Faunistic studies on Tachinidae (Hexapoda: Diptera) species determined in Mersin

This study was carried out in 2020-2021 to reveal the Tachinidae (Diptera) fauna of Mersin province. For this purpose, Tachinidae specimens from agriculture, forest and other areas (grassland, pasture, etc.) of 8 districts (Anamur, Çamlıyayla, Erdemli, Gülnar, Mezitli, Silifke, Toroslar, Yenişehir) selected to represent the province were collected together with the plants they visited. In addition, the species belonging to different insect orders were reared under laboratory conditions to obtain the Tachinidae species living as parasitoid. Totally, 32 species were determined and identified during the study. These were 6 genera and 7 species belonging to Exoristinae subfamily, 5 genera and 7 species belonging to Tachininae subfamily, 6 genera and 8 species belonging to Dexiinae subfamily, 4 genera and 10 species belonging to Phasiinae subfamily. Among them Prosopea nigricans (Egger, 1861), Estheria hertingi Cerretti & Tschorsnig, 2012 and Stomina calvescens Herting, 1977 were recorded for the first time in Turkey. The synonyms, distributions in the world and Turkey and hosts known from Turkey of the identified species were also given. The definitions of the species determined as a new record for Turkey are also included. In addition, Leucostoma crassa (Kugler, 1966) was reared from Spilostethus pandurus (Scopoli, 1763) (Hemiptera: Lygaeidae), and it was determined that this host-parasitoid couple is also determined as a new record for Turkey.