Mesembrius (Mesembrius) capensis (Macquart, 1842)

Helophilus capensis Macquart, 1842: 122 . Type locality: South Africa.

Material examined: 1 male, Amria, 10.IV.1932, leg. Priesner; 1 female, Kerdasa, 6.II.1921, leg. Efflatoun; 1 female, Nouzha, 5.VII.1921; 1 female, Nouzha, 9.IX.1924, leg. Efflatoun [EFC].

World distribution: AF: Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Malawi, Uganda. PA: Egypt, Jordan.

Egyptian localities: Coastal Strip: Alexandria, Amria, Burg El-Arab, Nuzha. Fayoum: Fayoum City. Lower Nile Valley & Delta: Cairo, El-Mahmoudiyah, El-Marg, Faraskour, Giza, Helwan, Kirdassa, Pyramids, Toukh. [Sources: Efflatoun (1922), Shaumar & Kamal (1978) and the examined museum material].

Activity period in Egypt: February to November.

Remarks: Efflatoun (1922) found M. capensis rather commonly in July, August and September, in wet and boggy places on the edges of El-Mahmoudiyah Canal and Salt Lakes. It seems strange that the European species Mesembrius peregrinus (Loew, 1846) has not been recorded anywhere in North Africa, whilst this Afrotropical species extends right up to the Nile Delta and Alexandria (and recently from Jordan). The identification of these specimens needs checking.