Paragus (Serratoparagus) pusillus Stuckenberg 1954

Paragus (Serratoparagus) pusillus Stuckenberg, 1954b (Fig. 54) Paragus pusillus Stuckenberg, 1954b: 401 Examined specimens. 1♀, Jazan, Abu-Aresh, Al-Mahdag Villiage, 1.ii–3.iv.2011, Malaise trap, H.A. Dawah (CERS); 2♂, same locality but 21–24.ii.2013 (CERS); 1♀, same locality but 1.ii–3.iv.2011 (CERS); 1♂, Asir, Abha, Hay Al-Nusub (Abha Farm Centre), 3.vi.2001, Malaise trap, H.A. Dawah & M.A. Abdullah (CERS); 2♂, Jazan, Fifa, Al-Tatweer Centre, 10-31.vii.2013, Malaise trap, H.A. Dawah (CERS); 1♂, same locality but 6.v.2014 (CERS). Distribution. This is the first record from Saudi Arabia. It was described from Zimbabwe (as “ Rhodesia ”) and further recorded from Namibia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen (Smith & Vockeroth 1980; Whittington 2003; Smit et al. 2017). Remarks. Stuckenberg (1954b) described Paragus pusillus. Stuckenberg (1954a) established the subgenus Pandasyopthalmu s in addition to the subgenus Paragus Latreille. Smith & Vockeroth (1980) listed it under P. (Paragus) pusillus. Following Vujić et al. (2008) P. (Paragus) pusillus was therefore put under P. (Serratoparagus) pusillus . Genus Phytomia Guérin-Méneville There are approximately 26 species of Phytomia worldwide of which 19 species are found in the Afrotropical region (De Meyer et al. 2020). De Meyer et al. (2020) has published a taxonomic revision of the Afrotropical species of Phytomia with an identification key and has investigated their interrelationships based on morphological and DNA data. Dirickx (1998) and Whittington (2003) listed 18 species of Phytomia found in the Afrotropical region. De Meyer et al. (2020) have synonymised three species listed by Dirickx (1998) and Whittington (2003) namely: P. neavei Bezzi is considered a junior synonym of P. kroeberi (Bezzi), P. noctilio Speiser a junior synonym of P. pubipennis Bezzi and P. ephippium Bezi a junior synonym of P. melas (Bezzi). They described three new species: P. austeni sp.n., P. memnon sp.n. and P. pallida sp.n. They also validated P. curta (Loew) and differentiated if from P. natalensis (Macquart). Therefore, the total number of Phytomia in the Afrotropical region is 19. The larvae of some species of Phytomia have a semiaquatic saprophagous life cycle and therefre, can be found in a wide range of habitats including bodies of water. Some species of Phytomia are observed to play an important role as pollinators (Njorege et al. 2004).
Published as part of Dawah, Hassan A., Abdullah, Mohammed A., Ahmad, Syed Kamran, Al-Dhafer, Hathal & Turner, James, 2020, An overview of the Syrphidae (Diptera) of Saudi Arabia, pp. 1-69 in Zootaxa 4855 (1) on pages 47-48, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4855.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/4411181
{"references":["Stuckenberg, B. R. (1954 b) The Paragus serratus complex, with descriptions of new species (Diptera: Syrphidae). Transaction of the Royal Society of London, 105 (17), 393 - 422. https: // doi. org / 10.1111 / j. 1365 - 2311.1954. tb 00770. x","Smith, K. G. V. & Vockeroth, J. R. (1980) 38. Family Syrphidae. In: Crosskey R. W. (Ed.), Catalogue of the Diptera of the Afro- tropical Region. British Museum (Natural History), London, pp. 488 - 510.","Whittington, A. E. (2003) The Afrotropical Syrphidae fauna: an assessment. Studia dipterologica, 10 (2), 579 - 607.","Smit, J. T., van Harten, A. & Ketelaar, R. (2017) Order Diptera, family Syrphidae the hoverflies of the Arabian Peninsula. In: van Harten, A. (Eds.), Arthropod fauna of the UAE. Vol. 6. Department of the President's Affairs, Abu Dhabi, pp. 572 - 612.","Stuckenberg, B. R. (1954 a) Studies on Paragus, with descriptions of new species (Diptera: Syrphidae). Revue de Zoologieet de Botanique Africaines, 49 (1 - 2), 97 - 139.","De Meyer, M., Georg, G. & Jordaens, K. (2020) Taxonomic revision of the Afrotropical Phytomia Guerin-Meneville (Diptera: Syrphidae). Zootaxa, 4803 (2), 201 - 250. https: // doi. org / 10.11646 / zootaxa. 4803.2.1","Dirickx, H. G. (1998) Catalogue synonymique et geographique des Syrphidae (Diptera) de la region afrotropicale. Museum d'Histoire Naturelle, Geneve, 187 pp."]}