Thorictus shadensis Hava & Abdel-Dayem, 2021

Hava, Jiri, Abdel-Dayem, Mahmoud S. & Aldhafer, Hathal M., 2021, The subfamily Thorictinae (Coleoptera, Dermestidae) from Saudi Arabia, ZooKeys 1029, pp. 155-174 : 155

Thorictus shadensis Hava & Abdel-Dayem sp. nov. Figs 11 , 12

Material examined.

Holotype. Saudi Arabia • 1 ex; Al Bahah, Shada Al Ala Nature Reserve ; 19°50.710'N, 41°18.267'E; alt. 1474 m; 5 Jul. 2014; Al Dhafer H, Fadl H, Abadel-Dayem M, El Torkey A, El Gharbawy A leg.; pitfall trap; KSMA . Paratypes. Saudi Arabia • 1 ex; Al Bahah, Shada Al Ala Nature Reserve ; 19°50.329'N, 41°18.604'E; alt. 1563 m; 23 Apr. 2014; Al Dhafer H, Fadl H, Abad Eidayem M, El Torkey A, El Gharbawy A leg.; pitfall trap; KSMA • 1 ex; same collection data as preceding; 19°51.762'N, 41°18.089'E; alt. 1225 m; 23 Apr. 2014; Al Dhafer H, Fadl H, Abad Eidayem M, El Torkey A, El Gharbawy A leg.; pitfall trap; JHAC .

Description of holotype.

Body small, brown covered by short yellow setae on dorsal surfaces and short setae on ventral surfaces. Measurements (mm): TL 2.1, PW 1.1, EW 1.2. Head finely punctate with short yellow setae. Labial palpi entirely brown. Antennae brown, with 11 antennomeres, antennal club compact with three antennomeres. Pronotum as finely punctate as head, covered by short yellow setation. Lateral margin of pronotum not dentate. Pronotum in posterior part near scutellum without bumps. Ventral posterior pronotal angles without long yellow setation. Scutellum not visible from above. Elytra very finely punctate covered by short yellow setation. Each elytron in anterior part near humeri with one very small bump. Epipleuron finely punctate, anterior angles with short yellow setation and small bump. Prosternum finely punctate. Mesosternum finely punctate, mesosternal bulge. Metasternum finely punctate. Visible abdominal ventrites very finely punctate, covered by short yellow setae. First abdominal ventrite with anterior, longitudinal striation. Legs brown, covered by yellow setae.

Variability.

Body measurements (mm): TL 2.1-2.2, PW 1.0-1.1, EW 1.1-1.2.

Differential diagnosis.

The new species belongs to the Thorictus orientalis species group and is very similar to two other species: T abyssinicus John, 1963 (Ethiopia) and T dilatipennis Reitter, 1881 (Egypt, Syria), but differs from them by the abovementioned characteristics.

Etymology.

Named according to type locality: Shada Al Ala Nature Reserve.

Ecological notes.

The adult beetles were found during April and July at elevations of 1225-1563 m in the Shada Al Ala Nature Reserve. The specimens were collected by pitfall traps in steep slopes covered with vegetation dominated by Acacia thorn woodlands and shrubs of Barbary fig or cactus pear, Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill. ( Cactaceae ) (Figs 13 , 14 ). This new species was caught with ant species of Camponotus aegyptiacus (Emery, 1915), Crematogaster sp., Lepisiota obtusa (Emery, 1901), Monomorium jizane Collingwood & Agosti, 1996, Monomorium rabirium Bolton, 1987, Pheidole sp., and Tetramorium simillium (Smith, 1851) in the same pitfall traps.

Geographical distribution.

This species is only known from the type locality in the Shada Al Ala Nature Reserve, on the Shada Mountain, in the west of the Sarawat Mountains at Al Mekhwah, Baha Province (Fig. 1 ).

Figures

Figure 1. Map of Saudi Arabian provinces and distribution of Thorictinae species.

Figure 11. Habitus dorsal aspect of Thorictus shadensis Hava & Abdel-Dayem, sp. nov.

Figure 12. Thorictus shadensis Hava & Abdel-Dayem, sp. nov. a head lateral eye b ventral setation on pronotum and metepisternum, T abyssinicus John, 1963 c head lateral eye d ventral setation on pronotum and metepisternum, T dilatipennis Reitter, 1881 e head lateral eye (according to John 1963) f ventral setation on pronotum and metepisternum (according to John 1963).

Figure 13. Acacia thorn woodlands, the type locality of Thorictus shadensis Hava & Abdel-Dayem, sp. nov. holotype at Shada Al Ala Nature Reserve on the Shada Mountain, Baha Province, southwestern Saudi Arabia, at an elevation of 695 m.

Figure 14. Barbary fig or cactus pear shrubs, Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill., the type locality of paratype of Thorictus shadensis Hava & Abdel-Dayem, sp. nov. at Shada Al Ala Nature Reserve on the Shada Mountain, Baha Province, southwestern Saudi Arabia, at 1563 m elevation.