Rachispoda fuscipennis (Haliday, 1833)

Bouzrarf, Khadija, Qalmoun, Abderrahmane, Beuk, Paul L. Th., Akhrif, Rachida & Belqat, Boutaïna, 2025, Contribution to the knowledge of Sphaeroceridae (Insecta: Diptera) associated with animal breeding farms in Morocco, Journal of Insect Biodiversity and Systematics 11 (3), pp. 751-782 : 768

Rachispoda fuscipennis (Haliday, 1833) ( Fig. 4 )

Material examined. Cattle farm: COASTAL MESETA. 1♂, 1♀, Lmchawir Village (32°46'23.1"N 8°29'06.5"W), 17.I.2019 . 1♀, Mazagan Sea (33°16'24.3"N 8°22'13.9"W), 8.XI.2018 .

Distribution in Morocco. Eastern Morocco. Oued Bou-Regreg ( Roháček et al., 2001).

General distribution. Afrotropical – Madagascar, Namibia, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Zaire; Australasian/Oceanic – Australia, Guam ( USA), Hawaii ( USA), New Zealand; Oriental – Taiwan; Nearctic – Canada; Neotropical – Bahamas, Bermuda, Galápagos Is. ( Ecuador), Mexico (SIN); Palaearctic – Afghanistan, Algeria, Austria, Azerbaijan, Azores ( Portugal), Belgium, Bulgaria, Canary Is. ( Spain), Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Iraq, Israel, Italy (incl. Sardinia, Sicily), Latvia, Japan, Jordan, Kirghizstan, Malta, Mongolia, Morocco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Roumania, Russia, Slovakia, Spain (incl. Balearic Is.), Sweden, Switzerland, Tunisia, Türkiye, Uzbekistan, former Yugoslavia ( Serbia); South Atlantic: Saint Helena ( Roháček et al., 2001).

Biology. Halophilic species associated with saline or brackish environments. The larvae develop in moist substrates containing decomposing organic matter. Adults are observed on the ground near salty wetlands, where they feed on organic debris ( Roháček, 1991). In our study, this species is recorded in coastal areas associated with cattle excrement.

Figures

Figure 4. Rachispoda fuscipennis (Haliday, 1833). A. Lateral view of the adult showing the general body shape and wing coloration; B. Dorsal view illustrating the thoracic structure, abdomen, and arrangement of setae.