A new species and new records of the genus Sarcophaga from Egypt, with a key to the known Egyptian species (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) A. El-Ahmady 1 , M. Taha 1 , A.M. Soliman 1,3 & M. El-Hawagry 2 * § 1 Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Al-Azhar University, Egypt 2 Entomology Department, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Egypt 3 Plant Protection Department, College of Food and Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, P.O. Box 2460, Saudi Arabia The Sarcophaga spp. available whether through the field collections from different Egyptian localities and/or through the material preserved in the main Egyptian insect collections are keyed in the present study. One new species, S. mennae sp. n., is described, and two new species records for Egypt, S. parkeri (Rohdendorf, 1937) and S. marshalli Parker, 1923 are discovered. A key to nine subgenera and 21 out of 27 species representing the genus Sarcophaga in Egypt is provided based primarily on male genitalia. Photographs and illustra- tions of treated species are included. Key words: flesh flies, Sarcophaga mennae sp. n., Sarcophaga parkeri, Sarcophaga marshalli, North Africa, Palaearctic Region, Egyptian localities. INTRODUCTION With about 3000 described species worldwide (Pape 1996; Povolný & Verves 1997; Pape et al. 2011), the Sarcophagidae (flesh flies) is the second most speciose family of the superfamily Oestroi- dea. It is globally distributed, with most species occurring in tropical or temperate regions, and their numbers decrease rapidly with increasing latitude, with few subarctic species and none living in the treeless tundra (Shewell 1987; Pape 1996). Sarcophaginae is the largest sarcophagid sub- family, comprising about 2200 species segregated into 51 genera including the genus Sarcophaga which is the largest within the subfamily, compris- ing approximately 800 valid species arranged in about 133 subgenera globally (Pape 1996). Most species are medium-sized to large robust species, generally with a uniform colour pattern, a grey thorax with three black stripes and a check- ered abdomen (Pape 1996). Species of this sub- family also have plumose arista (with some Neotropical exceptions), meron and katepimeron fused (i.e. coxopleural streak absent), a noto- pleuron usually with two strong primary bristles alternating with two subprimary bristles, the hind coxa setose posteriorly, and male abdominal sternites 3–4 exposed and overlapping the mar- gins of the corresponding tergites (Shewell 1987; Pape 1998; Pape & Dahlem 2010). In the Old World, the genus Sarcophaga can be distinguished from the other sarcophagine genera (Blaesoxipha Loew and Ravinia Robineau-Desvoidy) by the configuration of the acrophallus, the median stylus has its free (proximal) end bifurcate and re- curving, and the lateral styli are tubular and coiled at base. Sarcophagidae are mostly beneficial insects. Adults, especially males, visit flowers and some species act as pollinators (Banziger & Pape, 2004). Some species are parasites of grasshoppers and locusts, and probably play a role in regulating populations of potential pest species (Ferrar 1987). Interestingly, some Sarcophaga species breed in decomposing vertebrate carcasses, including human corpses, which makes them of forensic importance (Byrd & Castner 2010; Catts & Goff 1992). Despite this, the use of these species in forensic casework has been limited, mainly because of the fact that morphological species- level identification is very challenging and notori- ously difficult, especially for larvae and female flies. The external morphology of females is gener- ally with very subtle diagnostic features (and too superficially known) for identification purposes (Vairo et al. 2011). Meigen (1826) erected the genus Sarcophaga. ISSN 1021-3589 [Print]; 2224-8854 [Online] African Entomology 26(2): 507–521 (2018) DOI: https://doi.org/10.4001/003.026.0507 ©Entomological Society of Southern Africa *Author for correspondence. E-mail: elhawagry@sci.cu.edu.eg Received 4 April 2018. Accepted 9 July 2018