Aphaniosoma approximatum Becker, 1903

Ebejer, Martin J., 2023, The genus Aphaniosoma Becker, 1903 (Diptera: Chyromyidae) in the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East, with descriptions of new species, European Journal of Taxonomy 872, pp. 1-161 : 28-31

Aphaniosoma approximatum Becker, 1903

Figs 9–10

Aphaniosoma arabicum Ebejer, 1996: 287 , figs 3b, 4. Synonymized by Ebejer 2008: 683.

Material examined

EGYPT • 1 ♂, 2 ♀♀; Cairo, Golo Island, along Nile river ; 29.58° N, 31.15° E; 21 Mar. 1996; M. Barták leg.; CULSP • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; MJE • 3 ♂♂, 6 ♀♀; Cairo, El-Marg ; 30.16° N, 31.23° E; 29 Mar. 1996; M. Barták leg.; margin of field; CULSP • 1 ♀; Cairo, 20 km S; 29.52° N, 31.15° E; 31 Mar. 1996; M. Barták leg.; riverbank; CULSP • 2 ♂♂, 1 ♀, preserved in alcohol; Alexandria, Abu Kir ; 20 Oct. 2003; P. Gatt leg.; beach, wrack; MJE • 3 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀, preserved in alcohol; Alexandria, Ras Rashid ; 21 Oct. 2003; P. Gatt leg.; beach; MJE .

ISRAEL • 3 ♂♂; Ne’ot haKikkar ; 25 Jul. 1995; A. Freidberg leg.; SMNHTAU • 1 ♂; ‘ En Gedi / N. Arugot ; 31 May 2000; B. Merz leg.; MHNG .

JORDAN • 1 ♂, 1 ♀, preserved in alcohol; Wadi Rum, Seitental [side valley]; 29°34.29ʹ N, 35°24.75ʹ E; 14 Oct. 2010; J.-H. Stuke leg.; J-HS .

SAUDI ARABIA • 13 ♂♂, 48 ♀♀, preserved in alcohol; Jazan, Farasan Island, Aziz Yousef village ; 16°40ʹ N, 42°50ʹ E; 6 Mar. 2017; Malaise trap; H.A. Dawah leg.; NMWC .

YEMEN • 9 ♂♂, 5 ♀♀; Ta‘Izz; 5 Jan.–2 Feb. 1998; A. van Harten and M. Mahyoub leg.; light trap; NMWC • 4 ♂♂, 10 ♀♀; Ta‘Izz; Aug. 1999; A. van Harten and A. Awad leg.; light trap; NMWC .

Remarks

A. approximatum Becker, 1949 was re-described ( Ebejer 2008) with illustrations supplementary to those of Collin (1949) and Ebejer (1998). As with many similar species, it is quite variable in the intensity of darkening of the scutal vittae, which in some specimens coalesce anterior to the scutal suture. The lateral aspect of the abdominal tergites show a variable extent of yellow merging with the brown dorsally. It is a species with a distinct pair of setae in front of the anterior ocellus clearly longer than other setae on the frons. Although not easy to identify, the overall pallor of the male hypopygium, with pale brown, narrow, curved postgonites, a pointed epiphallus and a mostly translucent bilobed distiphallus, should suggest this species. Similar species are: A. brevivittatum Ebejer, 1995 , which has a much longer ventro-lateral projection on tergite 6 twisted along its axis and a longer pregonite ( Ebejer 1995: 204, fig. 1); A. claridgei Ebejer, 1995 , which has a blunt slightly upcurved apex of the epiphallus, black postgonite and aedeagus, and very different pregenital sternites ( Ebejer 1995: 204, figs 2–3; 1998: 204, figs 16–17); A. proximum Ebejer, 1998 , which has a pointed epiphallus, dark postgonite, smaller and darker distiphallus and a different pregenital sternite ( Ebejer 1998: 220, figs 63–64); A. suboculicauda Frey, 1958 , which has a longer more pointed ventro-lateral projection of sternite 6, pale structures of the hypopygium including the aedeagus, and a triangular sternite 6 ( Ebejer 2009: 408, fig. 52a–c); and A. trisetum Ebejer, 1988 , which has as its most distinct character the 3 long, broad, white setae at the ventral margin of tergite 6 ( Fig. 82C ). Fig. 10 shows a specimen very similar to the type and Fig. 9 B shows the extruded aedeagus, which matches the figures of the holotype given previously by the author ( Ebejer 1998: 200, figs 5–6). Few specimens have been collected in Israel. This might be due to the species having a greater affinity for date palm groves than for Tamarix trees ( Baba Aissa 2017).

Distribution

Algeria, Cape Verde Islands, Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Niger, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates ( Becker 1903; Ebejer 1996, 2008, 2009, 2018; Baba Aissa et al. 2017; Ebejer & Barták 2019). New records for Israel, Jordan and Yemen.

Figures

Fig. 9. Aphaniosoma approximatum Becker, 1903, ♂ (MJE). A. Habitus, lateral view. B. Hypopygium in situ, lateral view.

Fig. 10. Aphaniosoma approximatum Becker, 1903, ♀ (MJE), head and thorax, dorsal view.

Fig. 82. Aphaniosoma trisetum Ebejer, 1998, ♂ (SMNHTAU). A. Head, lateral view. B. Hypopygium, posterior view. C. Pregenital sternites, ventral view. Abbreviations: See Material and methods.