Onthophagus (Onthophagiellus) millingeni d’Orbigny, 1898

[Fig. 15]

Literature quotes. SAUDI ARABIA: Hejaz, “Hedjaz” (d’Orbigny 1898a). YEMEN: without locality (d’Orbigny 1898a).

Material examined. SAUDI ARABIA: Asir Province, Abha, Raydah Nature Reserve, 1614 m (1811.749′N 4223.345′E), 31.vii.2015, H. Al Dhafer, H. Fadl, M. Abdel-Dayem, A. El Gharbawy & A. El Torkey leg. 2 exx. (KSMA) ; ibidem, 17.xi.2015, VC, H. Al Dhafer, H. Fadl, M. Abdel-Dayem, A. El Gharbawy & A. El Torkey leg. 1 ex. (KSMA); ibidem, 1851 m (1811.679′N 4223.691′E), H. Al Dhafer, H. Fadl, M. Abdel-Dayem, A. El Torkey & A. El Gharbawy leg. 1 ex. (KSMA); ibidem, 1897 m (1811.695′N 4223.818′E), 26.iv.2014, H. Al Dhafer, H. Fadl, M. Abdel-Dayem, A. El Torkey & A. El Gharbawy leg. 1 ex. (KSMA); ibidem, 9.v.2015, PT. H. Al Dhafer, et al. leg. 1 ♀ (KSMA); ibidem, 31.vii.2015, Al Dhafer, H. Fadl, M. Abdel-Dayem, A. El Gharbawy & A. El Torkey leg. 1 ex. (KSMA) . YEMEN: Sana’a Governorate, Bait Bows dam, 2500 m (1516′N 4412′E), V. Hula & Niedobov leg. 1 ex. (NMPC) ; Haddah, 2413 m (1517′24″N 4409′59″), 11/ 20.xi.2003, D. Král leg. 2 exx. (NMPC) ; Jabal Haraz mts. S of Manakhah vill., 2510 m (1504′N 4345′E), 3.xi.2010, J. Hájek & Bezdĕk leg. 15 exx. (NMPC) ; Wadi Dhahr, 10.vi.2009, V. Hula leg 1 ex. (NMPC) .

Distribution. Arabian Peninsula: Saudi Arabia, Yemen (d’Orbigny 1898a). Asia: Iraq (Ziani & Bezděk 2016).

Remarks. According to Palestrini (1982) O. millingeni belongs to the subgenus Onthophagiellus Balthasar, 1935 . As noted by Zunino (1976), Boucomont & Gillet (1927) misunderstood d’Orbigny (1913) and wrongly considered Onthophagus millingeni a junior synonym of O. tessulatus Harold, 1871, a species distributed in Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia. Subsequent authors such as Winkler (1929), Balthasar (1963), Ferreira (1972) and Paulian (1980) uncritically followed this synonymy. Actually the two species, even if very close, can be mainly distinguished by the morphology of genital armatures (Zunino 1976). All the Arabian records for O. tessulatus are to be attributed to O. millingeni that is therefore an Iraqi-Arabian endemic.