First Record of Brachymeria podagrica (Hymenoptera: Chalcididae) in Bisha City, Asir Region, Saudi Arabia

Fahd Mohammed Abd Al Galil; Lamya Ahmed Al-Keridis; Fahd A Al-Mekhlafi; Abdulaziz Mohammed Al-Amri; Mohammed S Al-Khalifa

doi:10.1093/jme/tjac080

First Record of Brachymeria podagrica (Hymenoptera: Chalcididae) in Bisha City, Asir Region, Saudi Arabia

J Med Entomol. 2022 Sep 14;59(5):1556-1561. doi: 10.1093/jme/tjac080.

Authors

Fahd Mohammed Abd Al Galil^{1

2}, Lamya Ahmed Al-Keridis³, Fahd A Al-Mekhlafi^{4

5}, Abdulaziz Mohammed Al-Amri¹, Mohammed S Al-Khalifa⁶

Affiliations

¹ Biological Sciences Department, Faculty of Sciences, University of Bisha, P.O. Box 551, Bisha 61922, Saudi Arabia.
² Department of Biology, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Thamar University, Yemen.
³ Department of Biology, College of Science, Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University, P.O. Box 84428, Riyadh 11671, Saudi Arabia.
⁴ Bioproducts Research Chair, Zoology Department, College of Science, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2455, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia.
⁵ Department of Agricultural Production, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Thamar University, Yemen.
⁶ Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2455, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia.

PMID: 35703102
DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjac080

Abstract

Chalcid Brachymeria podagrica (Fabricius), formerly known as Brachymeria fonscolombei (Dufour), is a parasitoid wasp that infests dipteran larvae of fly, Sarcophaga dux (Thomson), (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) recovered from the dead body of sheep in Bisha City, Asir region-Saudi Arabia. S. dux larvae were infested by B. podagrica. The first instar larvae and pupae of B. podagrica were found inside the larvae and pupae of S. dux. The adults of the parasitic wasp emerged from the pupae of the host. Adults and larvae of the parasitoid wasp were observed under a dissecting microscope. Identification was made by following the identification keys. It was confirmed that it was B. podagrica, which is herewith reported for the first time in Saudi Arabia.

Keywords: Brachymeria podagrica; Bisha City; Chalcididae; Hymenoptera; Saudi Arabia.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Coleoptera*
Diptera*
Larva
Pupa / parasitology
Sarcophagidae*
Saudi Arabia
Sheep
Wasps*