The Family Bibionidae (Diptera: Nematocera) in Egypt and Saudi Arabia

Abstract

In the present study, a comprehensive catalog of all known taxa of the family Bibionidae in Egypt and Saudi Arabia is provided. A total of seven species, belonging to two genera, Bibio Geoffroy, 1762, and Dilophus Meigen, 1800, are systematically documented. Among these species, three are found in both Egypt and Saudi Arabia, namely, B. hortulanus (Linnaeus, 1758), D. lingens Loew, 1869, and D. tridentatus Walker, 1848. However, three species are exclusive to Egypt, namely, B. johannis (Linnaeus, 1767), D. aegyptius Costa, 1878, and D. tenuis Wiedemann, 1818. Additionally, one species, D. erythraeus Bezzi, 1906, is solely represented in Saudi Arabia. Notably, this study records the first-time occurrence of two species, B. hortulanus (Linnaeus) and D. erythraeus Bezzi, in Saudi Arabia. Furthermore, it also reports the first-time occurrence of B. johannis (Linnaeus) in Egypt. This study includes an up-to-date taxonomy of the recorded species, along with relevant taxonomic data, global and local distribution information, collection dates, and color photographs of selected species. These findings contribute to the knowledge of Bibionidae in both Egypt and Saudi Arabia and serve as a valuable resource for future research in the field.