Atherigona (Atherigona) tritici Pont & Deeming, 2001

Deeming, John C. & Kirk-Spriggs, Ashley H., 2024, A contribution to the knowledge of Namibian Atherigona Rondani (Diptera: Muscidae), with the descriptions of four new species and two new subspecies, Zootaxa 5536 (4), pp. 501-535 : 527

Atherigona (Atherigona) tritici Pont & Deeming, 2001

Atherigona tritici Pont & Deeming, 2001: 299 , figs 5–10; Dike 2003: 221 (distribution); Muller 2015: 902, fig. 47; Muller & Mostovski 2018: 354, fig. 27.

Material examined: 7♂, Katima Mulilo District, Salambala pan, 17°50'00''S, 24°35'58''E, 23–27.xii.2002, A . H. & M.K. Kirk-Spriggs, Malaise trap (6♂, NMNW; 1♂, NMWC) ; 2♂, Katima Mulilo District, Salambala pan, 17°50'00''S, 24°35'58''E, 01–04.iii.2001, A .H. Kirk-Spriggs, Malaise trap sample; 1♂, Mahango Game Park , Okavango River at: 18°13'19''S, 21°45'10''E, 18–19.x.1999, [ A.H.] Kirk-Spriggs, [T.] Pape & [W.] Hauwanga, Malaise trap sample ; 1♀, Rundu District, Katara : Okavango River, 17°48'56''S, 18°53'38''E, 20–23.i.1998, [ A.H.] Kirk-Spriggs & [E.] Marais, Malaise traps ; 1♂, Rundu District, Rundu (Kavango Lodge ), 17°54'43''S, 19°45'33''E, 27–29.iii.2003, A .H. Kirk-Spriggs & W. Mey, light trap; 1♂, Waterberg Plateau Park, B de la Bat Restcamp , 20°30'S, 17°14'E, 09–13.iv.1993, S.V. Green, Malaise trap ; 5♂, 1♀, West Caprivi Park, Kwando River: Susuwe , 17°45'37''S, 23°20'55''E, 28.ix–02.x.1998, A . H. Kirk-Spriggs , Malaise trap in dry woodland [1♀, paratype] (all NMNW) ; 1♂, Kombat, 01–06.iv.1972, British Museum (Natural History) Southern Africa Expedition 1972 ( NHMUK) .

Remarks: In Pont & Deeming (2001), S. A. El Serwy noted that in Egypt infestation rates of wheat seedlings varied from 9–32%, dependant on the date of sowing.

Distribution: (Afrotropical): Botswana, Ethiopia, Gambia, Mali, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda and Yemen; (Palaearctic): Egypt.

Host-plant: Wheat, Triticum spp. ( Poaceae ).