Genus Bezzia Kieffer, 1899

Type species

Ceratopogon ornatus Meigen, 1830; by original designation.

Diagnosis

Body nearly bare, with robust thorax. Wing with 1 radial cell; membrane without macrotrichia. Legs slender; fore femur with 0–12 ventral spines, mid and hind femora sometimes with ventral spines; fourth tarsomeres short, more or less cordiform; fifth tarsomeres of female without ventral batonnets; female claws simple, equal-sized, usually with small inner tooth. Female abdomen with paired internal tergal apodemes and usually 2 seminal capsules. Male genitalia with short tergite IX; parameres fused, usually rod-like but sometimes variable in shape; gonostylus well developed (de Meillon & Wirth 1991).

Key to males of subgenera of Middle East Bezzia

1. Aedeagus shield-shaped, with slender, long submedian process (Fig. 3C).......................................2

– Aedeagus Y-shaped, without slender, long submedian process (Fig. 1J).......................................3

2. Gonocoxite elongate, slender; gonostylus short, divided into 3–4 tooth-like lobes .......................... ...................................................................................................................... Pygobezzia Remm, 1974

– Gonocoxite short, stout; gonostylus long, slender, not divided into lobes ........................................ ....................................................................................................................... Sivabezzia Remm, 1974

3. Aedeagus bare; flagellomere 10 longer than 11 (Fig. 1C) .................................... Bezzia Kieffer, 1899

– Aedeagus covered with short, spine-like setae; flagellomere 10 shorter than 11 (Fig. 2B) ............. ................................................................................................................... Homobezzia Macfie, 1932