Hister tropicus Paykull, 1811

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 : 25-29

09. Hister tropicus Paykull

Distribution: Guinea, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ghana, Chad, Central African Republic, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea (Rio Muni), Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique, Saudi Arabia ( Gomy 2001).

Chorology: Afrotropical (widespread).

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

Notes. This record is based on specimens determined by S. Mazur long ago (Mazur, pers. comm.).

10. Eudiplister jemensis (Reichardt) ( Fig. 6 )

Distribution: Yemen, Saudi Arabia ( Tishechkin 2002).

Chorology: Endemic.

Literature. Saudi Arabia: Wadi Hurayamala [= Wadi Huraymala, 25°07’29”N

46°06’53”E], 770 m, 3–31.III.1988 and 8.V.1988, pitfall traps, 17 ex. ( Tishechkin 2002). Yemen: Sana’a [15°21’17”N 44°12’24”E], 14.VIII.1930, type specimen ( Reichardt 1938).

11. Atholus bimaculatus (Linnaeus) ( Fig. 7 )

Distribution: Europe, Holarctic, Guadeloupe, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, tropical Africa ( Mauritania, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Chad, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Djibouti, Kenya), Yemen, India, Burma ( Gomy 2004), Saudi Arabia ( Kryzhanovskij 1979), Oman.

Chorology: Subcosmopolitan. Even though this chorotype well describes the present known distribution of A. bimaculatus , as widely reported through the literature of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries (e.g., Marseul 1854; Desbordes 1917; Vienna 1980), some authors recently pointed out that this is not its native distribution, because it was accidentally introduced in North America at various places ( Bousquet & Laplante 1999: 97).

Literature. Saudi Arabia: Wadi Hesua near Wadi Ad Villa [?] (Asir Mts.), 600–700 m, 23.IV.1976, 5 ex. ( Kryzhanovskij 1979). Yemen: Wadi Sharez [a few km east of Hajjah, 15°41’36”N 43°36’11”E], II.1985, cow dung, 6 ♂ and 4 ♀ ( Gomy 2004); ibidem, 24.III.1985, 4 ♂ and 2 ♀ ( Gomy 2004).

Material. Yemen: near Shiakh Othman ( Wadi ) [=Ash Shaykh`Uthman, 12°52’53”N 44°59’42”E], IV.1985, 2 ex. (1 ex. CHSM, 1 ex. MNHUB) . Oman: Dhofar, Al Mughsayl env., 16°53’83”N 53°46’31”E, 40 m, 12.IX.2002, 1 ex. ( MSNTC); Dhofar, Wadi Darbat, below Rd. 49, 17°03’16”N 54°25’60”N, 7.IX.2002, 23 ex. (18 ex. MSNTC, 3 ex. CHFP, 2 ex. CHPV); Dhofar, Ain Razat, 17°07’75”N 54°14’24”E, 110 m, 29.IX.2001, 1 ex. ( MSNTC) ; Dhofar, Nashb env., 17°06’20”N 54°18’33”E, 600 m, 4.III.2004, 1 ex. ( MSNTC) ; Dhofar, Hajaif env., 17°14’45”N 54°03’58”E, 850 m, 5.III.2004, 2 ex. ( MSNTC) ; Dhofar, Ain Sahanawt env., 17°08’N 54°10’E, 6.III.2004, 1 ex. ( MSNTC) ; Dhofar, Khor Rori env., 17°02’N 54°26’E, 10 m, 7.III.2004, 1 ex. ( MSNTC) ; Dhofar, Rd. to Tawi Atayr, Wadi Hinna , 17°03’13”N 54°36’32”E, 310 m, 7.III.2004, 1 ex. ( MSNTC) ; Dhofar, Rd. 49, Wadi Darbat , 17°03’05”N 54°25’32”E, 25 m, 11.III.2004, 1 ex. ( MSNTC) ; Dhofar, Darbat Pool , 17°05’N 54°26’E, 250 m, 14.III.2004, Hg light trap, 5 ex. ( MSNTC) ; Dhofar, Ain Garziz env., 17°06’29”N 54°04’35”E, 110 m, 16.III.2004, Hg light trap, 3 ex. ( MSNTC) .

Notes. New to Oman.

12. Atholus confinis (Erichson) ( Fig. 7 )

Distribution: Cuba, Guadeloupe, Puerto Rico, St. Vincent, Dominican Republic, Hawaii, tropical Africa (Cape Verde, Senegal, Guinea, Ghana, Niger, Chad, Cameroon, Congo, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Rwanda, Namibia, Republic of South Africa), Yemen ( Gomy 2004).

Chorology: Subcosmopolitan.

Literature. Yemen: Wadi Dhabab [= Wadi Dhabah, 13°55’00”N 44°15’00”E], II.1984, 1 ♂ ( Gomy 2004); Wadi Sharez [a few km east of Hajjah, 15°41’36”N 43°36’11”E], II.1985, cow dung, 2 ♂ and 4 ♀ ( Gomy 2004); ibidem, 24.III.1985, 2 ♂ ( Gomy 2004).

13. Atholus duodecimstriatus (Schrank) ( Fig. 7 )

Distribution: ssp. duodecimstriatus (Schrank) : Austria, Europe, North Africa, Iran, Afghanistan ( Mazur 1997), Saudi Arabia ( Kryzhanovskij 1979); ssp. quatuordecimstriatus (Gyllenhal) : Sweden, North Europe and high elevations in Central Europe, Siberia, Japan, Mongolia, China, Taiwan, Saudi Arabia.

Chorology: Palearctic.

Literature. Saudi Arabia: Wadi Hesua near Wadi Ad Villa [?] (Asir Mts.), 600–700 m, 23.IV.1976, 1 ex. [ Kryzhanovskij 1979, as A. (Euatholus) duodecimstriatus ] .

Material. Saudi Arabia: Asir Prov., Tihama, Al­Shabeen, Muhail [= Muhayil, 18°32’47”N 42°02’56”E], 2300 m, 25.IX–16.X.1997, 4 ex. [3 ex. FSCA, 1 ex. CHAT, as A. duodecimstriatus quatuordecimstriatus (Gyllenhal) ] .

Notes. Two subspecies of A. duodecimstriatus are usually recognised: the nominal one and A. d. quatuordecimstriatus (Gyllenhal) (e.g., Mazur 1997). Even though they fit quite well the concept of allopatric populations of the same species, which could be diagnosed with some confidence on the basis of their known distributions (however this has never been explicitly tested), the Arabian Peninsula (as well as potentially the Near East, Iran and even Afghanistan) seems to be the area of their intergradation. Given this reason and the controversy surrounding the concept of subspecies, and its occasional and inconsistent use in the Histeridae , we preferred not to consider the two taxa as two separate species.

14. Atholus pirithous (Marseul) ( Fig. 8 )

Distribution: Japan, Russian Far East (Primorskiy and Ussuriyskiy Kray), China, Taiwan, Korea, Vietnam, Nepal, Oman.

Chorology: Asiatic.

Literature. Oman: Kuria Muria , al Qibuyah, 17°30’N 56°20’E, 10–190 m, 3– 17.III.1983, 1 ex. ( Mazur 1994) .

15. Atholus scutellaris (Erichson) ( Fig. 8 )

Distribution: Italy (Sicily), Mediterranean Subregion, Mauritania, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Chad, Central African Republic, Ethiopia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan ( Gomy 1996b), Arabian Peninsula ( Mazur 1997), Oman.

Chorology: Afrotropico­Mediterranean (extending eastwards to Central Asia).

Literature. Saudi Arabia: Wadi Diriyah (Riyad surroundings), 12.V.1975, 1 ex. ( Kryzhanovskij 1979); Riyadh [= Riyad, 24°38’27”N 46°46’22”E], 6.II.1980, 1 ex. ( Mazur 1994).

Material. Oman: Dhofar, Salalah env. W [17°01’03”N 54°04’58”E], near Veterinary Hospital, 27.VIII.2000, 3 ex. ( MSNTC) ; Dhofar, Qeiroon Heiritti env. [17°17’N 54°05’E], 5 km from the village, 850 m, 31.VIII.2000, 2 ex. ( MSNTC) ; Dhofar, Rd. 47– Al Mughsayl env., 16°53’71”N 53°49’01”E, 30 m, 23.IX.2001, 1 ex. ( MSNTC) ; ibidem, 2.X.2001, 1 ex. ( MSNTC) ; Dhofar, Khor Rori env., 17°02’27”N 54°26’16”E, 35 m, 24.VIII.2000, 8 ex. (6 ex. MSNTC, 2 ex. CHFP) ; Dhofar, Rd. 49 near Ain Sahanawt , 17°07’40”N 54°09’44”E, 24.IX.2001, 3 ex. ( MSNTC) ; Dhofar, Ain Razat , 17°07’75”N 54°14’24”E, 110 m, 29.IX.2001, 3 ex. ( MSNTC); Dhofar, Ain Sahanawt, 17°08’60”N 54°10’87”E, 1.X.2001, 2 ex. ( MSNTC) ; ibidem, 4.X.2001, 1 ex. ( CHPV) ; ibidem, 7.X.2001, 1 ex. ( MSNTC) ; ibidem, 8.X.2001, 1 ex. ( MSNTC) ; Dhofar, Hajaif env., 17°14’53”N 54°01’67”E, 900 m, 4.X.2001, 1 ex. ( MSNTC) ; Dhofar, Hajaif env., 17°14’45”N 54°03’58”E, 850 m, 5.III.2004, 1 ex. ( MSNTC) ; Dhofar, Ain Garziz env., 17°06’29”N 54°04’35”E, 110 m, 14.III.2004, 1 ex. ( MSNTC) ; ibidem, 16.III.2004, Hg light trap, 1 ex. ( MSNTC) .

Notes. New to Oman.

Figures

FIGURE 6. Distribution of the Histeridae in the Arabian Peninsula. Hister castus, Hister gehini, Eudiplister jemensis.

FIGURE 7. Distribution of the Histeridae in the Arabian Peninsula. Atholus bimaculatus, A. confinis, A. duodecimstriatus.

FIGURE 8. Distribution of the Histeridae in the Arabian Peninsula. Atholus pirithous, A. scutellaris, Carcinops (s. str.) troglodytes, Diplostix cavifrons.