An overview of the Leucospidae (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea) of the Arabian Peninsula with description of a new species

An overview of the family Leucospidae (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea) is provided for the leucospid fauna of the Arabian Peninsula. Two genera containing four species are identified based on morphometrics and colour patterns. One species, Leucospis ayezae Usman, Anwar & Ahmad, sp. nov., is described. Leucospis elegans Klug had been previously recorded from Arabia Felix (= Yemen) and is recorded here for the first time from Saudi Arabia. The status of Leucospis aff. namibica from Yemen has been clarified, and this species is placed here in the genus Micrapion Kriechbaumer as M. clavaforme Steffan. An updated key and a map showing the distribution of the family Leucospidae in the Arabian Peninsula is provided. The occurrence and color morphs of all leucospid species that have been recorded so far from the region are briefly discussed

An overview of the Chloropidae (Diptera) of Saudi Arabia

Dawah, Hassan A., Abdullah, Mohammed A., Deeming, John C. (2020): An overview of the Chloropidae (Diptera) of Saudi Arabia. Zootaxa 4791 (1): 1-71, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4791.1.

The Muscidae (Diptera) of Saudi Arabia, descriptions of two new species, new records and updated list of species

Dawah, Hassan A., Abdullah, Mohammed A., Deeming, John C. (2020): The Muscidae (Diptera) of Saudi Arabia, descriptions of two new species, new records and updated list of species. Zootaxa 4869 (1): 1-54, DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4869.1.

An overview of the Ephydridae (Diptera) of Saudi Arabia

Dawah, Hassan A., Ahmad, Syed K., Abdullah, Mohammed A., Zatwarnicki, Tadeusz (2019): An overview of the Ephydridae (Diptera) of Saudi Arabia. Zootaxa 4711 (3): 401-445, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4711.3.

Thinophilus indigenus Becker 1902

Thinophilus indigenus Becker, 1902 (Figure 5A) Specimens examined 1♂, Asir, Karatha, Al-Ethrebany Fruit Farm, 6–27.v.2014, Malaise trap, H.A. Dawah (CERS); 1♂, Asir, Maraba, Al-Hudaithy Fruit Farm, 1.ii.2012 Malaise trap, H.A. Dawah (CERS); 1♀, Jazan, Abu Aresh, Al-Mahdag Village, 4.iii.2013, Malaise trap, H.A. Dawah (CERS). Distribution This is the first record from Saudi Arabia. The species was described from Egypt (Cairo, Assiut, Assuan, Fayûm, Luxor and Suez) and further recorded from the Palaearctic (Algeria, Iran, Israel, Mongolia and Turkey), Afrotropical (Angola, Benin, Cape Verde Islands, Congo, Ethiopia, Gambia, Angola, Nigeria, Benin, Ghana, Tanzania, Namibia, Nigeria, Madagascar, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania and Yemen) and Oriental regions (Borneo, China (Taiwan), India, Malaya, Nepal and Philippines) (Grichanov 2017a, 2018). Remarks. This species is known to inhabit the freshwater marshes and streams (Grootaert and Evenhuis 1997).Published as part of Dawah, Hassan A., Ahmad, Syed Kamran, Abdullah, Mohammed A. & Grichanov, Igor Ya., 2020, The family Dolichopodidae (Diptera) of the Arabian Peninsula: identification key, an updated list of species and new records from Saudi Arabia, pp. 1425-1454 in Journal of Natural History 54 (21 - 22) on page 1442, DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2020.1800118, http://zenodo.org/record/503044

Tachytrechus notatus

Tachytrechus notatus (Stannius, 1831) (Figure 4C) Specimens examined 1♂, Asir, Al-Souda, Al-Muqtha Dam, 18.ix.2014, sweeping, H.A. Dawah (CERS). Distribution This is the first record from Saudi Arabia. The species was described from Germany and further recorded from Iran, Israel, Morocco, Syria, Turkmenistan and Europe (widespread) (Grichanov 2017a; Grichanov et al. 2017).Published as part of Dawah, Hassan A., Ahmad, Syed Kamran, Abdullah, Mohammed A. & Grichanov, Igor Ya., 2020, The family Dolichopodidae (Diptera) of the Arabian Peninsula: identification key, an updated list of species and new records from Saudi Arabia, pp. 1425-1454 in Journal of Natural History 54 (21 - 22) on page 1441, DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2020.1800118, http://zenodo.org/record/503044

Micromorphus albipes

Micromorphus albipes (Zetterstedt, 1843) (Figure 5F) Specimens examined 2♂, 1♀, Asir, Maraba, Al-Hudaithy Fruit Farm, 7–28.viii.2013, Malaise trap, H.A. Dawah (CERS); 1♂, Asir, Karatha, Al-Ethrebany Fruit Farm, 7–28.viii.2013, Malaise trap, H.A. Dawah (CERS). Distribution This is the first record from Saudi Arabia. The species was described from Sweden and further recorded almost all over the world (except for Afrotropics). In the Mediterranean and Middle East, it was recorded from Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Israel, Morocco and Turkey (Grichanov 2017a).Published as part of Dawah, Hassan A., Ahmad, Syed Kamran, Abdullah, Mohammed A. & Grichanov, Igor Ya., 2020, The family Dolichopodidae (Diptera) of the Arabian Peninsula: identification key, an updated list of species and new records from Saudi Arabia, pp. 1425-1454 in Journal of Natural History 54 (21 - 22) on page 1444, DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2020.1800118, http://zenodo.org/record/503044

Thinophilus spinulosus Parent 1929

Thinophilus spinulosus Parent, 1929 (Figure 5D) Specimens examined 1♂, Jazan, Um Al-Raq Island, 10–31.v.2016, sweeping, H.A. Dawah (CERS). Distribution This is the first record from Saudi Arabia. The species was described from Sudan (Halaib: Red Sea coast) and is further recorded from Nigeria and Somalia (Grichanov 2018).Published as part of Dawah, Hassan A., Ahmad, Syed Kamran, Abdullah, Mohammed A. & Grichanov, Igor Ya., 2020, The family Dolichopodidae (Diptera) of the Arabian Peninsula: identification key, an updated list of species and new records from Saudi Arabia, pp. 1425-1454 in Journal of Natural History 54 (21 - 22) on page 1444, DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2020.1800118, http://zenodo.org/record/503044

Cryptophleps buttikeri Grichanov 2015

Cryptophleps buttikeri Grichanov, 2015 (Figure 3C) Specimens examined 1♀, Jazan, Abu Aresh, Al-Mahdag Village, 20.v.2013, sweeping, H.A. Dawah (CERS). Distribution The species was described from Saudi Arabia (Bahrah, a town in Makka province, in western Saudi Arabia located between Mekka and Jeddah) and this is the second locality of that species in Saudi Arabia and the habitat and altitude are the same as where the species was first found and described.Published as part of Dawah, Hassan A., Ahmad, Syed Kamran, Abdullah, Mohammed A. & Grichanov, Igor Ya., 2020, The family Dolichopodidae (Diptera) of the Arabian Peninsula: identification key, an updated list of species and new records from Saudi Arabia, pp. 1425-1454 in Journal of Natural History 54 (21 - 22) on page 1439, DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2020.1800118, http://zenodo.org/record/503044

Syntormon pumilus

Syntormon pumilus (Meigen, 1824) (Figure 6D) Specimens examined 1♂, Asir, Al-Souda, Al-Muqtha Dam, 1.ii.2012, Sweeping, H.A. Dawah (CERS). Distribution. This is the first record from Saudi Arabia. The species is widespread in the Palaearctic region (Grichanov 2018). However, some old records may belong to Syntormon denticulatus (Zetterstedt) and should be confirmed.Published as part of Dawah, Hassan A., Ahmad, Syed Kamran, Abdullah, Mohammed A. & Grichanov, Igor Ya., 2020, The family Dolichopodidae (Diptera) of the Arabian Peninsula: identification key, an updated list of species and new records from Saudi Arabia, pp. 1425-1454 in Journal of Natural History 54 (21 - 22) on page 1447, DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2020.1800118, http://zenodo.org/record/503044