Distribution and new synonymy in European biting midges of the genus Dasyhelea Kieffer (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae).

We present a review of distribution and new synonymy of the 63 valid species of biting midges in the genus Dasyhelea occurring in Europe. New distribution records, mostly from Ukraine and Romania, are provided. Dasyhelea alonensis (Strobl), D. mayor (Strobl), D. decoratissima (Strobl) and D. bilineata Goetghebuer are redescribed and interpreted. Seventeen NEW SYNONYMS are proposed for the following species: Dasyhelea modesta Winnertz (= D. inclusa Kieffer), D. mayor (Strobl) (= D. aperta Goetghebuer & Timon David, D. wuelkeri Mayer), D. bilobata Kieffer (= D. luteiventris Goetghebuer, D. spiralis Remm), D. bilineata Goetghebuer (= D. insignipalpis Kieffer, Tetraphora saxicola Edwards, D. geleiana Zilahi-Sebess, D. montana Zilahi-Sebess, D. lithotelmatica Strenzke, D. tecticola Remmert, Culicoides dieuzeidei Vaillant, D. karelica Glukhova & Brodskaya), D. dampfi Kieffer (= D. estonica Kieffer), D. turficola Kieffer (= D. malibui Yu), D. turanicola Remm & Nazarmukhamedov (= D. serrata Navai), D. corinneae Gosseries (= D. chonetus Yu & Zou). Dasyhelea furva Remm is removed from synonymy with D. bifida Zilahi-Sebess and D. alonensis (Strobl) removed from synonymy with D. flavoscutellata (Zetterstedt). Ceratopogon aristolochiae Rondani is transferred from the genus Dasyhelea to the genus Forcipomyia (comb. nov.) and recognized as a new senior synonym of Forcipomyia brevicubita Goetghebuer and F. pontica Remm (syn. nov.). Lectotypes are designated for Dasyhelea alonensis (Strobl), D. mayor (Strobl), D. decoratissima (Strobl) and Forcipomyia aristolochiae (Rondani). Dasyhelea longituba Kieffer, D. strigosa Kieffer, D. neobifurcata Wirth and D. paragrata Remm are excluded from the European fauna. In addition, we provide a list of 17 doubtful species (nomina dubia) described from Europe and one nomen nudum.