Mniotype occidentalis Yela, Fibiger, Ronkay & Zilli, 2010

Mniotype occidentalis Yela, Fibiger, Ronkay & Zilli, 2010 View in CoL

Notes

Thirty-two specimens were collected from Tassourte, Azgour, Tamal, Ighalene and Timzilite. One male specimen is illustrated in Fig. 16 a View Figure 16 a . Its distribution ranges from northwest Africa across the Iberian Peninsula to southwest France ( Fibiger et al. 2010). Rungs (1981) reported only M. spinosa from Morocco, referring to it as Blepharita spinosa (Chrétien, 1910) , which he considered to be synonymous with B. solieri (Boisduval, 1829) . Subsequent studies recognised M. occidentalis as a distinct species within the traditional concept of M. spinosa from Continental Europe and Morocco. These species are morphologically very similar, with the main distinguishing feature being the presence or absence of the abdominal brush organs (TBO) in males. Though notably weak, these organs are present in both M. spinosa and M. solieri , but are lacking in M. occidentalis , as indicated by Fibiger et al. (2010). According to the same authors, M. spinosa is present outside Europe in northeast Africa, specifically in Algeria and Tunisia. We did not detect TBO in any of the dissected specimens; thus, our specimens can be confirmed as M. occidentalis .