Sphaerotachys lucasii (Jacquelin du Val, 1852)

Felix, Ron F. F. L., Farkač, Jan & Suleiman, Ahmed Saeed, 2012, Annotated checklist of the Carabidae (Coleoptera) of the Socotra Archipelago, Insect biodiversity of the Socotra Archipelago. (Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 52), pp. 75-106 : 98

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.5176756
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/C27787E3-FF9D-FFD2-B65E-64E170ACD6D0
treatment provided by	Carolina
scientific name	Sphaerotachys lucasii (Jacquelin du Val, 1852)
status

Treatment

Sphaerotachys lucasii (Jacquelin du Val, 1852) View in CoL

Material examined (126 spec.). YEMEN: SOCOTRA ISLAND: Diksam plateau (pitfall), 12°32′N, 53°59′E, 1020 m a.s.l., 24.ii.1999, 9 spec., lgt. H. Pohl, det. Lorenz (1 spec. R.F.F.L. Felix revid) ( HLMD) GoogleMaps ; Diksam plateau (light), same data, 6 spec., lgt. H. Pohl, det. Lorenz (1 spec. R.F.F.L. Felix revid) ( HLMD GoogleMaps ; Dixam plateau, Sirhin area, 12°31′08″N, 53°59′09″E, 812 m a.s.l., 1.–2.xii.2003, 37 spec., lgt. J. Farkač, det. T. Kopecký ( JFCP, TKHK, CULS) GoogleMaps ; Wadi di-Negehen, 12°38′33.0″N, 54°03′18.5″E, 20.ii.2009, 1 spec., lgt.& det. R.F.F.L. Felix ( RFBE) GoogleMaps ; Wadi Zerik , Diksam, 12°30′09.1″N, 53°59′24.2″E, 21.ii.2009, 2 spec., lgt. & det. R.F.F.L. Felix ( RFBE) GoogleMaps ; Lagoon Sirhin , 12°40′09.4″N, 54°02′07.7″E, 27.ii.2009, 11 spec.,lgt.& det. R.F.F.L. Felix ( RFBE) GoogleMaps ; Wadi di-Negehen, 12°36′55.58″N, 54°03′48.28″E, 25.x.2010, 1 spec., lgt. & det. R.F.F.L. Felix ( RFBE) GoogleMaps ; Adhoh di Melhoh , 12°34′31.2″N, 54°02′53.8″E, 903 m a.s.l., 31.x.2010, 51 spec., lgt. & det. R.F.F.L. Felix ( RFBE) GoogleMaps ; Wadi Zerik , 12°29′28.4″N, 53°59′25.5″E, 641 m a.s.l., 5.xi.2010, 6 spec., lgt. & det. R.F.F.L. Felix ( RFBE) GoogleMaps ; Al Haghier Mt. s, Wadi Madar, 12°33.2′N, 54°00.4′E, 12.–14.xi.2010, 1 spec., lgt. L. Purchart, det. R.F.F.L. Felix ( NMPC) GoogleMaps ; same data, 1 spec., lgt. J. Bezdĕk ( NMPC) GoogleMaps .

Diagnosis. Body length 2.0–2.8 mm. Shiny black. Elytra with two round subapical spots, with three striae, remaining striae indistinct. Pronotum shortly sinuate, posterior angles rectangular, sharp, with carina. Legs and antennomere I yellow, rest of antennomeres black. The species is rather variable in colour: four specimens from Sirhin Lagoon have more or less reduced humeral spots. Three specimens from Adhoh di Melhoh have no spots.

Comments on classification. Sphaerotachys lucasii (former Tachyura (T.) lucasi ) is very similar to S. germanus ( Chaudoir 1876) (former T. (T.) germanus ), which is larger and roun- der and has no subapical spots, and to S. emellen ( Bruneau de Miré, 1990) from West Africa, which has no microsculpture and apices of its antennae are almost white.

Collection circumstances. The specimens from Adhoh di Melhoh were found near a spring in a boggy pasture near a small wadi. In Diksam (1999) they were collected in a dense Juncus -field. Others were collected at light or by pitfall trap.

Distribution. Distributed in intertropical Africa from the southern Meditterranean to the Cape, and from western Africa to Arabia and Iraq. First record from Socotra Island.