Fruit flies (Diptera, Tephritidae) from Saudi Arabia, with descriptions of a new genus and six new species

Abstract

During a survey of the insect fauna of the Abha area (Aseer province, southwestern part of Saudi Arabia) with Malaise traps 51 species of Tephritidae were recorded, 40 of them being new records for this country. Nine species are not named. The first comprehensive checklist for Saudi Arabia is presented, including 62 species of which 10 species are considered to be pests. Arabodesis gen. n., with its type A. reductiseta sp. n., is described from Saudi Arabia and Yemen. Further new species are Neoceratitis flavoscutellata sp. n. (Saudi Arabia), Dicheniotes multipunctatus sp. n. (Kenya, Saudi Arabia, Tanzania, Yemen), Sphenella setosa sp. n. (Saudi Arabia), Tanaica maculata sp. n. (Ethiopia, Kenya, Saudi Arabia), and Tanaica pollinosa sp. n. (Saudi Arabia, South Africa). The status of Tephritomyia despoliata Hering and Trupanea aucta var. repleta Bezzi is discussed. Sphenella marginata austrina Munro is synonymized with S. marginata s. str. (syn. n.). Keys for the genera of the Campiglossa genus group and for the species of Tanaica Munro are provided.