Atherigona (Atherigona) varia ( Meigen, 1826 )

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 : 28

Atherigona (Atherigona) varia ( Meigen, 1826) ( Fig. 40 )

Anthomyia varia Meigen, 1826: 187 .

Specimens examined. 1m, Jazan, Sabya, Basahy Farm , 4–25.iii.2014, Malaise trap, H.A. Dawah ( NMWC) ; 1m, Al-Hassa , 23.vi.2008, sweeping (palm grove), K. Al-Hudaib ( NMWC) .

Distribution. New to Saudi Arabia. This species was described without type-locality being specified. In the Middle East it is known from Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Syria, Turkey and United Arab Emirates ( Pont et al. 2005).

Biological remarks. Biology unknown. Like other species of the subgenus Atherigona , its larvae develop in the shoots of grasses and cereals ( Deeming 2008).

Figures

FIGURE. 37–41. Muscidae species habitus: 37) Atherigona (Atherigona) reversura Villeneuve, 1936, Male; 38) Atherigona (Atherigona) soccata Rondani, 1871, Male; 39) Atherigona (Atherigona) theodori Hennig, Female; 40) Atherigona (Atherigona) varia (Meigen, 1826), Male; 41) Atherigona (Acritochaeta) afrotropicalis Deeming sp.n., Male.