Actorthia pulchella Kröber, 1927

Badrawy, Haitham B. M. & Mohammad, Salwa K., 2013, A revision of the Egyptian species of the genus Actorthia Kröber (Diptera: Therevidae: Phycinae), Zootaxa 3613 (2), pp. 181-189 : 185-187

Actorthia pulchella Kröber, 1927

( Fig. 3–4 )

Actorthia pulchella Kröber, 1927: 14 .

Type material. Holotype "El Harama", Egypt (ESEC, destroyed).

Diagnosis. Length: (male) body 6.7–7.1 mm, wing 4.3–4.5 mm; (female) body 6.0– 7.2 mm, wing 5.0–6.0 mm.

Whitish-grey species; eyes reddish-brown; frons with dense whitish setae; antenna dark brown, covered with dense silvery-white pubescence; scape with long greyish-brown setae; mesonotal cuticle whitish-grey with two olive spots at centre covered with long whitish setae; length of cell r 4 two times shorter than wide; haltere yellowish-brown; legs pale brown but tarsi darker, coxae brown with light greyish pubescence; abdomen with cuticle brownish-grey to grey dorsally with white rings on posterior margins of terga 1–4 and covered with long white setae.

Variation. Another male specimen from Egypt (collected from Dakhla Oasis) is characterized as a whitishbrownish-grey species; eyes brown; antenna greyish-brown; thorax without olive spots; veins M1 and M2 originating from same point on discal cell; cell r 4 two times as long as wide at apex; haltere whitish; legs blackishbrown.

Local distribution. Gebel Elba and Western Desert.

Geographic distribution. Egypt, Israel, UAE.

Specimens examined. Gebel Elba 15.III–IV.1928 (1 male); Dakhla Oasis 18.III.1934 (1 male) (CUC); Israel, Arava Valley, Kibbtz Ketura, 440 ft. el. sifted from shifting dunes, 2958'26''N/3505'16''E, M. E. Irwin, 22.IV.1996 (1 male) (MHC).

Remarks. Actorthia pulchella is recorded in Israel for the first time. The image of the female of this species was obtained from M. Hauser (personal communication) from a specimen collected from United Arab Emirates (North of Ajman).

Figures

FIGURE 3, 4. Actorthia pulchella Kröber, 3. male (CUC), dorsal view. Body length = 7.1 mm. 4. female (from UAE, M. Hauser (personal communication )), lateral view. Body length = 6.2 mm.