Saprinus (Saprinus) figuratus Marseul, 1855

Penati, Fabio & Vienna, Pierpaolo, 2006, An updated catalogue of the Histeridae (Insecta: Coleoptera) of the Arabian Peninsula, with biogeographical remarks, Zootaxa 1157 (1), pp. 1-74 : 40-45

36. Saprinus (Saprinus) figuratus Marseul

Distribution: Algeria, Tunisia, Syria, Israel, Jordan, Arabia, Canary Is., South Spain. Chorology: Mediterranean.

Literature. “Arabia” ( Jakobson 1911; Reichardt 1941; Kryzhanovskij & Reichardt 1976).

37. Saprinus (Saprinus) flexuosofasciatus Motschulsky ( Fig. 14 )

Distribution: South Russia (Astrakhan), Asia Minor, Iraq, Iran, Central Asia, Pakistan, Tibet, India, Oman.

Chorology: undefined.

Material. Oman: Dhofar, Wadi Ayn Hilf , 17°01’37”N 54°47’34”E, 100 m, 26.VIII.2000, 1 ♀ ( MSNTC) .

Notes. New to the Arabian Peninsula.

38. Saprinus (Saprinus) gilvicornis Erichson ( Fig. 14 )

Distribution: Egypt, North Africa, Sudan, Chad, South Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Saudi Arabia, Oman.

Chorology: Saharo­Turano­Sindian.

Literature. Saudi Arabia: “ Saudi Arabia ” ( Dahlgren 1974). Oman: Warak, 17°44’N 55°48’E, 7.I.1986, 7 ex. ( Mazur 1994); Ras Dhabdhub, Camp, 21°31’N 58°49’E, 180 m, 18.III.1986, 1 ex. ( Mazur 1994); Mintirib, Research Camp, 22°25’N 58°49’E, 269 m, 10.I.1986, 1 ex. ( Mazur 1994); Madinat Qaboos, 15 km W of Muscat [= Masqat, 23°36’48”N 58°35’36”E], 5.V.1982, 3 ex. ( Mazur 1994).

Material. Oman: Wahiba Sands [21°55’60”N 58°55’00”E], 13.XI.1998, 1 ex. ( CHRP) ; Yalooni , 19°51’N 57°06’E, 7.VII.1993, from dead Arabian Oryx calf, 6 ex. ( ONHM) ; Yalooni , 19°56’N 56°05’E, 7.X.1993, 2 ex. ( ONHM) ; 25 km NNW of Natih , 22°39’N 56°41’E, 26–27.III.1994, to light, 1 ex. ( ONHM) ; 57 km S of Hafit , 23°28’N 55°53’E, 210 m, 1.IV.1994, to light, 2 ex. ( ONHM) ; Ayn Hamran , 17°06’N 54°17’E, 10.XII.1996, to light, 1 ex. ( OHNM) ; Dhofar, Al Mughsayl env., 16°53’01”N 53°46’47”E, 30 m, 1.III.2004, 1 ♀ ( MSNTC) .

39. Saprinus (Saprinus) moyses Marseul ( Fig. 15 )

Distribution: Egypt, North Africa, Canary Is., Greece, Turkey, Syria, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait.

Chorology: Mediterranean.

Literature. Saudi Arabia: Hail [27°31’25”N 41°42’18”E] , III.1944, 1 ex. ( Müller 1954); Jabal Dhablah , 27°44’N 44°18’E , 3.V.1985, 1 ex. ( Mazur 1994).

Material. Kuwait: Al Abdaliyah , 29°03’N 47°43’E, 24.II.1996, 2 ♀ and 1 ♂ ( CMNH) .

Notes. New to Kuwait.

40. Saprinus (Saprinus) muelleri Mazur ( Fig. 15 )

Distribution: Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Pakistan.

Chorology: undefined.

Literature. Saudi Arabia: Mahdatha [21°52’23”N 40°41’44”E], 96 km NE of Mecca [= Makkah], I.1945, 1 holotype and 3 paratypes ( Müller 1954, as S. uvarovi sp. n.; the holotype is deposited in Collection Müller); km 85 on the road from Riyadh to Dammam, 26.IV.1976, 1 ex. ( Kryzhanovskij 1979, as S. uvarovi Müller ); Riyadh [= Riyad, 24°38’27”N 46°46’22”E], 6.II.1980, 2 ex. ( Mazur 1994, as S. uvarovi Müller ); Hofuf [25°22’42”N 49°35’12”E], 30.I.1980, 1 ex. ( Mazur 1994, as S. uvarovi Müller ). 41. Saprinus (Saprinus) ornatus Erichson ( Fig. 15 )

Synonym: Saprinus osiris Marseul : Müller 1933: 186–187.

Distribution: South Russia, North Africa, Egypt, Cape Verde, Angola, Arabia, Kuwait, Asia Minor, Central Asia, Mongolia, West China.

Chorology: undefined.

Literature. Saudi Arabia: N. Nejd (= Nejd region , 25°00’N 44°30’E], II.1946, 2 ex. ( Müller 1954). Kuwait: Umm al Heman, 28°57’N 48°12’E, 12 m, 9.III.1988, 1 ex. ( Mazur 1994, as S. ornatus ornatus ).

Notes. In both world catalogues of Histeridae ( Mazur1984, 1997) Saprinus osiris is reported as a subspecies of S. ornatus with a distribution limited to North Africa and Arabia, while the distribution of the nominal subspecies comprises Cape Verde Archipelago, Angola, Central Asia, Asia Minor, Kuwait, Mongolia and West China.

This systematic arrangement has been established by Mazur himself (1976) without giving any reason for this choice and against the synonymy osiris = ornatus stated by Müller (1933) and accepted by Dahlgren (1968, 1974) and Kryzhanovskij & Reichardt

(1976). In fact, the identity of Saprinus osiris with Saprinus ornatus was suggested for the first time by Bedel ( Müller 1931) and then supported by Müller (1931), who prudently preferred not to state the synonymy before having personally examined the type specimen of the latter species, although he has observed the perfect correspondence between specimens from North Africa ( Libya) and some specimens from Middle East ( Mesopotamia and Bajgakum). Soon afterwards, Müller (1933) stated the synonymy of the two species by comparison of the type of ornatus (deposited at MNHUB) with specimens from various localities of North Africa. More than twenty years later, he confirmed this synonymy ( Müller 1954), observing the perfect correspondence of the specimens from Saudi Arabia with those from North Africa (Biskra in Algeria) and Mesopotamia and pointing out that the specimens from Central Asia, characterised by smaller size, finer punctuation, wider yellow reddish transvers band of elytra, and carinal striae of prosternum joined at apex, belong to the South Russian race fasciolatus Gebler.

For all these reasons, and taking into account the “improbable” distribution of ornatus ornatus and ornatus osiris given by Mazur (1997), we believe that the synonymy stated by Müller (1933) through type comparison must be regarded as valid and that Saprinus osiris Marseul, 1862 = Saprinus ornatus Erichson, 1834 . Further studies could eventually support recognition of the race fasciolatus Gebler as a valid subspecies, present in the Asiatic part of the area.

42. Saprinus (Saprinus) simplicifrons G. Müller ( Fig. 15 )

Distribution: Ethiopia ( Abyssinia), Somalia, Gambia, Republic of South Africa, Yemen ( Gomy 2004).

Chorology: Afrotropical (widespread).

Literature. Yemen: Wadi Sharez [a few km east of Hajjah, 15°41’36”N 43°36’11”E], II.1985, cow dung, 1 ♂ ( Gomy 2004) .

43. Saprinus (Saprinus) splendens (Paykull) ( Fig. 16 )

Distribution: Republic of South Africa: Capland, tropical Africa, Arabia, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kashmir, Japan, Oriental Region, Australia, Oman.

Chorology: Subcosmopolitan.

Literature. Saudi Arabia: Mahdatha [21°52’23”N 40°41’44”E], 96 km NE of Mecca [= Makkah], I.1945 [ Müller 1954, as S. splendens elegans (Paykull) ]; Jomoum [= Al Jumum, 21°37’01”N 39°41’53”E], 12.XII.1983, 4 ex. ( Mazur 1994); Wadi Ilyab, 20°07’N 40°57’E, 10–11.XI.1983, 5 ex. ( Mazur 1994). Yemen: Sana’a [15°21’17”N 44°12’24”E], ca. 2400 m, 22–30.IX.1937, 3 ex. ( Müller 1954, as S. splendens elegans ); Wadi Sharez [a few km east of Hajjah, 15°41’36”N 43°36’11”E], II.1985, cow dung, 1 ♂ ( Gomy 2004).

Material. Yemen: Hadramaut, coastal zone, Wadi al Barak [?], 28–29.III.1962, 1 ♂

( MSNM). Oman: Dhofar, Wadi Darbat , 17°04’50”N 54°25’80’E, 350 m, 24.VIII.2000, 15 ex. ( MSNTC) ; ibidem, 9.IX.2000, 1 ex. ( MSNTC) ; Dhofar, Rd. 31 to Thumrayt , 17°17’58”N 54°05’21”E, 760 m, 29.VIII.2000, 4 ex. (2 ex. MSNTC, 2 ex. CHPV) ; Dhofar, Qeiroon Heiritti env. W, 17°17’60”N 54°05’20”E, 720 m, 3.IX.2002, 8 ex. ( MSNTC) .

Notes. New to Oman.

44. Saprinus (Saprinus) strigil Marseul ( Fig. 16 )

Distribution: Ethiopia ( Abyssinia), Senegal, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Mozambique, Namibia, Malta, Cyprus, Turkey, Syria, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Yemen ( Gomy 2004).

Chorology: Afrotropico­Mediterranean.

Literature. Saudi Arabia: Fifa near Gizan [= Faifa, 17°08’38”N 43°07’09”E], 27– 31.III.1983, 8 ex. ( Mazur 1994); Riyadh [= Riyad, 24°38’27”N 46°46’22”E], 7.VI.1978, ( Mazur 1994). Yemen: Mukeiras [= Mukayris, 13°56’38”N 45°40’25”N],

137 km NE of Aden, 2130 m, 29.XII.1939 – 6.I.1940, 4 ex. ( Müller 1954); Wadi Sharez [a few km east of Hajjah, 15°41’36”N 43°36’11”E], II.1985, cow dung, 4 ♂ and 2 ♀ ( Gomy 2004); Manakha, III.1985, 1 ♂ ( Gomy 2004).

Material. Yemen: Sana’a NW env., Wadi Dharhan , 15°26’43”N 44°57’34”E, 2240 m, 15–17.XI.2003, 33 ex. ( CHTL) ; Haddah, 15°17’24”N 44°09’59”E, 11–20.XI.2003, 2 ex. ( CHTL) ; Manakha E env., 15°14’14”N 43°31’17”E, 1630 m, 18.XI.2003, 6 ex. ( CHTL) .

45. Saprinus (Saprinus) tenuistrius tenuistrius Marseul ( Fig. 16 )

Distribution: Egypt, North Africa, Ethiopia, Arabia (Oman: Mazur 1994), Yemen.

Chorology: N­African (extending southeastwards to Ethiopia and Arabian Peninsula).

Literature. Oman: Kuria Muria , al Qibuyah, 17°30’N 56°20’E, 10–190 m, 3– 7.VII.1983, 6 ex. ( Mazur 1994) .

Material. Yemen: Hadhramawat, Bir ali (beach) [= Hadramawt, Bi’r`Ali, 14°01’30”N 48°20’30”E], 1.I.1998, 2 ex. ( CHPV) .

Notes. New to Yemen.

46. Chalcionellus geminus Dahlgren ( Fig. 17 )

Distribution: Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Libya, Yemen.

Chorology: N­African.

Literature. Yemen: “Yemen”, sine data ( Mazur 1997).

Material. Yemen: near Shiakh Othman (Wadi) [=Ash Shaykh`Uthman, 12°52’53”N 44°59’42”E], IV.1985, 1 ex. ( CHSM) .

Figures

FIGURE 14. Distribution of the Histeridae in the Arabian Peninsula. Saprinus (s. str.) confalonierii, S. (s. str.) cruciatus flavipennis, S. (s. str.) flexuosofasciatus, S. (s. str.) gilvicornis.

FIGURE 15. Distribution of the Histeridae in the Arabian Peninsula. Saprinus (s. str.) moyses, S. (s. str.) muelleri, S. (s. str.) ornatus, S. (s. str.) simplicifrons.

FIGURE 16. Distribution of the Histeridae in the Arabian Peninsula. Saprinus (s. str.) splendens, S. (s. str.) strigil, S. (s. str.) tenuistrius, S. (s. str.)?vatovai.

FIGURE 17. Distribution of the Histeridae in the Arabian Peninsula. Chalcionellus geminus, Chalcionellus tunisius, Chalcionellus sp..