New records and new species of gall midges (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) developing on Chenopodiaceae in Egypt

Abstract

The Cecidomyiidae (Diptera: Bibionomorpha) fauna of Egypt is poorly known. Investigations in northern Egypt in 2013 revealed the presence of seven species of gall midges on three host plant species: Atriplex halimus L., Arthrocnemum macrostachyum (Moric.) and Suaeda pruniosa Lange (all Chenopodiaceae). Among the gall midges, Baldratia salicorniae Kieffer and Stefaniella trinacriae De Stefani are reconfirmed records in Egypt; Houardiella gracilis Dorchin & Freidberg and Asphondylia punica Marchal are new records; and Baldratia karamae Elsayed & Skuhraván. sp. , Primofavilla aegyptiaca Elsayed n. sp. and Stefaniella skuhravae Elsayed n. sp. are new to science. Adult morphology of the latter three new species is described and illustrated, and their biology and geographic distribution are given.

A new Asphondylia species (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) and a eulophid wasp (Hymenoptera) inducing similar galls on leaf buds of Schoepfia jasminodora (Schoepfiaceae), with reference to their ecological traits and a description of the new gall midge

“…A. punica (= A. conglomerata ) uses stems and flower buds of Atriplex halimus L. (Elsayed et al . ), and A. sarothamni lateral buds and seed pods of Cytisus scoparius (L.) Link (Fabeaceae) (Parnell ); (iii) multivoltine monophagous species that use only one host plant organ that is available throughout the year, e.g. Asphondylia spp.…”

Studying the Interaction Between Asphondylia punica and Its Host Plant, Atriplex halimus, and Predicting Their Potential Geographic Distribution in Egypt by Using Maxent Technique

“…Small galls on Atriplax halimus were discovered in Dorchin et al, (2014) redescribed the gall inducer, and gave A. conglomerata a junior synonym as instead of A. punica. It is also collected from Alexandria, El-Amria district (Elsayed et al, 2015). It is found in some countries such as Italy (Sicily) (Skuhravá et al, 2007), Canary Islands (Graham & Gijswijt 1998), Greece (Crete) (Skuhravá, 1996;Skuhravá & Skuhravý 1997), and Libya, Tunisia Israel, and Egypt (Debski, 1918).…”