 20 December 1976 (Kassal) . 52 pupae (incl. pharate), 1 larva, Diyala Province, Dali Abbas (34ss05¾/ 44ss52¾), 27 December 1976 (Abul-hab). 1, 7, Diyala Province [? co-ordinates], 30 January 1977 (Kassal) . 4 pupae (incl. pharate), Diyala Province, Khamaqin, Mandali (5 Mandili ) (33ss43¾/45ss33¾), 14 December 1976 (Kassal) . 2 pupae (incl. pharate), Diyala Province, Sa’diyah (34ss13¾/45ss07¾), 27 December 1976 (Abulhab). 1, 27, Ta’mim Province, Kirkuk (35ss28¾/44ss26¾), Hawajaibiza [? near Kirkuk], 13 July 1977 (Kassal). 2, Ninawa Province, Mosul, Mosul Falls (36ss21¾/ 43ss08¾), 7 August 1988 (Olejnicek) . 1 pupa, Ninawa Province, Mosul, R. Tigris streamlet, Saddam Dam [? exact co-ordinates], 8 May 1988 (Olejnicek). 4, 2 , 4 pupae, 6 larvae, Karbala Province, Shithathah, Ain-al-Tamur (5 Ain el Tamr) (32ss45¾/43ss22¾), [no date], ( Mohsen ). 11, 1, Karbala Province, Shithathah desert oasis, at light, 32ss34¾/43ss30¾, 20 April 1988 (Mohsen). 1, Baghdad, in Babylon Hotel (33ss20¾/44ss26¾), at light 21.00 hours, May 1988 (Olejnicek). 60 (alcohol), ‘ Iraq’ [no other data] .

Remarks

This species is the most widespread member of the subgenus Wilhelmia in the Mediterranean subregion, common in countries of the Mediterranean littoral (excluding Egypt) and in some of the islands. It is abundant in Iraq, where it occurs both in the lowland desert oases of central Iraq and in the uplands of the north, such as in Sulaymaniyah Province of Kurdistan. Larvae and pupae are found in both areas throughout the year. I have not seen S. (W.) pseudequinum from Iran but Rubtsov (1951) long ago recorded it, as Wilhelmia mediterranea , from ‘ Iran, Shahrud’ and it may be widespread in Iran; this is likely, since it occurs in nearly all countries of the Middle East (gure 104) and its range extends far into Central Asia. (Rubtsov’s record was based on specimens collected by E. N. Pavlovsky that should be in ZISP but are now lost: Yankovsky, personal communication).

Simulium (W.) pseudequinum is very widespread in northern Iraq where it is known from ve of the northern provinces (as shown by the data of the material seen, above). In these upland areas it develops in relatively cool (ca 13ssC or less) streams at altitudes about 1000 –1200 m. However, it has also been found in the desert of central Iraq at Shithathah Oasis, 160 km south-west of Baghdad on the edge of the alluvial plain region of Iraq. Here, unlike the northern mountains, it is the only simuliid present. In this desert biotope the aquatic stages develop in warm (22–27ssC) perennial streams issuing as limnocrene springs from joints in the Miocene limestone basement ( Mohsen et al. 1987). The stream beds are silty or sandy and attachment substrate is limited to trailing grass ( Scirpus triqueter ). A study of voltinism has shown there to be six to eight overlapping generations each year (Mohsen and Mehdi, 1989) and that the larva has seven instars (Mohsen et al., 1989).