Atherigona (Atherigona) hyalinipennis van Emden, 1959 (Fig. 31)

Atherigona (Atherigona) hyalinipennis van Emden, 1959: 193 .

Specimens examined. 3m, 3f, Asir, Abha, Madenate Al-Ameer Sultan, Hay Al-Sad, 25.ii.–25.v.2002, Malaise trap, H . A . Dawah & M . A . Abdullah (NMWC; CERS) ; 1m, same data but 10.v.2002 (CERS); 1f, same data but 4–25.v.2013 (CERS); 2m, Asir, Maraba, Al-Hudaithy farm, l– 31.v. 2004, Malaise trap, H . A . Dawah (CERS); same data but 15.x.–30.xi.2004 (CERS) ; 1m, Asir, Keratha, Al-Ethrebany Fruit Farm, 15.v.–11.vi.2006, Malaise trap, H . A . Dawah (CERS); Al-Dawaseer, Al-Joba village, 1.iii.–30.iv.2005, Malaise trap, H . A . Dawah (CERS) .

Distribution. This species was previously recorded from Saudi Arabia by Dawah & Abdullah (2009). It was described from Eritrea (as “ Ethiopia ”). In the Middle East it has been recorded from Oman and the United Arab Emirates (Pont 1991; Deeming 2008).

Biological remarks. Hosts include the Rhodes grass ( Chloris gayana Kunth) which is grown widely in Arabia for feeding livestock and horses. Also it attacks cultivated Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench and several other cereals and grasses (Deeming 1971; 2000; 2008; Skidmore 1985; Pont 1991). In Oman this species is a serious pest of Rhodes grass (Deeming 2000) and in Ethiopia of the staple cereal tef ( Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter) (Nigus & Damte 2018). Deeming (2019) deals in detail with larval diagnosis, various aspects of biology of immature stages, parasitic Hymenoptera and distribution of this species.