Microhoria gigas (Pic, 1899)

Telnov, Dmitry, 2022, Revisional notes on the genus Microhoria Chevrolat, 1877 (Insecta: Coleoptera: Anthicidae) from the Eastern Mediterranean and Turkey, with new descriptions, an annotated catalogue, and a key, Baltic Journal of Coleopterology 22 (2), pp. 195-312 : 232-234

Microhoria gigas (Pic, 1899) ( Fig. 18 , 55B–C ) = Anthicus gigas var. rhodius Pic, 1899

= Microhoria bergeri Bonadona, 1986 Anthicus gigas Pic, 1899c: 86 (description).

Anthicus gigas var. rhodius Pic, 1899c: 86 (description).

Microhoria bergeri Bonadona, 1986: 44 (description).

Anthicus gigas – Pic 1901c: 254 (checklist); Pic 1911a: 50 (checklist); Winkler 1927: 850 (checklist); Koch 1935 a: 237, 262 (nota, key, record – Rhodes Island).

Anthicus gigas var. rhodius – Pic 1901c: 254 (checklist); Pic 1911a: 50 (checklist); Koch 1935 a: 238 (nota).

Anthicus gigas a. rhodius – Winkler 1927: 850 (checklist).

Clavicomus gigas – Uhmann 1988: 404 (new combination, record – Turkey); Telnov 1998b: 169 (record – Turkey); Telnov 2018: 222 (taxonomy, records – Cyprus); Telnov 2020a: 605 (checklist).

Clavicollis gigas – Chandler et al. 2008: 431 (checklist).

Microhoria gigas – Kejval & Chandler 2020: 96, 113 (new combination, record – Turkey).

Anthicus gigas var. rhodius – Chandler et al.

2008: 431 (new synonymy, checklist); Telnov 2018: 222 (taxonomy).

Microhoria bergeri – Chandler et al. 2008: 439 (checklist); Telnov 2018: 222 (new synonymy).

Type material Anthicus gigas var. rhodius . Syntype 1 male MNHN:Rhodes ( Turquie d’Asie) L. Breuse [printed, black frame] // Type [handwritten] // TYPE [printed, label red] // v. rhodius Pic [handwritten]; Syntype 1 male MNHN: Rhodes ( Turquie d’Asie ) L. Breuse [printed, black frame].

Type material Microhoria bergeri . Holotype male MNHN: Chypre: Armenokhori (Limmassol) 28.III.1984, Berger.

New material. 1 specimen PSC: CYPRUS: Umg. Polis Kato Akourdaleia ; 350m SPRICK ­2­ 19.04.1995 ; 1 specimen PSC: CYPRUS: Umg. Paphos / Kommandaria­Reg.: Arminou – 15c­ SPRICK; ca. 850 m; 27.04.95 ; 1 specimen NME & 1 female DTC: TURCIA m. Prov. Mersin 25 km NW Mersin, 1 km NW Yeniköy 1200 m // 37°00’17”N, 34°26’57’’E 21.V.2002 leg. A. Weigel Felder / Qu. coccif./ Hang ; 1 specimen PSC: CYRPUS­Prov. Limassol Koilani: Agia Mavri, Brücke. 34°50,8’N, 32°32, 1’E SPRICK – HF0 23.4.2010 ; 1 specimen NME: CYPRUS W. 39 Lemesos, 30 km NNW, P. Platres N, 1700 m NN Fritzlar leg. 12.IV.2006; 1 specimen DTC: W Zypern 2004 Umg. Stafos­ Agios Fotios Obstwiese / Hang leg. W. Apfel 30.IV.; 1 male DTC: Turkey, Devrent , 30 km N. Erdemli, old oak 20W, 2005­ 05­ 04 N. Jansson /M. Coskun ; 1 specimen NME: CYPRUS W, 70 Lemessos, 30 km W, Pissouri S, Kliff , 200 m Fritzlar leg. 8.IV.2009; 1 specimen NME: CY; Prov. Larnaka 78 Lympia , 8 km SSE: Kochi; 100 m Fritzlar leg. 18.III.2012; 1 specimen NME: CYPRUS, Distr. Lemesos Lemesos, 25 km NE, Odou NE 34°54’17” N, 33°10’20” E 07.IV.2012, 1160 m NN leg. A. Kopetz #05; 1 specimen NME: CYPRUS, Distr. Lemesos Lemesos, 25 km NE, Odou NE 34°54’17” N, 33°10’20” E 07.IV.2012, 1155 m NN pass, leg. A. Kopetz #04; 1 specimen NME & 1 specimen DTC: CYPRUS, Distr. Lemesos Lemesos, 16 km NW, Alassa , W 34°46’19” N, 32°54’38” E 08.IV. 2012, 250 m NN leg. A. Kopetz #07; 1 specimen NME: CYPRUS, Distr. Lemesos Lemesos, 10 km NE, Akrounta , S 34°45’28” N, 33°05’02” E 90–140 m NN, 10.IV.2012 leg. A. Kopetz #15; 1 specimen NME: CYPRUS, Distr. Paphos Archimandrita , 2 km W 34°44’44” N, 32°39’22” E 440 m NN, 11.IV.2012 leg. A. Kopetz #20; 1 specimen DTC: N­CYPRUS, Girne, 22 km E, Karaagaç , S, oliv grove, sheep­run, 350 m NN, 35°18’41” N, 33°33’25” E 29.III.2015, leg. A. Kopetz #24; 2 specimens NME & 1 DTC: CYPRUS, N, Esentepe , S, ruderal floor, 260 m NN 35°19’47” N, 33°35’07” E 01.IV.15, leg. D. Frenzel #34; 2 specimens NME: N­CYPRUS, Girne, 55 km E, Kaplica , 500 m S, scrubby slope with spring, 150 m NN, 35°24’55” N, 33°54’23” E 01.IV. 2015, leg. A. Kopetz #37; 1 specimen JSC: N­ ZYPERN: 2.5.2017 Ruins of Hilarion , 657 m . 35°18’46” N 33°16’48” J. SCHÖNEFELD leg. (51); 2 males & 1 female IUIT & DTC: TURKEY S, Mersin Prov., Gülnar distr., 36°27’3’’ N 33°09’40’’E 1400­1450 m, vi–viii.2017, hollow Quercus sp. , leg. M. Avci & S. Göktepe; 1 specimen NME: GR[eece], Rhodes, Salakos , SE, 02.IV.2018, 230­ 250 m NN N 36°17’08”, E 27°56’53” leg. A. Kopetz KLS; 2 specimens NME: GR[eece], Rhodes , Kritinia , S, N 36°14’42”, E 27°49’54” 330 m NN, 04.IV.2018, leg. A. Kopetz KLS, KF; 5 specimens NME & 2 DTC: GR[eece], Rhodes, Salakos , SW, 01.IV. 2018, 260­ 300 m NN N 36°17’07”, E 27°56’12” leg. A. Kopetz KLS; 1 specimen NME: CYPRUS, Distr. Lemessos, E, left side inflow Germasogeia reservoir, 34°45’27” N, 33°05‘04’’E, 95 m NN, 14.IV.2019, leg. A. Kopetz #49; 8 specimens NME & 2 DTC: CYPRUS, Distr. Paphos, Dora , NW, sifting leaves and under oak bark, 34°48’52” N, 32°43’14’’ E, 290 m NN, 17.IV. 2019 leg. A. Kopetz #89; 2 specimens NME: CYPRUS, Distr. Lemessos, Skarinou , 0, 5 km NW, dry slope macchia, 34°50’53” N, 32°28’21’’ E, 225 m NN, 20.IV.2019, leg. A. Kopetz #103.

This species was described and illustrated in detail by Bonadona (1986) in the original description of M. bergeri . Image of aedeagus ( Fig. 18B ) provided here supplementary. Telnov (2020a) provided incorrect reference to the original description of this species.

Interspecific variability. In some specimens, forebody is partially or completely pale rufous, colouration of legs and antennae varies from yellow to dark brown. Dorsal punctures on pronotum are very dense in some specimens, therefore pronotal surface appears subopaque.

Ecology. Appears on the ground, sampled at elevations of 100–1700 m. Some Cypriot specimens sampled from leaves of Quercus coccifera L. and some Turkish – using flight interception traps installed on hollow veteran Quercus spp. trees (55B–C). Trap No. 20W was installed on a hollow trunk of veteran Q. cerris L. of 200 cm circumference, 2.4. m above the ground in an open pasture woodland at 1139 m a.s.l.

Distribution. Cyprus, Greece (continental and Rhodes Island), W Turkey.

Chorotype. SW­Asiatic (1.13 SWA), restricted to the islands of Cyprus and Rhodes and W Turkey.

Note. It is not impossible that this species is conspecific with Microhoria sidonia ( Truqui, 1855) , the type material of which was not available for this study.

Figures

Fig. 18. Microhoria gigas (Pic, 1899) male lectotype Anthicus gigas var. rhodius. A – Habitus, dorsal view; B – Aedeagus, ventral view [not to scale].

Fig. 55. Veteran tree­connected habitats of Microhoria in Turkey.A – Sampling plot near Antakya, Turkey; B–C – Sampling plots near Erdemli, Turkey [images courtesy Nicklas Jansson, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden].