Occurence, Swarming Behaviour and of Laying Eggs in Two Brachycera Species (Diptera: Tabanidae, Dolichopodidae) from Syria

Travaux du Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle © 31 août «Grigore Antipa» Vol. LV (1) pp. 167–173 2012 DOI: 10.2478/v10191-012-0009-7

OCCURENCE, SWARMING BEHAVIOUR AND OF LAYING EGGS IN TWO BRACHYCERA SPECIES (DIPTERA: TABANIDAE, DOLICHOPODIDAE) FROM SYRIA

RĂZVAN POPESCU–MIRCENI

Abstract. The paper presents two dipteran species of Brachycera suborder which belong to the families Tabanidae and Dolichopodidae, reported from Syria for the first time. Egg laying inTabanus quatuornotatus Meigen, 1820 and swarming in Medetera saxatilis Collin, 1941 were observed and photographed; drawings of the external morphology were also made as well as of the male genitalia of the second species.

Résumé. On présente deux espèces de diptères de Brachycères qui appartiennent à la famille Tabanidae et Dolichopodidae, rapporté de Syrie pour la première fois. On observe et photographie la ponte de Tabanus quatuornotatus Meigen, 1820 et grouillant de Medetera saxatilis Collin, 1941; aussi, on présente les dessins de la morphologie externe ainsi que des organes génitaux masculins de la seconde espèce.

Key words: Tabanus quatuornotatus, Tabanidae, Medetera saxatilis, Dolichopodidae, Syria, new reports, occurrence, distribution, swarming, mating behaviour.

INTRODUCTION Study of the species occurrence of the Brachycera suborder in south and east of the Mediterranean zoogeographic subregion made on the occasion of a PhD theses with this theme (Popescu–Mirceni, 2012) underlined, among others, that there still are surprising deficiencies in the species inventory, although the studies on the area are very old, practically confounding with the beginning of entomology. In some previous contributions we have tried to complete these white spots within a project of extensive faunistic studies, coordinated by the specialists of “Grigore Antipa” National Museum of Natural History (București) (Pârvu, 2007). Analysing the “Catalogue of the Palaearctic Dipterans” (Soós & Papp, 1992) and the subsequent published papers it resulted that more numerous but older data on the Mediterranean dipterans are in west (Morocco, Tunisia), relatively recent data (within the last 25 years) are recorded in Turkey, and in the east, the best mapped country is Israel, the other countries of the area, including Syria, are less known. Current distribution, observations and photographs on life history of some species from this country were absent up to now.

MATERIAL AND METHOD Within the project “Romanian contributions to the study of the Mediterranean fauna” (Pârvu, op. cit.), its target being the so-called “olive tree range”, 7 common expeditions, “Grigore Antipa” Museum with Oceanic Club (Society of oceanographic explorations an protection of marine environment of Constanța) were made between 2005 and 2010. Those in Syria were made in 2008 and 2010 and brought a rich dipterological material. Collecting was made using different techniques, as: water and light traps, Malaise “tent”, the most productive technique remaining the classic 168 RĂZVAN POPESCU–MIRCENI one, with the entomologic net, followed by the using of killing jars with ethylene glycol vapours, preparation and labelling in entomologic pins. Also, photos and films of dipterans in their biotopes were made during collecting time. Among the material collected during the “Sabkha 2010” expedition in Syria (28.IV-17.V.2010) there were two species not reported from this country: Tabanus quatuornotatus Meigen, 1820, (Tabanidae) and Medetera saxatilis Collin, 1941 (Dolichopodidae), collecting data and field observations being presented further on.

RESULTS Family Tabanidae

The knowledge of the Syrian tabanids began earlier, by expeditions and publications (Loew, 1857; Bezzi, 1909; Surcouf, 1912; Austen, 1923) and data were processed in reviews, catalogues, monograph papers (Leclerq, 1967; Chvála et al., 1972; Chvála, 1988). Although more substantial contributions were brought for the adjacent areas as Palestine (Theodor, 1980) or Jordan (Al Talafha et al., 2005), the knowledge of the occurrence and local distribution in Syria is far for being complete. A contribution for correcting this situation is also our previous paper (Popescu- Mirceni & Pârvu, 2009).

Tabanus quatuornotatus Meigen, 1820 Material: 2 ♀♀, Jerz al Jolan, 14.V.2010, leg. R. Popescu-Mirceni, C. Pârvu; 1 ♀, (form araxis) lake Al Assad, 3.V.2010, leg. C. Pârvu; 3 ♀♀, Nabk, 14.V.2010, leg. C. Pârvu, C. Stanciu, R. Zaharia, 1 ♀, Bagdad Café, 7-8.V.2010, leg. R. Zaharia. On the xerophilous vegetation from Jerz al Jolan, at some hundred of metres far from Eufrat, R. Popescu-Mirceni observed and photographed a female of Tabanus which was laying its eggs (Fig. 1).

A Fig. 1 - Tabanus quatuornotatus, ♀, in collecting biotope. A, dorsal view with the abdominal pattern; B, head, frontal view, with the ocular strips and frons with the characteristic callosities. Living specimens (Photo: R. Popescu-Mirceni). OCCURRENCE AND BEHAVIOUR IN TWO BRACHYCERA SPECIES (DIPTERA) FROM SYRIA 169

Fig. 2 - Female of T. quatuornotatus while laying eggs (Photo: R. Popescu-Mirceni).

Remarks. The species identification was made after the identification keys and illustration from Chvála’s et al. (1972) monograph paper of the European countries. The observation and photographing of the egg laying (Fig. 2) is welcome because the species biology is little known; it is known that in Europe, the hematophagous females occur in clearings and on forest paths, where they attack cattle and humans, but there were no data on the egg laying on plants far from water. Probably the other females found in the desert were doing the same thing. The species is typically vernal, beginning its flight at the end of April. Distribution: Europe, North Africa, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Iran, Turkmenistan. New record for Syria.

Family Dolichopodidae

Family rich in species (over 5200 species in the entire world), studied well enough in the Old World – Europe, including Siberia and China, it is very little know in Syria. A synthesis of its occurrence in the eastern side of the Mediterranean and the Caucasus is reported by Grichanov (2007). Our contributions on this family in the above-mentioned region are concretized by two papers, one on the Turkish fauna (Pârvu & Popescu-Mirceni, 2006) and another one, on Syria (Popescu-Mirceni & Pârvu, 2009). An uncommon opportunity was the discovering of a huge “colony”, of a population of the same species, of the genus Medetera Fischer von Waldheim, 1819, in the wet and cool underground galleries of the medieval castle of the Crusaders from western Syria, relatively close to the coast of the Mediterranean, between Tartus and Homs. It is about the Crak de Chevaliers Castle (GPS, N: 34°45’23”, E: 37°28’41”, altitude: 695 m), where, on the 14th of May 2010, at midday, in one of the numerous dark and wet recesses of the corridors, at the flashlight, we observed how the walls were practically papered by a “colony” of tens of thousands specimens of a dark green-coloured fly, with metallic reflexes, which I identified as belonging to Dolichopodidae family, Medetera genus (Figs 3, 4). 170 RĂZVAN POPESCU–MIRCENI

Fig. 3 - Crack de Chevaliers Castle: protection ditch, with vegetation – probably the origin place of Medetera specimens from the castle (Photo: V. Gheorghiu).

Fig. 4 - Population of Medetera saxatilis in the underground galleries of the Crack de Chevaliers Castle (Photo: C. Stanciu). OCCURRENCE AND BEHAVIOUR IN TWO BRACHYCERA SPECIES (DIPTERA) FROM SYRIA 171 Medetera saxatilis Collin, 1941 Material. After these 2.9 mm dipterans were photographed, many specimens (ca 3000) were collected with the entomologic net, and later were identified in laboratory as belonging to the mentioned species, making their dissection and drawings. Description. Because only a very large number of specimens facilitated us a precise identification, otherwise it would have been very difficult, we present a complete series of drawings of the male, beginning from the antenna and the wing, and ending with genitalia elements (Figs 5, 6). Remarks. We couldn’t establish the reason of their presence in such a large number. Their larval zoocenoses are present, most probably, in the area of the outside protection ditch, full of water and vegetation. Although in the samples there are both sexes, probably in natural proportions, the individuals placed at almost equal distances one another did not mate. Also, in these samples even couples did not occur. On the other hand, paper trays with the samples strongly impregnated with an oily yellowish-reddish substance, we also found in the bodies of the dissected males. Our hypothesis is that they could find here small invertebrates with soft tegument (dolichopodids being zoophagous), which flourish due to some algae or fungi. The real reason has to be found. Distribution: Europe: Ireland, Great Britain, Portugal, Spain, France, Germany, the Netherland, Belgium, Austria, and Crete Island.

A, C C

Fig. 5 - Medetera saxatilis ♂. A, antennal article 3, with arista; B, wing; C, aedeagus with aedeagal apodems. Scale lines: A, C: 0.1 mm, B: 0.5 mm. 172 RĂZVAN POPESCU–MIRCENI

C B, C Fig. 6 - Medetera saxatilis ♂. A, genital capsule in lateral view; B, circus; C, left gonopod. Scale lines: A: 0.2 mm, B, C: 0.1 mm.

Being reported only from Ireland, Great Britain and the Netherlands till 1991, the knowledge of its range extended in northern and southern Europe (Grichanov, 2007). New record in Asia Minor.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The author thanks to Dr. Corneliu Pârvu for the identification verification, to Ms Cătălin Stanciu and Victor Gheorghiu for their help in collecting and taking photos of the material of the two species.

PREZENȚA, COMPORTAMENTUL DE ROIRE ŞI DE PONTĂ LA DOUĂ SPECII DE BRACHYCERE (DIPTERA: TABANIDAE, DOLICHOPODIDAE) DIN SIRIA REZUMAT În timpul desfăşurării Expediţiei „Sabkha 2010” în Siria, expediţie comună a Muzeului Naţional de Istorie Naturală „Grigore Antipa” (București) şi a Societăţii pentru explorări oceanografice şi protecţia mediului marin „Oceanic Club” din Constanţa, au fost observate şi colectate două specii de diptere brahicere din familiile Tabanidae şi Dolichopodidae, care nu au mai fost semnalate până în prezent în această ţară. E vorba de specia Tabanus quatuornotatus Meigen, 1820 dintre tabanide şi Medetera saxatilis Collin, 1941 dintre dolicopodide. Pentru prima specie se dau date de colectare din biotopi, pietroşi şi nisipoşi şi fotografii din timpul depunerii pontei. Cea de-a doua specie a fost semnalată dintr-un singur loc, din hrubele umede şi întunecate ale Castelului medieval Crak de Chevaliers, unde erau aglomerate câteva zeci de mii de exemplare din ambele sexe. Pentru identificare s-au efectuate desene de antenă, aripă şi armătură genitală la masculi. După observaţiile şi fotografiile OCCURRENCE AND BEHAVIOUR IN TWO BRACHYCERA SPECIES (DIPTERA) FROM SYRIA 173 făcute cu bliţul, nu s-au constatat acuplări deşi o activitate de curtare este foarte probabilă. Nu este exclusă nici o concentrare pentru hrănire cu entomofaună cu tegumente moi. La această specie se constată o considerabilă lărgire a arealului, fiind prima menţiune din Asia Mică.

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Received: November 9, 2011 Societatea de Explorări Oceanografice și Accepted: August 2, 2012 Protecție a Mediului Marin „Oceanic Club” Str. Decebal nr. 1, Constanța, România e-mail: [email protected]