Ancylopus melanocephalus (Olivier, 1808)

Torkey, Ashraf M. El & Dhafer, Hathal M. Al, 2015, First Record of a Handsome Fungus Beetle (Coleoptera: Endomychidae) from the Arabian Peninsula, The Coleopterists Bulletin 69 (4), pp. 824-827 : 824-825

Ancylopus melanocephalus (Olivier, 1808)

Diagnosis. Body elongate-oval and of moderate size, length 4.0–6.0 mm; the elytra almost always with black maculae laterally and longitudinal band along the sutural line; elytral basal edge thickened and raised; labrum with sides subparallel; mandible with acute apex. Female pronotum with lateral sulci connected medially by an arcuate ridge. Male mesofemur with a fringe of long hairs along inner edge.

Ancylopus melanocephalus can be distinguished from its congeners by a body length of 4.0–6.0 mm, mesotibia of male with inner margin slightly undulate and without a tooth, and the inner edge of the metatibia with minute serrations ( Figs. 1–6 ).

The species most similar to A. melanocephalus is Ancylopus ceylonicus Strohecker, 1971 known from Ceylon. Both species can be distinguished by the following key. Additionally, A. ceylonicus can be distinguished by the ferruginous color of the head, antennae, and legs and the black scutellum. The elytral suture, elytral apex, and elytral lateral margin are black, as well as a large, mediolateral elytral spot ( Figs. 7 ). The male genitalia are also different (compare Fig. 3 and Fig. 8 ).

1. Mesotibia of male slightly widened and without a tooth. Elytra with 3 black maculae laterally and longitudinal band along sutural line ........................ Ancylopus melanocephalus

1′. Mesotibia of male obtusely widened internally near mid-length ( Fig. 9 ). Elytra with sutural area, apex, side margin and large mediolateral spot black ................................................ .................................... Ancylopus ceylonicus

Material Examined. KSA, AlBahah , Gabal Shada Alalaa Nature Reserve, 19°51.066′N 41°18.037′E, Alt. 1,325 m, 27.I.2015, Al Dhafer, H.; Fadl, H.; Abdaldayem, M.; El Torkey, A. & El Gharbawy, A., (1 ♂, 1 ♀), light traps near Acacia gerrardii Benth. (Fabaceae) ( KSMA) .

Habitat. The two specimens were collected by blacklight traps deployed for a study to document the insect biodiversity of Gabal Shada Alalaa Nature Reserve in southwestern KSA ( Figs. 10 ). This area is dominated by A. gerrardii ( Fig. 11 ) .

Figures

Figs. 1–6. Ancylopus melanocephalus. 1) Male, habitus; 2) Female, habitus; 3) Aedeagus, dorsal view. 4) Aedeagus, lateral view; 5) Aedeagus, ventral view; 6) Abdomen and abdominal terminal segment, male.

Figs. 7–9. Ancylopus ceylonicus. 7) Male, habitus, photograph by Floyd W. Shockley, Smithsonian Institution, Bugwood.org; 8) Aedeagus, dorsal view; 9) Mesotibia, male (from Strohecker 1971).

Figs. 10–11. 10) Location of Gabal Shada Alalaa Nature Reserve in Saudi Arabia; 11) Habitat of Ancylopus melanocephalus with Acacia gerrardii in southwestern Saudi Arabia.