Abstract
The Egyptian fauna of the genus Nemestrinus Latreille, 1802 is revised. In 1967, Steyskal and El-Bialy listed 12 species from the region, but only six species are now recognized. The primary type specimens of the species N.aegyptiacus (Wiedemann, 1828), N.rufipes (Olivier, 1810), and N.lateralis Wiedemann, 1828 (N.lateralis being a synonym of N.rufipes) deposited in the Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin, Germany were examined. Two species (N.abdominalis Olivier, 1811 and N.fascifrons (Bigot, 1888) are placed as new synonyms of N.ater (Olivier, 1811), and N.ruficornis Macquart, 1840 is synonymized with N.rufipes (Olivier, 1811). Nemestrinusjullieni (Efflatoun, 1925) is confirmed as a synonym of N.aegyptiacus. Furthermore, three species (N.caucasicus Fischer, 1806, N.pallipes (Olivier, 1811), and N.persicus Lichtwardt, 1909) have been removed and are doubtful records from Egypt. A key to the species, lists of specimens examined, and Illustrations and distributions for each species are provided. The status of species of doubtful occurrence in Egypt is discussed.
Highlights
Nemestrinidae are a small dipteran family belonging to the suborder Brachycera-Orthorrhapha and occur all over the world, but are most abundant and diverse in the Palaearctic, Australian and Afrotropical Regions (Richter 1997; Pape et al 2011)
The genus Nemestrinus was described by Latreille in 1802 based on specimens collected from Egypt and Syria
The Museum für Naturkunde, Germany, Berlin (ZMHB) is the depository of type specimens of N. aegyptiacus, N. rufipes, and N. lateralis Wiedemann, 1828
Summary
Nemestrinidae (tangle-veined flies) are a small dipteran family belonging to the suborder Brachycera-Orthorrhapha and occur all over the world, but are most abundant and diverse in the Palaearctic, Australian and Afrotropical Regions (Richter 1997; Pape et al 2011). The genus Nemestrinus was described by Latreille in 1802 based on specimens collected from Egypt and Syria It comprises 66 species in the Palaearctic Region (Bernardi 1973; Richter 1988, 1997; Narchuk 2007) and is characterized by the wing venation: The apical part of the wing occasionally has supernumerary transverse veins, R3 is present, R3+4 and R5 are free, M1 and M2 are free, the diagonal vein reaches the wing margin, and the proboscis is well developed and longer than the head. Bernardi (1973) reviewed the world genera, and Richter (1988) presented the Palaearctic catalogue of Nemestrinidae; both listed ten species in Egypt, removing the same two species (Nemestrinus caucasicus and N. persicus) listed by Steyskal and El-Bialy (1967). This study was undertaken to revise, update, and clarify the taxonomic status of the species of genus Nemestrinus Latreille in the Egyptian fauna
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