12. Masoreus (s. str.) aegyptiacus Dejean, 1828

Fig. 3 C

Habitat and general distribution.

Masoreus aegyptiacus is an East-Mediterranean species (Bousquet 2017 a). The species occurs in sand-dune habitats (Assmann et al. 2015).

Material examined.

• Lasithi: Chrysi isl., north beach salt-lake, 34.878045°N, 25.697966°E, 1 m elev., 15.VI.1992, handpicking, 2 spms, leg. Lymberakis P. (NHMC) ; • Chrysi isl., Vages Beach, salt-lake, 34.874799°N, 25.728071°E, 1 m elev., 23.III.2023 – 13.VII.2023, pitfall traps, 39 spms, leg. Bolanakis G. (NHMC) ; • Koufonisi isl., near salt-marsh, 34.935084°N, 26.140310°E, 60 m elev., 16.XI.1997, handpicking, 2 spms, leg. Trichas, A. (NHMC) ; • Xerokampos sand dunes, 35.049891°N, 26.239803°E, 1 m elev., 1.IV.2015 – 31.V.2015, pitfall traps, 4 spms, leg. Kyriakouli Chr. (NHMC) ; • same data, but 31. V. 205– 5.VIII.2015 .

Comments.

The genus Masoreus Dejean, 1821 has been known from Greece since the 19 th century (von Oertzen 1886) by the species M. wetterhallii (Gyllenhal, 1813) . Masoreus aegyptiacus has only recently been reported from Greece (Wrase 2009) by some specimens from Peloponnese. Arndt et al. (2011) include only Peloponnese in the species’ distribution for Greece; thus, this is the first time the species is recorded from Crete. Till now, the species has been spotted in three localities, one in the eastern-most part of the island (Xerokampos) and two in a couple of south-eastern satellite islands of Crete (Chrysi and Koufonisi). This may indicate an eastern origin, which is to be expected given the species east-Mediterranean distribution (Bousquet 2017 a). Assmann et al. (2015) report that this species prefers sand-dune habitats. In Crete, we observed a clear preference for coastal salt lakes / marshes, like those of Xerokampos and Chrysi.