Capparimyia savastani, (Martelli, 1911) (Martelli, 1911)

Demetriou, Jakovos & Kryfos, Dionisios, 2020, First record of the caper fly Capparimyia savastani (Martelli, 1911) (Diptera: Tephritidae) in Cyprus, Israel Journal of Entomology 50 (1), pp. 15-17 : 16

Two specimens of C. savastani

were collected in Cyprus and deposited at the Museum of Zoology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens , Greece (ZMUA): 1♀ Paphos, Kato Paphos, Archaeological site [34.7588°N 32.4168°E], alt. 10 m, 1–31.viii.2017, J. Demetriou (voucher code: ZMUA DIP004); 1♂ Cyprus, Paphos, Lasa, Vrisi Romanou [34.9288°N 32.5290°E], alt. 540 m, 26.viii.2019, J. Demetriou (voucher code: ZMUA DIP 003) ( Fig. 2 ).

The specimens were identified under a stereomicroscope as C. savastani using the key of De Meyer and Freidberg (2005), and confirmed by Dr Marc De Meyer (Department of Biology, Royal Museum for Central Africa, Belgium) through the inspection of photographic material. These findings constitute the first record of this species in Cyprus. A direct association of the caper fly with its host plant was not made at this time, as the specimens were caught by sweeping in both encounters. However, Capparis spinosa var. canescens (Linnaeus, 1753) is common in the island ( Christofides 2017) and can be found in large numbers in proximity to the collection sites. In many Mediterranean countries, caper plants are cultivated and their stalks, leaves and buds are also collected from wild plants, being considered a dainty when pickled, and therefore infestation of the plant by the caper fly may have an adverse economic impact (White & Elson­ Harris 1992). As the species is strongly dependent on its host plant, it is also expected to be found in other Mediterranean countries such as Turkey and Syria, where caper plants are abundant and the climate is similar to that of already infested countries (e.g. Cyprus, Greece, Lebanon and Israel).

Figures

Fig. 2: Male Capparimyia savastani (Martelli, 1911), Paphos, Lasa village, dorsal (a), posterior (b), anterior (c) and lateral (d) views. Scale bars = 3 mm.