An overview of the Agromyzidae (Diptera) of Saudi Arabia with additional world distributional data

The Agromyzidae are of major economic importance, causing the loss of millions of pounds annually in crop damage and in order to control and monitor agromyzid species. Some species are serious pests in agriculture, potential vectors of some plant pathogenic fungi, they disrupt photosynthesis, degrade structural integrity, cause damage to crops and facilitate the spread of various plant diseases. Within the framework of the biodiversity of Diptera in south-western Saudi Arabia a survey of the Diptera fauna of Jazan, Asir, and Najran was performed mainly using Malaise traps and sweep nets from 2010 to 2015. In this study 34 species of Agromyzidae were identified from field-collected materials, 19 of which are newly recorded for the country. Six additional species have previously been recorded by other researchers, bringing the total number of Agromyzidae known to occur in Saudi Arabia to 40. Material studied as part of the project resulted in 25 new country records for other countries. An updated checklist of Agromyzidae species of Saudi Arabia is presented. Biological information on each species (where known) and World distribution are included.