Anthelephila anceyi rathjensi ( Pic, 1957 )

Kejval, Zbyněk & Cz, Domažlice, 2012, Studies on the genus Anthelephila (Coleoptera: Anthicidae). 12. Review of the species from Yemen, including Socotra Island, Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 52, pp. 347-363 : 350-351

Anthelephila anceyi rathjensi ( Pic, 1957)

( Fig. 17 )

Formicomus anceyi var. rathjensi Pic, 1957: 440 .

Formicomus panelii Hille, 1977: 199 , fig. 2, syn. nov.

Type material. Formicomus anceyi var. rathjensi : HOLOTYPE, ♀: ‘Type [p; round label with red margin] // DRY FIELDS SOUTH OF CITY [p] // YEMEN San’a, ca.7,9000 ft. Dr.Carl Rathjens. 11.ix.1937. B.M.1938-396. [p; yellow line] // FORMICOMUS sp. near IONICUS Laf. but darker the tooth on anterior femora broader, shorter less curved Hawkins [h; partly illegible] // Formicomus anceyi v. nov rathjensi. [h]’ ( BMNH).

Additional material examined. YEMEN: 2 JJ 2 ♀♀, Sana’a, 2370 m, 11.ix.1937, C. Rathjens leg. ( BMNH) ; 3 JJ, Ta’izz env., field near road to Mocha , 1230 m, 16.xii.1937, H. Scott & E. B. Britton leg. ( BMNH) ; 1 ♀, Dhala ,

1440 m, 14.ix.1937, H. Scott & E. B. Britton leg. ( BMNH) ; 1 ♀, 10 km S of At Turbah , 13°10′N 44°07′E, 1610 m, 25.iii.2007, P. Kabátek leg. ( ZKDC) ; 1 J, Sh. Ohtman env. ( Wadi ), v.1985, Materlik leg. ( ZKDC) ; 4 ♀♀, Wádi Zabid , E of Zabid, 14°09′N 43°31′E, 325 m, 22.iii.2007, S. Kadlec leg. ( ZKDC, NMPC) ; 1 J, dtto, P. Kabátek leg. ( ZKDC); 4 ♀♀, Al Hudaydah gov., Jabal Bura valley forest National Park, at light, 240–350 m, 14°52.4–5′N 43°24.6–25.2′E, 4.xi.2010, P. Hlaváč leg. ( ZKDC, NMPC) ; 2 ♀♀, dtto, J. Bezděk leg. ( ZKDC) ; 1 J 1 ♀, dtto, J. Hájek leg. ( NMPC) ; 1 J, 5 ♀♀, 10 km W of Al Manşuriah , 14°43′N 43°12′E, 110 m, 8.iv.2007, P. Kabátek leg. ( ZKDC) ; 1 ♀, Socotra Island, Al Haghier Mts. , Scant Mt. env., 12°34.6′N 54°01.5′E, 1450 m, 12.–13.xi.2010, L. Purchart leg. ( ZKDC) .

Remarks. PIC (1957) described Formicomus anceyi var. rathjensi from a single female specimen collected near Sana’a in Yemen, differing from the typical F. anceyi in the largely reddish colouration and more elongate elytra. It was provisionally raised to subspecific rank by CHANDLER et al. (2004) with respect to the Article 45.6.4 of the Code (ICZN 1999). The identity of Anthelephila anceyi rathjensi is augmented herein by the discovery of males; for male characters see description of the herein synonymized Formicomus panelii by HILLE (1977). However, its subspecific placement remains questionable (see above).

Anthelephila anceyi rathjensi is clearly variable in body colouration. It is mostly reddish, with the posterior two-thirds of the elytra darker (behind a transverse whitish setose band), rarely nearly unicolourous, dark brown with slight reddish tinge.A male specimen from Sana’a (BMNH), bearing an identification label ‘ Formicomus anceyi Pic var.’ by Maurice Pic ( PIC & HAWKINS 1957), is somewhat aberrant in having a rather widely rounded head base, which is usually evenly semicircular to semi-oval. Similar variability of the head shape was noted previously by HILLE (1953b) for the Afrotropical A. chappuisi (Pic, 1939).

HILLE (1977) described Formicomus panelii from Lahij, which is a city and governorate located in southernmost Yemen. It was recorded also from Sudan and Saudi Arabia ( HILLE 1977, KEJVAL 2000). I have not seen the types, nevertheless the original description, which includes rather detailed figures of the male characters, leaves no doubt about its identity and the newly proposed synonymy.

Figures

Figs. 17–24. Anthelephila spp., body in dorsal view. 17 – A. anceyi rathjensi (Pic, 1957), female, Wadi Zabid; 18 – A. bispilifasciata bispilifasciata (Pic, 1897), female, Turbah; 19 – same species, male, Lawdar; 20 – A. caeruleipennis (LaFerté-Sénectère, 1849), male, Lawdar; 21 – A. paolii (Krekich-Strassoldo, 1928), male, Sana’a; 22 – A. pilitarsis sp. nov., holotype; 23 – A. praefecta sp. nov., paratype, female, Jabal Bura; 24 – A. walkeri (Pic, 1895), male, Al Mukalla.