Actenodia denticulata (Marseul, 1872)

Bologna, Marco A. & Turco, Federica, 2007, The Meloidae (Coleoptera) of the United Arab Emirates with an updated Arabian checklist, Zootaxa 1625 (1), pp. 1-33 : 29

Actenodia denticulata (Marseul, 1872)

Distribution. Recorded only from Saudi Arabia; new for the U.A.E.

New records. Saudi Arabia: Arabia , E Thukmein, 4.ix.1956, D. J. Greathead coll. 1ex. ( BMNH) .

U.A.E.: Ras Al Khaimah Emirate, EA1, road E11 crossroad to the International Airport , 25,66708° N 55,76770° E, 5–10 m a.s.l., 11.iii.2005 M. Bologna & F. Turco coll. 2 exx., on Senecio glaucus coronopifolius (CB) . Sharjah Emirate, EA3, 6,3 Km N Mileiha on W detour, 1,2 Km from crossroad, 25,19188° N 55,90548° E, 150 m a.s.l., 11.iii.2005 M. Bologna & F. Turco coll. 23 exx., on Eremobium aegyptiacum (CB) . Sharjah Emirate, 1,4 Km N Al Madam on road to Al Aïn , 24,93442° N 55,77595° E, 185 m a.s.l., 11.iii.2005 M. Bologna & F. Turco coll. 1 ex, on Eremobium aegyptiacum (CB) . Abu Dhabi Emirate, EA4, Al Bateen dunes, 4 Km W Al Aïn on the road to Abu Dhabi, 24,20491° N 55,61263° E, 195 m a.s.l., 15.iii.2005 M. Bologna & F. Turco coll. 16 exx., on Tribulus omanense (CB) . Abu Dhabi Emirate, EA5, Al Jahar-Al Saad on road Al Aïn- Abu Dhabi, 24,21940° N 55,52091° E, 180 m a.s.l., 12.iii.2005 M. Bologna & F. Turco coll. 1 ex. , on Zygophyllum mandavillei (CB) . Abu Dhabi Emirate, EA9, Al Aïn, Al Bateen dunes, crossroad E22-road to Al Aïn Airport , 24,20080° N 55,59146° E, 195 m a.s.l., 13.iii.2005 M. Bologna & F. Turco coll. 1 ex. ( CB) . Abu Dhabi Emirate, EA10, Al Aïn, 3–4 Km E Al Selimat on road Al Aïn-Abu Dhabi, 24,19263° N 55,58861° E, 220 m a.s.l., 12 and 15.iii.2005 M. Bologna & F. Turco coll. 2 exx., on Tribulus omanense (CB) . Al Ghayl , 22.iii.1982, JNB524, I. Hamer coll. 1 ex. ( BMNH) .

Remarks. The genus Actenodia , as defined by Bologna (1991) and Bologna & Pinto (2002), was recently revised (Bologna et al. in press). It includes 18 species, distributed in the Mediterranean, Saharo-Sindian Region, eastern and southern Africa. Actenodia denticulata belongs to a Saharo-Arabian group, which includes also A. suturifera ( Pic, 1896) from Western Sahara, A. mateui ( Pardo Alcaide, 1965) from the Central Sahara ( Tchad), and A. lata (Reiche, 1865) from Egypt. Bologna (1991) postulated the synonymy of all these taxa, but the examination of types and new specimens supported their specific distinction (Bologna et al. in press).

Two Yemeni species referred to Actenodia by Kaszab (1983: afrotropicus Kaszab, 1983 and yemenicus Kaszab, 1983 ) actually belong to the genus Hycleus , even if they have 8 antennomeres as the Afrotropical species of Actenodia (see Bologna 1990; Bologna et al. in press).