Predatory midges of the tribes Palpomyiini and Sphaeromiini ( Diptera : Ceratopogonidae ) from the Middle East , with keys and descriptions of new species

Abstract. The Middle East biting midges of the tribes Palpomyiini (20 species in three genera) and Sphaeromiini s. lat. (six species in five genera) are reviewed. Three new species are described and illustrated: Bezzia libanensis Alwin & Szadziewski sp. nov., B. sharjahi Alwin & Szadziewski sp. nov. and Palpomyia freidbergi Alwin & Szadziewski sp. nov. Bezzia aegyptia Kieffer, 1925 is recognized as a new junior synonym of B. albicornis (Meigen, 1818) (syn. nov.) and B. omanensis Boorman & van Harten, 2002, is recognized as a junior synonym of B. (Sivabezzia) pachypyga Remm, 1974 (syn. nov.). Keys to the genera and species of the tribes Palpomyiini and Sphaeromiini of the Middle East are also provided.


Introduction
In our first article in a series on Ceratopogonidae of the Middle East, all faunistic studies on the family were reviewed, and keys for identification of subfamilies and tribes were provided (Alwin et al. 2016).
In that article, we also included diagnoses and keys to the seven genera and 22 species of the tribe Ceratopogonini in this region (Alwin et al. 2016).Herein, we provide faunistic and taxonomic summaries of species of two other predaceous tribes (Palpomyiini and Sphaeromiini) that inhabit the Middle East.

Etymology
The specific name refers to the Latin name of Lebanon (Libanus), where the holotype was collected.

Distribution
Lebanon; known only from the type locality.

Remarks
The male antennal flagellum of this new species has an elongate flagellomere 10 and a bare aedeagus, characters typical of members of the subgenus Bezzia.This new species differs from all other Palearctic and Afrotropical members of the genus by its greatly elongate sternite IX, which extends to the midlength of the gonocoxites and covers their bases.Boorman & van Harten, 2002 Bezzia mellori Boorman & van Harten, 2002: 456 (♂, figure, description, Oman).

Diagnosis
An orange-brown species.Scutum with darker band on lateral sides, humeral areas paler.Legs pale; femorotibial joints darker; femora unarmed; fore femur with darker dorsal central area near apex; mid femur with narrow, darker dorsal area on apical portion; hind femur and tibiae with vague indications of similar markings.Male genitalia with rather long gonocoxite and short, blunt gonostylus; parameres fused, slender with broad base and expanded slender, triangular, with blunt appendix and high basal arch (Boorman & van Harten 2002).

Diagnosis
Scutum dark brown, scutellum paler.Legs yellowish, with brown bands; fore femur with faint dark band at apical ⅔; fore and mid tibiae with dark bands at/near proximal ⅓ and apex; mid femur with a single dark apical band; hind femur and tibia with wide dark sub-basal and subapical bands; fore femur armed with 2 spines.Male genitalia short, with long, evenly curved gonostylus, with pointed apical portion; parameres fused, with low basal arch, distal portion moderately stout, apex with 2 bifid pointed divergent processes; aedeagus slender, with broad base, low basal arch and blunt apex (Boorman & van Harten 2002).

Distribution
Yemen.

Diagnosis
This new species differs from all other Middle East congeners in having the following combination of characters: thorax orange-brown with distinctly paler scutellum; legs uniformly brownish; fore femur with 6-9 ventral spines; male gonostylus long, with pointed apex; parameres long, slender, slightly curved dorsally; female with 2 subspherical seminal capsules with very long necks.

Etymology
The specific name refers to the Sharjah Desert, where most of the type series was collected.

Distribution
United Arab Emirates and Yemen.

Remarks
This new species is a typical member of the subgenus Homobezzia.It most closely resembles B. kuhetiensis, which has similar male genitalia and seminal capsules.However, B. kuhetiensis differs from B. sharjahi sp.nov.by its whitish legs with distinct, dark bands, the fore femur has only 2 ventral spines, and the parameres are straight.

Diagnosis
Very similar to B. albicornis, but differs from that species in having a scutellum with 4 large setae; parameres swollen on proximal portion, without lateral ribs, with 2 distinct apical lobes; apex of median process of aedeagus strongly bent and gonocoxite with 3 ventral bristles.

Diagnosis
Fore femur with 2-4 ventral spines.Male flagellomere 10 elongate, longer than 11-13.Gonocoxite massive; gonostylus well developed, simple; aedeagus composed of small lamella and long median process, which is bent dorsally and directed posteriorly.Female with 2 large seminal capsules, more or less similar in size, both with long necks that are narrowed proximally.

Remarks
Females of B. melanoflava Clastrier, 1958 andB. pachypyga Remm, 1974 are very similar, with only slight differences in the shapes of their seminal capsules.In B. melanoflava they are broadest near the middle portion, whereas in B. pachypyga the widest part is near the proximal portion.

Female
Similar to male with usual sexual differences.Two large seminal capsules, widest in proximal part, both with long necks (Fig. 3D).

Distribution
Tajikistan, Turkmenistan.In the Middle East known from Oman and the United Arab Emirates.

Remarks
The coloration of the legs of Middle East specimens of Bezzia pachypyga is highly variable and different from that in the original description by Remm (1974).However, diagnostic characters of the highly complicated male genitalia match the original descriptions of B. pachypyga and its junior synonym B. omanensis Boorman & van Harten, 2002.Bezzia (Sivabezzia) melanoflava Clastrier, 1958 Fig

Diagnosis
Wing with 2 radial cells, costa extending at least ⅔ wing length, but not to apex.Fore femur slender to swollen, usually with stout ventral spines; mid and hind femora slender, often with ventral spines; fifth tarsomeres with or without 2 ventro-lateral rows of stout bristle-like setae; female claws equal, small to enlarged, with or without small, basal inner tooth.Female abdomen with paired internal tergal apodemes and 2 seminal capsules.Male genitalia with prominent cerci; gonocoxite simple or with lobe; aedeagus conical or triangular, with well developed basal arms; parameres fused or divided, usually with welldeveloped basal apodemes (de Meillon & Wirth 1991).

Remarks
There are no universally recognized subgenera of Palpomyia; however, four species groups have been proposed for this genus: distincta group, flavipes group, lineata group and tibialis group (Grogan & Wirth 1975, 1979;Spinelli et al. 2009).

Distribution
Oman, United Arab Emirates.

Distribution
Yemen.

Diagnosis
Body with flattened setae with thin, whip-like tips; thorax uniformly dark.Legs yellow; femora as well as fore and mid tibiae with apical brown bands; hind tibia brown; fore femur with 5-8 spines.Male genitalia with relatively short gonocoxite; gonostylus almost straight, as long as gonocoxite; parameres fused, slender, expanded apically; aedeagus triangular with low basal arch and evenly rounded apex.
Females with 2 large oval seminal capsules with short necks.

Etymology
The species is named for Amnon Freidberg, Department of Zoology, Tel Aviv University, Israel, who kindly sent us biting midges from Israel.

Distribution
Israel; known only from the type locality.

Remarks
Males of this new species have an aedeagus with an unusual plate-like apex that is similar to that of males of P. mahyoubi from Yemen.This newly described species differs mostly in having pale legs with a dark brown hind tibia, only the fore femur armed with ventral spines and a distinctly curved gonostylus.Males of P. mahyoubi have a nearly straight gonostylus, dark brown legs, and all femora have ventral spines.Boorman & van Harten, 2002 Palpomyia nakali Boorman & van Harten, 2002: 459 (♂, figure, description, Oman).

Diagnosis
Dark brown species.Fore and mid legs pale brown to yellow; coxae brown; hind femur dark brown on distal ¼ (♀) or ½ (♂), hind tibia dark.Fore femur with 6-9, mid femur with 0-2 and hind femur with 1-3 ventral spines; fifth tarsomere of hind leg with 2 rows of large setae.Male gonocoxite long, basally expanded, with small ventral bulge on distal portion covered with small setae; gonostylus triangular, with short, stout setae on ventral surface; parameres fused only on extreme basal portion, apices elongate, slender, pointed, recurved.Female with 2 ovoid seminal capsules with distinct necks.

Diagnosis
Large, slender, nearly bare midges.Legs slender; femora unarmed; female fifth tarsomeres with long, stout, sharp setae with bent tips.Female claws equal, evenly curved or bent at base, each with small basal inner tooth.Wing with 1 radial cell; costa extending 0.80-0.90 of wing length.Gonostylus very small, rarely absent (de Meillon & Wirth 1991).

Diagnosis
Large, grayish, stout-bodied midges.Legs stout; femora with 4-8 stout, black ventral spines; fifth tarsomeres of female with 2 pairs of batonnets; female claws long, equal, curved, on fore leg with basal inner teeth.Wings with 2 radial cells and long costa that extends to near wing tip.Male genitalia short, stout; gonostylus stout, with slender hooked tip; aedeagus with high basal arch and stout tip; parameres fused except basally (de Meillon & Wirth 1991).Female abdomen without ventral setal tufts on sternite VIII; 2 seminal capsules.

Distribution
Egypt.

Diagnosis
Large robust midges.Wing often whitish at base, with distal or marginal infuscation; 1 or 2 radial cells; costa moderately short (female costal ratio about 0.80).Legs slender; femora slender to moderately swollen distally, females with short ventral spines, males with long, slender setae; hind tibia with long spine-like setae; female tarsomeres 5 with numerous ventral batonnets; female claws large, equal and bent at base, nearly straight distally, with short basal outer teeth.Male genitalia rotated and bent ventrally so that sternal surface is oriented caudally; gonocoxite and gonostylus poorly developed, usually fused, gonostylus short, thumb-like, immovable; aedeagus with short basal arch and cap-like tip; parameres with bulbous fused basal portion, distal halves elongate, tightly adpressed, tips slightly bulbous (de Meillon & Wirth 1991).Female abdomen with 2 small, slender sclerites and pair of setal tufts on sternite VIII; 2 seminal capsules.

Remarks
We are unable to distinguish Nilobezzia nilotica from N. nigritibialis and were not able to borrow the holotypes of either species or have access to them.Moreover, the original description of N. nilotica, by Kieffer (1925), is very poor and not helpful in distinguishing either species.

Distribution
Egypt.
Szadziewski et al. 2013)l portion, with distinct lateral ribs, apex with 2 small processes.Female with 2 ovoid, distinctly unequal seminal capsules.Szadziewski et al. 2013), United Arab Emirates, Yemen, South Africa.We provide the first records from Israel and Lebanon.

Table 1 .
Zoogeographical elements among the Middle East Palpomyiini and Sphaeromiini.