Paravolvulus Reichardt, 1932

Lackner, Tomáš, 2010, Review of the Palaearctic genera of Saprininae (Coleoptera: Histeridae), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae (suppl.) 50, pp. 1-254 : 160

Paravolvulus Reichardt, 1932

Paravolvulus Reichardt, 1932: 31 , 36, 109 (as subgenus of Hypocacculus ). Paravolvulus: REICHARDT (1941) : 272, 290 (as subgenus of Hypocacculus ); KRYZHANOVSKIJ & REICHARDT (1976): 112, 234; MAZUR (1984): 102; MAZUR (1997): 264; MAZUR (2004): 95.

Type species: Saprinus ovillum Solskij, 1876 , original designation.

Diagnosis. Cuticle usually dark brown to black, at times with feeble bronze luster; elytra in some species with red maculae; frontal stria almost straight, often interrupted in middle, never strongly carinate on outer side, in few cases prolonged onto clypeus, never acutely angulate above eyes; pronotum often with lateral pronotal stria shortened anteriorly and posteriorly; marginal pronotal stria complete and carinate; pronotal foveae always absent; pre-apical foveae weakly impressed.

Differential diagnosis. Paravolvulus is most similar to members of the genus Hypocacculus , differing from its representatives by (in most cases) medially interrupted frontal stria and often present lateral pronotal stria that is always absent in Hypocacculus . Likewise, elytra are occasionally with red maculae in this genus whereas in Hypocacculus they are never so.

Biology. The biology of Paravolvulus is poorly documented. Its representatives seem to inhabit arid and semi-desert biotopes, from lowlands to higher elevations (some species were found above 1500 m in Kyrgyzstan and Afghanistan) and are generally rare in collections. They are often found in very small series, and are not typically found in dung or on carrion, although sometimes can be found there, too. Several species ( Paravolvulus binaevulus ( Reitter, 1887) , P. refector ( Reitter, 1904)) have been collected in larger series in the nests of gerbils ( Pachyuromys sp.) ( KRYZHANOVSKIJ & REICHARDT 1976). Paravolvulus assimilis Kryzhanovskij, 1987 has been collected in a large series by pitfall traps in the wheat fields of southeastern Kazakhstan ( KRYZHANOVSKIJ 1987).

Distribution. The genus Paravolvulus currently comprises 11 species, all found in Central Asia and the Middle East ( Jordan, Iraq, Iran), with one species ( P. fausti ( Schmidt, 1885a) reaching as far west as southeastern Turkey ( MAZUR 1997). Paravolvulus syphax ( Reitter, 1904) occurring in the Sahara and recorded also from Saudi Arabia most likely belongs to another genus and its taxonomic status will be clarified in a later paper.

Species examined. Paravolvulus assimilis Kryzhanovskij, 1987 , P. binaevulus ( Reitter, 1887) , P. fausti ( Schmidt, 1885a) , P. lateristrius ( Solskij, 1876) , P. occidentalis Mazur, 1981b , P. ovillum ( Solskij, 1876) , P. refector ( Reitter, 1904) , P. syphax ( Reitter, 1904) .

Discussion. This taxon is weakly supported in the preliminary phylogenetic analysis of Palaearctic Saprininae (LACKNER, in prep.) and it is possible that it is deeply nested within poly- or paraphyletic Hypocacculus .