Eumerus vestitus Bezzi, 1912

Dawah, Hassan A., Abdullah, Mohammed A., Ahmad, Syed Kamran, Al-Dhafer, Hathal & Turner, James, 2020, An overview of the Syrphidae (Diptera) of Saudi Arabia, Zootaxa 4855 (1), pp. 1-69 : 33-34

Eumerus vestitus Bezzi, 1912

( Fig. 37 )

Eumerus vestitus Bezzi, 1912: 442

Examined specimens. 1♂, Asir, Abha, Hay Al-Nusub , 1–25.v.2013, Malaise trap, H.A. Dawah ( CERS) ; 1♀, same locality but 20.iv.2013 ( CERS) ; 1♀, same locality but 6–27.vii.2013 ( CERS) ; 1♀, Jazan, Abu-Aresh, Al-Mahdag Village , 11.xii. 2011, Malaise trap, H.A. Dawah ( NMWC) ; 1♂, same locality but 13.i.2012 ; 1♂, same locality but 10–25.ii.2012 ; 1♂, same lcality but 24.ii.2013 (Martin Ebejer collection); 1♂, same locality but 6–27.vii.2013 ( CERS) ; 2♂, same locality but 9–30.xii.2013 ; 1♂, same locality but 5–26.i.2014; Najran, Al-Shurfa , 1–29.iv.2013, Malaise trap, H.A. Dawah ( CERS) ; 1♀, same locality but 7–28.v.2014 ; 1♂, Jazan, Wadi Lejab , 17.v–8.vi.2015, Malaise trap, H.A. Dawah ( CERS) ; 2♀, Asir, Maraba, Al-Hudaithy Fruit Farm , 3–24.xii.2013, H.A. Dawah ( NMWC) ; 1♀, Asir, Karatha, Al-Ethrebany fruit farm, 19.vi–10.vii.2013, Malaise trap, H.A. Dawah ( CERS) ; 2♂, same locality but 1–20.i.2014 ( NMWC) ; 2♂, same locality but 23.i–13.iii.2014 ( NMWC) ; 2♂, same locality but 6–27.v.2014 ( NMWC) .

Distribution. This species is recently recorded from Saudi Arabia by El-Hawagry et al. (2019). It was described from Guinea-Bissau and is further recorded from Sudan ( Smith & Vockeroth 1980; Whittington 2003). Smit et al. (2017) record E. vestitus for the first time from the UAE and Yemen.

Genus Eupeodes Osten Sacken

Species of the genus Eupeodes are widely distributed in all zoogeographical regions except Australasian has approximately 95 species mostly in the Palaearctic and Neotropical regions ( Jilong et al. 1997; Jilong et al. 1998; Mazánek et al. 1999). The hoverflies of the genus Eupeodes have yellowish transverse banding or interrupted banding on the abdomen, which gives them a wasp-like appearance (de Meutter van 2009). Their eyes are bare and the sides of the abdomen have a well-defined ridge. The distribution of areas of microtrichia on wings is of diagnostic importance when separating species. The species of this genus play a very important role in the ecosystem as adults help in cross-pollination and larvae are biological control agents for reducing pest insects since the larvae feed on aphids injurious to different crops ( Stubbs & Falk 2002; Turk et al. 2015a). The majority of Eupeodes feed on aphids on trees, shrubs and herbs. Eupeodes is also previously known by its junior synonym Metasyrphus Matsumura.

Figures

FIGURE 37. Habitus of Eumerus vestitus Bezzi, 1912. Female, lateral view.