Archive of SID

J. Crop Prot. 2015, 4 (2):181-187______

Research Article Faunistic study of the superfamily Bombylioidea (Diptera: ) in province- , with a key to the species of Mythicomyiidae known from Iran

Rahim Abdolahi Mesbah1, Jamasb Nozari1*, Babak Gharali2 and Mostafa Mirzaei1

1. Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of , , Iran. 2. Department of Plant Protection, Research Center for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Qazvin, Iran.

Abstract: The fauna of the superfamily Bombylioidea was studied in , Iran during 2012. Two families ( and Mythicomyiidae), eight genera and ten species were identified, of which two species, Exoprospora dispar Loew, 1869; Parageron lutescens (Bezzi, 1925), are new records for the Iranian fauna. An identification key for the species of the family Mythicomyiidae known from Iran is given.

Keywords: Bombylioidea, Alborz, Fauna, Iran

Introduction12 populations (Yeates and Greathead, 1997; Evenhuis, 2002). Superfamily Bombylioidea Latreille, 1802 According to Hull (1973), the family including two families, Bombyliidae and Bombyliidae is characterized by hairy, stout Mythicomyiidae, belongs to the suborder and woolly body; their wings are easily Brachycera (Evenhuis, 2002). This group recognized with distinct vein pattern, usually constitutes a high diversity of in most dark in colour; when at rest, wings are flat in deserts and has been frequently seen in arid and outspread position. Either long Proboscis (in semiarid areas and is potentially a good group Homophthalmae) or short (in group indicator for biodiversity in these regions Tomophthalmae) are common for them (Evenhuis and Greathead, 1999). (Greathead and Evenhuis, 2001). Bombylioidea have a diverse assemblage of Mythicomyiidae or Microbombilidae consist brachycerous flies with more than 4800 species of very small (1-3 mm) flies related closely to known worldwide. Adults of this group being the Bombyliidae (Evenhuis, 2002). They are considered as pollinators feed on pollen and not common on farm, urban area and the nectar of flowers and they are the second most tropic regions. Many of these important pollinator after Apoidea. The "microbombyliids" have humpbacked thorax larvae are parasitoid or predator of other insects and lack the dense vestiture which is common specially beetles in soil and locust capsules. So, in Bombyliidae. This family is separated from they are very important to balancing of Bombyliidae by the unbranched wing vein R4+5 (branched in Bombyliidae), the extremely reduced or absent maxillary palpi Handling Editor: Dr. Ali Asghar Talebi (present in Bombyliidae), wings held together ______over the abdomen at rest (held at an angle in * Corresponding author, e-mail: [email protected] Received: 5 May 2014, Accepted: 22 January 2015 Bombyliidae), and the abdominal spiracles Published online: 29 January 2015 being placed in the tergites (Evenhuis, 2002). 181

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Although, 23 microbombyliids have been new records for the province. An identified in some studies, there is not a full identification key for all species of report of mythicomyiid flies of Iran. Mythicomyiidae known from Iran is given. Bombylioidea of Iran is poorly known. This The list of species is as follows: group has been studied by Abbassian-Lintzen 1- minos (Meigen, 1804); (1965, 1966a, b, 1968), Evenhuis (2002), 2- Exoprospora dispar Loew, 1869*; Gharali et al. (2010 a, b, c, d; 2011 a, b) and 3- incanus (Klug, 1832); Hakimian et al. (2012 a, b; 2014). 4- Parageron lutescens (Bezzi, 1925)*; Considering the importance of these 5- Phthiria gaedii Weidmann, 1820; insects, faunistic studies of them is 6- Platypygus melinoproctus Loew, 1873; necessary as a basis for other entomological 7- Cyrtisiopsis maculiventris (Loew, 1874); studies. Our study was conducted to discover 8- persica, Gharali and Evenhuis, the fauna of the superfamily in Alborz 2010; province as well as to present a 9- Empidideicus amicus Gharali and Evenhuis, comprehensive key to the species of 2010; Mythicomyiidae known from Iran. 10- Empidideicus formosus Hakimian, Talebi, & Gharali, 2014. Materials and Methods Family Bombyliidae Subfamily Bee flies fauna was studied in Alborz Tribe province (including Karaj, Malard, , Genus Exoprosopa Macquart and Koohsar) during April-August Exoprosopa minos (Macquart, 1840) 2012. The studying area with around 1300 m Material examined: Alborz province: Karaj, elevation is located at 35°48'N, 50°58'E, in 2♂♂, 2♀♀, 27 May 2012; Karaj, Atashgah the north . The adult insects were village, 1612 m asl., N 35° 51' 48'' E 51° 00' collected from arid and semi-arid range 32'', 2♂♂, 2♀♀; 4 June 2012. lands in Alborz province by sweeping net and white pan traps (20 × 12 cm, diameter × Exoprospora dispar Loew, 1869* (Fig. 1A & 1B) depth). The samples were extracted from Material examined: Alborz province: Karaj, white pan traps at 2-3 days intervals, stored Arange village, 1725 m asl., N 35° 52' 13'' E in 96% ethanol and others mounted by 51° 03' 44'', 3♀♀, 6 August 2012. standard insect pins (numbers 0 and 1). The Diagnostic characters: frons and occiput photos were taken by a Sony digital camera covered with white scales; first and second installed on Olympus SZX 9 binocular scope flagellomeres dark brown, covered with and images combined into plates using dense black hairs, first flagellomere black Adobe Photoshop CS3® software. All and longer than the two basal segments specimens were deposited in the insect combined, with long brown styli; pronotum collection of Department of Plant Protection, black, laterally with dense and long University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran. yellowish hairs, scutellum dark brown, basal region of wing, costa, cross veins m-cu and Results r-m with brown spots, remainder transparent; alula brown hairless, squama brown, with In this study two families, eight genera and black small hairs, abdomen long oval- ten species were identified, of which two shaped, tergites black covered with yellow species are new records for Iran fauna and white scales, basal abdominal tergites (marked with an asterisk). All species were with long white hairs laterally.

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Figure 1 a) Exoprosopa dispar (female); b) Exoprosopa dispar (female wing); c) Parageron lutescens (male adult).

Subfamily Anthracinae Tribe phthiriini Tribe Anthracini Genus Phthiria Meigen Genus Thyridanthrax Osten Sacken Phthiria gaedii Weidmann, 1820 Thyridanthrax incanus (Klug, 1832) Material examined: Material examined: Alborz province: Karaj, (Adjacent neighbours to Alborz province): Khozankolah village, 1856 m asl., N 35° 53' Avaj, Avaj Highway, 2115 m asl., N 35° 31' 23'' E 51° 04' 10'', 1♂♂, 7 Aug 2012. 54'' E 49° 11' 50'', 5♂♂, 5♀♀, 20 August 2012.

Subfamily Usiinae Family Mythicomyiidae Tribe Usiini Subfamily Platypiginae Genus Parageron Paramonov Genus Platypigus Loew Parageron lutescens (Bezzi, 1925)* (Fig. 1C) Platypygus melinoproctus Loew, 1873 Material examined: Alborz province: Karaj, Material examined: Alborz province: Baraghan village, 1659 m asl., N 35° 53' 01'' E Malard, Bibisakineh village, 1255 m asl., N 51° 00' 96'', 3♂♂, 7 June 2012. 35° 41' 11'' E 50° 59' 54'', 2♂♂, 1♀, 22 Diagnostic characters: ground color of head April 2012; Atashgah village, 1612 m asl., white, ocellar triangle black, two basal antennal N 35° 51' 48'' E 51° 00' 39'', 1♂, 4 June segments white, first flagellomere long and 2012. brown, slightly longer than the two basal segments combined; frons medially with brown Subfamily Platypiginae spot, mesonotum with three black stripes, Genus Cyrtisiopsis Séguy median stripe connected to anterior margin of Cyrtisiopsis maculiventris (Loew, 1874) mesonotum, scutellum white, wings Material examined: Alborz province: transparent, all veins brown, discal cell closed, Taleqan, 1785 m asl., N 36° 16' 50'' E 50° 33' halter white, abdominal tergites with short and 12'', 1♂, 1♀, 30 Jun 2012; Malard, 1♀, 4 June small white hairs, half of abdominal tergites 2012. transversely brown, remainder white. Subfamily Platypiginae Subfamily Phthirinae Genus Cyrtosia Perris

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Cyrtosia persica Gharali and Evenhuis, 2010 6- Scutellum mostly black with narrow yellow Material examined: Alborz province: Karaj, margin; mid coxa with sclerotised square flap- Baraghan village, N 35° 53' 00'' E 51° 00' 89'', like projection basolaterally...... 1♂, 5 Jun 2012. ……………….E. legulicoxa Gharali & Evenhuis - Scutellum completely yellow or yellow with Subfamily Platypiginae black base...... 7 Genus Empidideicus Becker 7- Dorsum of mesonotum completely black, Empidideicus amicus Gharali and Evenhuis, without longitudinal stripes; prescutellar area 2010 completely black ...... 8 Material examined: Alborz province: – Dorsum of mesonotum with three black Eshtehard, 1216 m asl., N 35° 45' 69'' E 50° 17' longitudinal stripes; if stripes joined together, 75'', 2♂♂, 2♀♀, 4 Jun 2012. prescutellar area and two interhumeral marks yellow...... 9 Empidideicus formosus Hakimian, Talebi, & 8- Upper half of frons black; scutellum black Gharali, 2014 basally; aedeagal bulb with a pair of small Material examined: Alborz province: lateral processes beside lateral aedeagal Koohsar, 2095 m asl., N 36° 05' 91'' E 50° 56' apodeme ………...... E. sugonjaevi Zaitzev 33'', 1♂, 12 Jun 2012. – Frons yellow with a small black mark medially; scutellum completely yellow aedeagal An update key to the species of bulb with only lateral aedeagal apodeme Mythicomyiidae known from Iran is provided …..………….E. persicus Gharali and Evenhuis based on previous literature (Evenhuis, 2002; 9- Antennal pedicel dark brown; scutellum Gharali, 2010; Gharali et al., 2010b, c, d; completely yellow; furca U-shaped with two Gharali et al., 2011a, b; Hakimian et al., clavate and mesally oriented processes; 2014) epiphallus with a finger-shaped process ventrally …E. greatheadi Gharali and Evenhuis A key to species of Mythicomyiidae known – Antennal pedicel yellow; scutellum with a from Iran brown mark medially…...... E. asiaticus Zaitzev 1- Wing vein R2 + 3 curved upward into vein RI 10- Prescutellar area at least next to scutellum at or before costa forming triangular cell rl brown or black ...... 11 ……. humeralis Gharali & Evenhuis – Prescutellar area completely yellow ...... 12 - Wing vein R2+3 free to wing margin or 11- Prescutellar area with a narrow blackish confluent with R4 + 5; triangular cell rl brown stripe joint to scutellum, spermathecal absent……………………………………... ….2 reservoir cylindrical, with narrow cylindrical 2- Vein R2 + 3 apparently absent, confluent with invagination, externally R4+5 ………….……………..……………...… 3 striated...... -Vein R2 + 3 present, ending in costa…...….…15 ...... E. formosus Hakimian, Talebi & Gharali 3- Antenna1 stylus much reduced or absent; - Prescutellar area completely brown or black, first flagellomere conical …………….….....… spermathecal reservoir subglobular, with ………..Leylaiya aquilonia Gharali & Evenhuis shallow subcylindrical invagination, without - Antennal stylus prominent, not reduced; first any striation externally...... ……………. flagellomere subcylindrical ….. Empidideicus 4 ……………………E. unicus Gharali & Evenhuis 4- Discal cell closed (subgenus Anomalopthilus 12- Longitudinal stripes on mesonotum orange; Hesse) …………....E. turkestanicus Paramonov first antennal flagellomere large, more than 2.5 – Discal cell open ...... 5 times second flagellomere; furca as two 5- Occiput completely black ...... 6 separate bars; common spermathecal duct much - Occiput yellow laterally ...... 10 shorter than furca; basal aedeagal apodeme with

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two large, rectangular lateral vanes ...... 20- Mesonotum with two black spots next to ……………..E. aurantiacus Gharali & Evenhuis transverse suture; black median stripe on – Longitudinal stripes on mesonotum brown or mesonotum mostly reaching to scutellum; blackish brown; first antennal flagellomere at abdominal tergites with fine and long pale most 2 times the second flagellomere, furca U- hairs; male genitalia huge and well exposed; shaped; common spermathecal duct much spermathecal reser-voirs acorn-shaped, with an longer than furca; basal aedeagal apodeme obvious cap ...... without or with minute lateral vans ...... 13 ...... P. titanomedea Gharali & Evenhuis 13- Vein R4+5 turn upward, meeting Costa at the - Mesonotum without black spots; black median level of CuA1; vein M1+2 shorter than half of stripe on mesonotum ending much before M2 ...... E. ebellicus Gharali & Evenhuis scutellum with straight pos-terior margin; scape –Vein R4+5 straight, meeting Costa well beyond yellow; abdominal tergites with short, dense the level of CuA1; vein M1+2 longer than half and black bristly hairs on disc; male genitalia of M2 ...... 14 very small; spermathecal reservoirs oboval, 14- Second antennal flagellomere as long as or without cap …...... P. melinoproctus Loew longer than the first flagellomere; furca with 21- Coxae, scutellum and pleura predominantly well sclerotised plates around genital black ……….…...... 22 orifice...... E. amicus Gharali & Evenhuis - Coxae and pleura predominantly yellow; – Second antennal flagellomere much shorter scutellum yellow with a small black spot than the first flagellomere; furca without basomedially ...…….. C. meridionalis Rondani sclerotised area around genital orifice 22- Frons predominantly blackish ...... E. matricarius Gharali & Evenhuis brown...... C. pusilla Loew 15- Discal cell closed apically by cross-vein..16 - Frons yellow with a small black spot - Discal cell open apically, no cross-vein at medially...... C. persica Gharali & Evenhuis apex …………...…………….....… Cyrtosia 21 16- Postgena produced posteriorly into Discussion prominent gular process ending in paired spine- like projections either side of gular opening The results showed that the highest and lowest ……………… Cyrtisiopsis maculiventris Loew densities of Bombylioid flies in sampling - Postgena normal, not produced posteriorly related to July and August, respectively. The into prominent processes ...……...Platypygus17 highest density of the Bombylioid flies was 17- Halteres with a black spot on dorsal surface collected in Atashgah village and Exoprosopa ……………………………..P. lativentris Loew minos Macquart, 1840 had the highest density - Halteres completely yellow, without any black among them. mark………………………………………….18 Mythicomyiid flies have been studied poorly 18- Mesonotum completely bare; antennae in the world so that 337 species belonging to completely black; female genitalia with furca Mythicomyiidae have been reported from the without sclerotized plates next to genital orifice world (Evenhuis, 2002). However, to date, 34 ……………………….P. kurdorum Paramonov species have been reported in Iran which - Mesonotum hairy; antennal scape yellow or compared with the number of described species black; female genitalia with furca with two in the world, it represents the high diversity of sclerotized plates next to genital orifice...... 19 these insects in Iran. Many species of 19- Hairs on mesonotum completely black, Mythicomyiidae are localised and they were frons yellow with a black, medially Y-shaped collected from few countries. Species of Iran mark.…….……...…….. P. chrysanthemi Loew have low distribution in the world and many of - Hairs on mesonotum completely yellow, frons them were collected only from Iran. This yellow, at most with a narrow black line predicts uniqueness of locality and special medially …….……………………………… 20 fauna of mythicomyiidae of Iran.

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References Gharali, B., Kamali, K., Evenhuis, N. and Talebi, A. A. 2010b. A new microbombyliid, Abbassian-Lintzen, R. 1965. Bombyliidae Cyrtosia persica Gharali & Evenhuis spec. (Diptera) of Iran. I. Species of the genus nov. (Bombyloidea: Mythicomyiidae: Bombylius Loew. Annual Magazine of Platypyginae) from northern Iran. Studia Natural History, 8: 533-547. Dipterologica, 17: 151-157. Abbassian-Lintzen, R. 1966a. Bombyliidae Gharali, B., Kamali, K., Evenhuis, N. and Talebi, (Diptera) of Iran. II. Pteraulax oldroydi new A. A. 2010c. First record of the genus species. Annual Magazine of Natural Glabellula Bezzi, (Diptera: Mythicomyiidae: History, 9: 321-324. Glabellulinae) from Iran, with a description of a Abbassian-Lintzen, R. 1966b. Bombyliidae new species. Studia Dipterologica, 17: 113-120. (Diptera) of Iran. III. Some species of the Gharali, B., Kamali, K., Evenhuis, N., Talebi, genera Dischistus Lw, Systoechus Lw. and A. A. and Khalgani, J. 2010d. First record of Anastoechus Ost. S. Annual Magazine of the genus Empidideicus (Diptera: Natural History, 9: 325-332. Bombylioidea: Mythicomyiidae) from Iran, Abbassian-Lintzen, R. 1968. Bombyliidae with description of six new species. (Diptera) of Iran. IV. Species of the Zootaxa, 2627: 1-19. subfamily Cythereinae. Annual Magazine of Greathead, D. J. and Evenhuis, N. L. 2001. Natural History, 2: 231-238. Annotated keys to the genera of African Evenhuis, N. L. 2002. Catalog of the Bombylioidea (Diptera: Bombyliidae: Mythicomyiidae of the World (Insecta: Mythicomyiidae). African Invertebrates, 42: Diptera). Bishop Museum Bulletin in 105-224. Entomology, 10: 1-85. Hakimian, S., Talebi, A. A. and Gharali, B. Evenhuis, N. L. and Greathead, D. J. 1999. World 2012a. First record of Amictus pictus Loew, Catalog of Bee Flies (Diptera: Bombyliidae). 1869 (Diptera: Bombyliidae: Cylleniinae) Backhuys Publishers, Leiden. 756 pp. from Iran. Checklist, 8 (4): 774-775. Gharali, B. 2010. Identification and species Hakimian, S., Talebi, A. A. and Gharali, B. diversity of flies superfamily Bombylioidea 2012b. First record of Cononedys in the north-west of Iran. Ph. D. bituberculata Becker, 1915 (Insecta: Dissertation, Tarbiat Modares University, Diptera: Bombyliidae) from Iran, with Tehran. 225 pp. description of the spermatheca. Checklist, 8 Gharali, B., Evenhuis N., Kamali, K. and Talebi, (4): 776-778. A. A. 2011a. A review of the genus Platypygus Hakimian, S., Talebi, A. A., Gharali, B. and Loew (Mythicomyiidae: Platypyginae) in Iran, Evanhuis N. 2014. A study of the genus with notes on Cyrtisiopsis maculiventris (Loew) Empidideicus Becker, 1907 (Diptera: n. comb. Zootaxa, 2979: 25-40. Mythicomyiidae) in northern Iran, with Gharali, B., Evenhuis, N. and Lotfalizadeh, H. description of a new species. Turkish 2011b. Two new species of the genus Journal of Zoology, 38 (3): 257-262 Empidideicus Becker, 1907 from northern Iran Hull, F. (1973). Bee flies of the world the genera (Diptera: Mythicomyiidae: Empidideicinae). of the family Bombyliidae, Bulletin of the Zoology in the Middle East, 54: 113-120. United States National Museum, 286: 1-687. Gharali, B., Kamali, K., Evenhuis, N. and Yeates, D. K and Greathead, D. J. 1997. The Talebi, A. A. 2010a. Two new species of the evolutionary pattern of host use in the genus Apolysis (Apolysini, Bombyliidae, Bombyliidae (Diptera): a diverse family of Diptera) from the north of Iran. Zootaxa, parasitoid flies. Biological Journal of the 2441: 41-52. Linnaean Society, 60: 149-185.

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ﺑﺮرﺳﻲ ﻓﻮﻧﺴﺘﻴﻚ ﺑﺎﻻﺧﺎﻧﻮاده Bombylioidea در اﺳﺘﺎن اﻟﺒﺮز و ﻛﻠﻴﺪ ﺷﻨﺎﺳﺎﻳﻲ ﮔﻮﻧﻪﻫﺎي Mythicomyiidae ﺷﻨﺎﺧﺘﻪ ﺷﺪه از اﻳﺮان

رﺣﻴﻢ ﻋﺒﺪاﻟﻬﻲ ﻣﺼﺒﺎح1، ﺟﺎﻣﺎﺳﺐ ﻧﻮذري1*، ﺑﺎﺑﻚ ﻗﺮاﻟﻲ2 و ﻣﺼﻄﻔﻲ ﻣﻴﺮزاﻳﻲ1

1- ﮔﺮوه ﮔﻴﺎﻫﭙﺰﺷﻜﻲ، داﻧﺸﻜﺪه ﻛﺸﺎورزي، داﻧﺸﮕﺎه ﺗﻬﺮان، ﻛﺮج، اﻳﺮان. 2- ﺑﺨﺶ ﮔﻴﺎﻫﭙﺰﺷﻜﻲ، ﻣﺮﻛﺰ ﺗﺤﻘﻴﻘﺎت ﻛﺸﺎورزي و ﻣﻨﺎﺑﻊ ﻃﺒﻴﻌﻲ، ﻗﺰوﻳﻦ، اﻳﺮان. * ﭘﺴﺖ اﻟﻜﺘﺮوﻧﻴﻜﻲ ﻧﻮﻳﺴﻨﺪه ﻣﺴﺌﻮل ﻣﻜﺎﺗﺒﻪ: [email protected] درﻳﺎﻓﺖ: 15 اردﻳﺒﻬﺸﺖ 1393؛ ﭘﺬﻳﺮش: 2 ﺑﻬﻤﻦ 1393

ﭼﻜﻴﺪه: ﻓﻮن ﻣﮕﺲﻫﺎي ﺑﺎﻻﺧﺎﻧﻮده Bombylioidea در اﺳﺘﺎن اﻟﺒﺮز در ﺳﺎل 1391 ﻣﻮرد ﻣﻄﺎﻟﻌﻪ ﻗﺮار ﮔﺮﻓﺖ. دو ﺧﺎﻧﻮاده (Bombyliidae و Mythicomyiidae)، ﻫﺸﺖ ﺟﻨﺲ و ده ﮔﻮﻧﻪ ﻣﻮرد ﺷﻨﺎﺳﺎﻳﻲ ﻗﺮار ﮔﺮﻓﺘﻨﺪ ﻛﻪ در اﻳﻦ ﺑﻴﻦ دو ﮔﻮﻧﻪ Exoprospora dispar Loew, 1869 و ,Parageron lutescens (Bezzi (1925، ﮔﺰارشﻫﺎي ﺟﺪﻳﺪ ﺑﺮاي ﻓﻮن اﻳﺮان ﻣﺤﺴﻮب ﻣﻲﺷﻮﻧﺪ. ﻛﻠﻴﺪ ﺷﻨﺎﺳﺎﻳﻲ ﮔﻮﻧﻪﻫﺎي ﺧﺎﻧﻮاده Mythicomyiidae اﻳﺮان ﻧﻴﺰ ﺗﻬﻴﻪ ﮔﺮدﻳﺪ.

واژﮔﺎن ﻛﻠﻴﺪي: Bombylioidea، اﻟﺒﺮز، ﻓﻮن، اﻳﺮان

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