Archive of SID J Insect Biodivers Syst 04(3): 147–155 ISSN: 2423-8112 JOURNAL OF INSECT BIODIVERSITY AND SYSTEMATICS Research Article http://jibs.modares.ac.ir http://zoobank.org/References/578CCEF1-37B7-45D3-9696-82B159F75BEB New records of the scuttle flies (Diptera, Phoridae) from Iran Roya Namaki Khameneh1, Samad Khaghaninia1*, R. Henry L. Disney2 1 Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, I.R. Iran. 2 Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EJ, U.K. ABSTRACT. The faunistic study of the family Phoridae carried out in northwestern of Iran during 2013–2017. Five species (Conicera tibialis Schmitz, Received: 1925, Dohrniphora cornuta (Bigot, 1857), Gymnophora arcuata (Meigen, 1830), 06 August, 2018 Metopina oligoneura (Mik, 1867) and Triphleba intermedia (Malloch, 1908)) are newly recorded from Iran. The genera Conicera Meigen, 1830, Dohrniphora Accepted: 14 November, 2018 Dahl, 1898, Gymnophora Macquart, 1835 and Triphleba Rondani, 1856 are reported for the first time from the country. Diagnostic characters of the Published: studied species along with their photographs are provided. 20 November, 2018 Subject Editor: Key words: Phoridae, Conicera, Dohrniphora, Gymnophora, Triphleba, Iran, New Farzaneh Kazerani records Citation: Namaki khameneh, R., Khaghaninia, S. & Disney, R.H.L. (2018) New records of the scuttle flies (Diptera, Phoridae) from Iran. Journal of Insect Biodiversity and Systematics, 4 (3), 147–155. Introduction Phoridae with about 4,000 identified insect eggs, larvae, and pupae. The adults species in more than 260 genera, is usually feed on nectar, honeydew and the considered as one of the largest families of exudates of fresh carrion and dung, Diptera (Ament & Brown, 2016). This whereas there are some other adults which family is composed of four subfamilies; are polyphagous saprophages. This family Sciadocerinae, Chonocephalinae, Phorinae, is also excellent for modelling biodiversity and Metopininae (Disney & Mostovski, conservation efforts (Disney, 1994). 2018). They occur in every known terrestrial Adults of this family have some habitat, including larvae inhabiting fresh- distinctive characteristics as small (0.5–6 water and marine situations. Larvae were mm) cyclorrhaphan flies, frons usually reported to be commonly found in nests of with distinctive setation, thorax shortened, social insects and organic detritus such as scutum arched and wing present, reduced dung, carrion, insect feces and dead snails. or absent. Wing venation highly Some species feed on living plants, characteristic, with thickened costal and sporophores of bracket and other fungi and radial veins, and thin, linear posterior veins mycelium. Most of them are predators, without any cross-veins linking them. Hind parasitoids or parasites of earthworms, femur of most phorids flattened, broad. At snails, spiders, centipedes, millipedes, and least hind tarsomere with one longitudinal Corresponding author: Samad Khaghaninia, E-mail: [email protected] Copyright © 2018, Namaki Khameneh et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. www.SID.ir Archive of SID 148 New records of scuttle flies from Iran setal palisade (Ament & Brown, 2016). This Azerbaijan provinces. All species and four family now contains more than 900 genera which marked with an asterisk, are Palaearctic species (Pape et al., 2009). newly recorded for the Iranian phorid Regarding this, a few studies have been fauna (*Conicera tibialis Schmitz, 1925; conducted in neighboring countries such as *Dohrniphora cornuta (Bigot, 1857); Turkey and Azerbaijan (Disney & Bayram, *Gymnophora arcuata (Meigen, 1830); 1999; Karapazarlioglu & Disney, 2015; Metopina oligoneura (Mik, 1867) and Mostovski, 2002; Mostovski & Disney, *Triphleba intermedia (Malloch, 1908)). 2002; Özsisli & Disney, 2011). The Iranian Key to the genera of the Phoridae fauna of Phoridae is poorly known and Newman, 1835 known from Iran (With needs to be investigated more. So far, only some modification from Disney, 1983, 2017; 18 species have been known from Iran Kung & Brown, 2006; Mostovski, 2016) (Disney et al., 2012; Ghahari & Disney, 1. Third thin vein with a sudden bend near 2007; Rabieh et al., 2013; Sadeghi et al., middle, opposite basal curve of second 2013; Talebi et al., 2003, 2006; Zamani et al., thin vein. ..................Metopina Macquart 2005). The present study aims to study the Phoride in northwestern of Iran. - Third thin vein without such bend. ......................................................................2 Material and methods 2. Hind tibia with one or more dorsal or Adult specimens were collected by near dorsal longitudinal palisade-like standard sweeping net and Malaise trap rows of setae. .............................................3 from grassland and wetland habitats of - Hind tibia simply haired on dorsal face, East Azerbaijan and West Azerbaijan but may bear isolated bristles. ................6 provinces, located in northwestern of Iran during 2013–2017. The species were 3. Hind tibia with more than one dorsal identified based on Disney (1983); Kung & palisade-like row of setae. ……...……… Brown (2006). Localities, Diagnostic …..………………...….....Diplonevra Lioy characters and distributions of identified - Hind tibia with only one dorsal species at the present study are given palisade-like row of setae. .……………..4 briefly. Diagnostic characters follows that 4. Either middle or hind tibiae with one or of Disney (1983, 2017); Kung & Brown more isolated bristles in proximal two- (2006) and over material observations. thirds in addition to apical bristles. Photographs were taken using a Nikon …..…………………….Dohrniphora Dahl SMZ 800N stereomicroscope equipped with a Nikon D5200 digital camera. - Tibiae without isolated bristles in 5 Illustrations carried out by Disney (1983). proximal two-thirds. ................................ 5. The material examined deposited at the Male with proctiger ending in finely- following insect collections: ICHMM: feathered bristles that are clearly more Insect Collection of Professor Hasan Maleki robust than setae on cerci. Female with Milani, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran tergites present only on abdominal and UCMZ: University of Cambridge segments 1–4. …………………………….. Museum of Zoology, Cambridge, England. ….…………..Phalacrotophora Enderlein - Male with proctiger ending in setae that Results little, if any, stronger than those on cerci. Five genera and five species belonging to Female with tergites present on the subfamilies Metopininae and Phorinae abdominal segments 1–6. …..…..……….. were collected in East Azerbaijan and West …………...……....…..Megaselia Rondani www.SID.ir Archive of SID Namaki Khameneh et al. 149 6. Middle and/or hind tibiae with isolated. List of species ……………………..………………………7 Subfamily Metopininae - Middle and hind tibiae without isolated Genus Gymnophora Macquart, 1835 bristles. ………………..………………….9 Gymnophora arcuata (Meigen, 1830) 7. Middle tibia with at least two dorsal (Figures 1A–1B) bristles situated one below the other; Material examined: (1♂) Iran, East frons with a complete median furrow; Azerbaijan province, Qurigol region, entire body, including legs, velvety 37°54.736' N 46°41.617' E, 1928 m, wetland, black. ..…………………...Phora Latreille 5.vii.2013, leg: S. Khaghaninia (UCMZ). - Middle tibia with at most one dorsal Diagnostic characters: Body length 2.0–3.9 bristle; frons without a complete median mm, mediolaterals differ from adjacent furrow; body variously coloured but hairs, but much weaker than bristles on never vel-vety black. ……..……..………8 vertex; costa abruptly thickened before R1, 8. Rs unforked. ….……….Conicera Meigen with clear spot, R1 curves smoothly forward; abdomen greyish-brown; haltere - Rs forked. ...................Triphleba Rondani yellow; legs yellowish brown; left side of 9. Third antennal segment with a long- epandrium with small anteroventral lobe; haired tapered apex; wing with distinct left side of hypandrium with long process, anal lobe; hind femur slender and anal which is greatly swollen at mid-length. tube longer than epandrium. …………… Distribution: Austria, Belgium, Caucasus, ……...……..…………Arabiphora Disney Czechoslovakia, Denmark, England, Finland, - Without this combination ………….....10 France, German Federal Republic, German Democratic Republic, Great Britain, Greece, 10. Frons lacking bristles between antennae Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, and ocelli. …......Gymnophora Macquart Norway, Portugal, Poland, Sweden, Spain, - Frons with bristles between antennae Switzerland (Brown, 1987; Disney, 1991; and ocelli. ...Chonocephalus Wandolleck Mostovski & Mikhailovskaya, 2003). Figure 1. Gymnophora arcuata (Meigen, 1830) (male): A. Lateral view; B. Hypopygium (left side – Scale bar: 0.1 mm). www.SID.ir Archive of SID 150 New records of scuttle flies from Iran Genus Metopina Macquart, 1835 Subfamily Phorinae Metopina oligoneura (Mik, 1867) Genus Conicera Meigen, 1830 (Figures 2A–2B) Conicera tibialis Schmitz, 1925 Material examined: (1♂) Iran, West (Figures 3A–3C) Azerbaijan province, Khoy city, Evogli Material examined: (6♂♂) Iran, West region, 38°42.436' N 45°12.246' E, 968 m, Azerbaijan province, Khoy city, Evogli Malaise trap, 26.iv.2013, leg: S. region, 38°42.436' N 45°12.246' E, 968 m, Khaghaninia (UCMZ). Malaise