Bezzia (Sivabezzia) pachypyga Remm, 1974

Alwin-Kownacka, Alicja, Szadziewski, Ryszard & Szwedo, Jacek, 2017, Predatory midges of the tribes Palpomyiini and Sphaeromiini (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) from the Middle East, with keys and descriptions of new species, European Journal of Taxonomy 318, pp. 1-30 : 12-14

Bezzia (Sivabezzia) pachypyga Remm, 1974

Fig. 3 A–D

Bezzia pachypyga Remm, 1974: 441 (♂, ♀, figures, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan).

Bezzia omanensis Boorman & van Harten, 2002: 456 (♂, figures, Oman). Syn. nov.

Bezzia omanensis – Szadziewski et al. 2011: 649 (♂, record, United Arab Emirates).

Diagnosis

Male

Dark orange - brown species with brownish head; scutum and scutellum same color as rest of thorax. Antenna pale brown, except apical portion of flagellomeres 10 and 11–13, which are darker; flagellomere 10 elongate, longer than 11–13. Palpus pale brown, slender; third segment slender, slightly longer than fourth segment. Legs slender, orange - brown; mid and hind femora darker towards apical portion, without ventral spines; fore femur uniformly brownish, with 3–4 ventral spines; tibiae with a vaguely defined wide, pale central band and narrow, pale basal band; tarsomeres 1–4 yellow, 5 brownish. Male genitalia short ( Fig. 3A ); sternite IX short, with V-shaped caudomedian excavation; gonocoxite almost 2 × longer than broad, with distinct stout apical process on ventral surface; gonostylus simple, stout, slightly curved, with distinct apical tooth; parameres broad, shield-shaped, distal portion expanded, with massive W-shaped base and concave apex ( Fig. 3B ); aedeagus short, with low basal arch and armed with slender, dorsal apicomedian process, longer than parameres ( Fig. 3C ).

Female

Similar to male with usual sexual differences. Two large seminal capsules, widest in proximal part, both with long necks ( Fig. 3D ).

Material examined

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: 4 ♂♂, Sharjah Desert Park, light trap, 18–25 Jan. 2005, A. van Harten leg. ( CEIUG); 4 ♀♀, 1 ♂, same collection data except 16 Jun.–21 Jul. 2005 ( CEIUG); 1 ♂, 1 ♀, same collection data except 20 Oct. 2005 ( CEIUG); 1 ♂, same collection data except 10 Dec. 2005 ( CEIUG); 1 ♂, 7 ♀♀, same collection data except 1–30 Nov. 2008 ( CEIUG); 1 ♀, same collection data except 27 Nov.–11 Dec. 2008 ( CEIUG); 2 ♂♂, 5 ♀♀, same collection data except 11 Dec. 2008 – 6 Jan. 2009 ( CEIUG); 1 ♀, same collection data except 12 Jan.–2 Feb. 2009 ( CEIUG); 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Fujairah, light trap, 16–24 Feb. 2005, A. van Harten leg. ( CEIUG); 1 ♀, Hatta, 30 Jan.–26 Feb. 2006, A. van Harten leg. ( CEIUG); 1 ♀, Al Ajban, 2–9 Apr. 2006, A. van Harten leg. ( CEIUG); 1 ♂, Waldi Bih dam, 1–15 Mar. 2007, A. van Harten leg. ( CEIUG).

Distribution

Tajikistan, Turkmenistan. In the Middle East known from Oman and the United Arab Emirates.

Remarks

The coloration of the legs of Middle East specimens of Bezzia pachypyga is highly variable and different from that in the original description by Remm (1974). However, diagnostic characters of the highly complicated male genitalia match the original descriptions of B. pachypyga and its junior synonym B. omanensis Boorman & van Harten, 2002 .

Figures

Fig. 3. Bezzia (Sivabezzia) spp. A–D. Bezzia pachypyga, ♂ (from Remm 1974). A. Genitalia, ♂. B. Parameres. C. Aedeagus. D. Seminal capsules, ♀. – E–I. Bezzia melanoflava (from Clastrier 1958). E. Genitalia, ♂. F. Parameres. G. Aedeagus, ventral view. H. Aedeagus, lateral view. I. Seminal capsules, ♀.