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Type: Article
Published: 2026-04-24
Page range: 53-78
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Marine Chersodromia Walker (Diptera: Hybotidae) from the Mediterranean coastline of Morocco: description of three new species with new records, supported by COI barcoding

Laboratory of Ecology; Systematics and Conservation of Biodiversity (LESCB); URL-CNRST N°18; FS; Abdelmalek Essaadi University; Tetouan; Morocco
Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences; O.D. Phylogeny and Taxonomy; Entomology; Vautier street 29; B1000 Brussels; Belgium
Laboratory of Ecology; Systematics and Conservation of Biodiversity (LESCB); URL-CNRST N°18; FS; Abdelmalek Essaadi University; Tetouan; Morocco
Laboratory of Ecology; Systematics and Conservation of Biodiversity (LESCB); URL-CNRST N°18; FS; Abdelmalek Essaadi University; Tetouan; Morocco
Diptera Empidoidea dance flies Mediterranean littoral zones barcodes

Abstract

Three new species for science of Chersodromia Walker are described from the Moroccan Mediterranean coastline (C. kessabae sp. nov., C. moroccensis sp. nov. and C. estuaria sp. nov.), with the first record of Chersodromia oraria Collin, 1966 in Morocco and new distributional data are provided for Chersodromia pseudohirta Chvála, 1970. This study is based on intensive field surveys conducted by the third author along the Mediterranean coastline of Morocco between 2022 and 2024, targeting especially a variety of coastal habitats. Illustrations of the new species are given, along with COI barcodes of all species recorded. A key to the Moroccan Mediterranean species of Chersodromia is also provided.

 

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How to Cite

Zouhair, L., Grootaert, P., Maamri, H. & Kettani, K. (2026) Marine Chersodromia Walker (Diptera: Hybotidae) from the Mediterranean coastline of Morocco: description of three new species with new records, supported by COI barcoding. Zootaxa, 5799 (1), 53–78. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5799.1.3