Zonitoschema oculatissima Peyerimhoff, 1929

Batelka, Jan & Bologna, Marco A., 2014, A review of the Saharo-Sindian species of the genus Zonitoschema (Coleoptera: Meloidae), with description of new species from Tunisia, Yemen and Socotra Island, Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 54, pp. 241-268 : 260

Zonitoschema oculatissima Peyerimhoff, 1929

( Figs 10–14 , 24 , 47, 48 )

Zonitoschema oculatissima Peyerimhoff, 1929: 125 .

Type material examined. HOLOTYPE: ♀ ( MNHN, Peyerimhoff coll.), ALGERIA: Tassili ouest , Tin Tahart, 25.iv.1928, Mission du Hoggar Février− Mai 1928.

Additional material examined. CHAD: 1 ♂ ( MNHN, general collection), Tibesti, E. du Kohoz, 700 m, 10.−12. xi.1949, Ph. de Miré lgt.

Remarks. The holotype is partly dark brown; it is possible that this is not its natural colouration, and it was possibly caused by some treatment of the specimen after collecting.

Differential diagnosis. This species is closely related to Z. iranica (see above) and differs from it only in its more parallel pronotum; it is distinguishable from other Zonitoschema distributed in the Saharo-Sindian Region by the characters listed in the key. For comparison of this and other species with unicolour elytra, partially red femur and antennomere I yellow, see also above the remarks on Z. iranica and Z. kaszabi sp. nov.

Distribution. Described only from the holotype from western Tassili Mts. in Algeria, and recorded here from the Tibesti ( Chad) for the first time; this species is probably widely distributed in the Sahara.

Figures

Figs 5–18. 5–9 – Zonitoschema sp. cf. pallidissima (Reitter, 1908) – male from Algeria: 5 – dorsal habitus; 6–8 labels; 9 – head, dorsal view. 10–14 – Z. oculatissima Peyerimhoff, 1929, female holotype: 10 – dorsal habitus; 11–13 labels; 14 – head, dorsal view. 15–16 – Z. rubricolor Pic, 1924 female from Saudi Arabia: 15 – dorsal habitus; 16 – head, dorsal view. 17–18 – Z. cf. gibdoana (Kaszab, 1956), male from Khaybar (Saudi Arabia): 17 – dorsal habitus; 18 – head, dorsal view. Not on the same scale.

Figs 22–27. Heads. 22–23 – Zonitoschema iranica Kaszab, 1959 from Oman: 22 – male; 23 – female. 24 – Z. oculatissima Peyerimhoff, 1929 from Chad. 25 – Z. cf. gibdoana (Kaszab, 1956) from Dhiyan (Saudi Arabia). 26–27 – Z. chourriba sp. nov.: 26 – male paratype; 27 – female paratype. Not on the same scale.

Figs 35–49. Pronotal disc, dorsal view. 35–36 – Zonitoschema iranica Kaszab, 1959: 35 – male from the U.A.E.; 36 – female from Iran. 37 – Z. kaszabi sp. nov., paratype. 38–39 – Z. sp. cf. genicularis (Wellman, 1910): 38 – specimen from Somalia; 39 – specimen from Yemen. 40–41 – Z. pallidissima (Reitter, 1908) from Egypt: 40 – male; 41 – female. 42 – Z. pallidissima from Morocco. 43 – Z. rubricolor Pic, 1924 from Kenya. 44–45 – Z. chourriba sp. nov.: 44 – male paratype; 45 – female paratype. 46 – Z. arabica sp. nov., holotype. 47–48 – Z. oculatissima Peyerimhoff, 1929: 47 – holotype; 48 – specimen from Chad. 49 – Z. cf. pallidissima from Algeria. Not to the same scale.