Abstract
The histerid fauna of the Arabian Peninsula is evaluated. As a result of the study of specimens recently collected in Oman by the scientific expeditions of the Museum of Natural History and Territory of Calci (University of Pisa, Italy), and compiling new data from 15 public and private collections, and literature records, the total number of Histeridae known from the Arabian Peninsula now stands at 67 species, without taking into account dubious species and undetermined taxa (9).
Of these 67 species, in total 18 are reported for the first time: 4 for the Arabian Peninsula [Teretrius (Neotepetrius) parasita Marseul, Saprinus (Saprinus) flexuosofasciatus Motschulsky, Chalcionellus hauseri (Schmidt), Hypocacculus (Nessus) hosseinius (Théry)], 9 for Oman [Pachylister luctuosus (Marseul), Hister castus Lewis, Atholus bimaculatus Linnaeus, Atholus scutellaris (Erichson), Saprinus (Saprinus) splendens (Paykull), Hypocacculus (Colpellus) praecox (Erichson), Hypocacculus (Hypocacculus) harmonicus (Marseul), Hypocacculus (Hypocacculus) metallescens (Erichson), Hypocaccus (Hypocaccus) fochi (Auzat)], 2 for Yemen [Saprinus (Saprinus) tenuistrius tenuistrius Marseul, Chalcionellus tunisius (Marseul)] and 3 for Kuwait [Saprinus (Saprinus) moyses Marseul, Pholioxenus mesopotamicus Olexa, Paravolvulus syphax (Reitter)].
Histeridae are now known for four national states (Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman and Kuwait), while there are no records for Qatar or United Arab Emirates. An updated comprehensive catalogue of the histerid fauna of the Arabian Peninsula is provided.
Analysis of faunal affinities shows that it mostly consists of Palearctic species (24 species, equal to 35.9%), followed by Afrotropical and Afrotropico-Mediterranean species (22 species, 32.8%), and cosmopolitan/subcosmopolitan species (7 species, 10.4%); endemics stand at 5 species (7.5%), while species of undefined chorology at 9 (13.4%). On the whole these numbers fit well the largely accepted biogeographical assumption that indicates the Arabian Peninsula as a transitional zone between the Regions Palearctic, Afrotropic and, to a lesser degree, Indo-Malay (e.g., Büttiker 1979). Moreover, a distinctive distributional pattern has been recognised: “Afrotropical” Histeridae are almost exclusively present in the southern and south-western parts of the peninsula, while “Palearctic” Histeridae are mostly present in the inner central and south-eastern parts of the peninsula.
Finally, the synonymy Saprinus (Saprinus) osiris Marseul, 1862 = Saprinus (Saprinus) ornatus Erichson, 1834 stated by Müller (1933), but neglected by Mazur (1976, 1984, 1994, 1997), is considered valid.
References
Al-Ghamdi, K.M.S. (1999) Field study on the histerid beetles (Histeridae: Coleoptera) in different habitats of Western Saudi Arabia. Bulletin of the Entomological Society of Egypt, 77(25), 25–32.
Alonso-Zarazaga, M.A. & Yélamos, T. (1994) Modificaciones al catálogo mundial de Histeridae de S. Mazur (Coleoptera). Graellsia, 50, 177–180.
Bickhardt, H. (1919) Zur Synonymie einiger afrikanischer Histerini. Entomologische Blätter, 15, 110–118.
Bodenheimer, F.S. (1937) Problems of Animal Distribution in Arabia. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of London, 148 [1936], 47–48.
Bousquet, Y. & Laplante, S. (1999) Les Coléoptères Histéridés du Québec. Fabreries, supplément 8, 1–190.
Büttiker, W. (1979) Fauna of Saudi Arabia. Zoological Collections from Saudi Arabia. Fauna of Saudi Arabia, 1, 1–22.
Caterino, M. S. & Vogler, A. P. (2002) The phylogeny of the Histeroidea (Staphyliniformia). Cladistics, 18(4), 394–415.
Dahlgren, G. (1967) Beiträge zur Kenntnis der Gattung Saprinus (Col. Histeridae). Opuscula Entomologica, 32(3), 213–224.
Dahlgren, G. (1968) Beiträge zur Kenntnis der Gattung Saprinus (Col. Histeridae). II. Opuscula Entomologica, 33(1–2), 82–94.
Dahlgren, G. (1974) Über die Verbreitung der Saprinus-Arten der Alten Welt (Col. Histeridae). Entomologisk Tidskrift, 95, 95–99.
Desbordes, H. (1917) Contribution à la connaissance des Histérides. 2e mémoire. Synopsis de divers groupes d’Histeridae. Annales de la Société entomologique de France, 85, 297–326.
Desbordes, H. (1922) Les Exosternini de la faune éthiopienne (Coleoptera Histeridae). Tableaux de détermination et catalogue. Buletinul Societ|¤ii de ‘tiin¤e din Cluj, 1, 365–400.
Erichson, W. F. (1834) Uebersicht der Histeroides der Sammlung. Jahrbücher der Insectenkunde, 1, 83-208.
El-Sayed, A. (2003) Tectonics of the Afro-Arabian Rift. Introduction, North African Seismological Group. Available from http://www.ictp.trieste.it/attia/working-group.html (accessed 12 December 2005).
Gomy, Y. (1978) Les Halacritus Schmidt des rivages de la Mer Rouge et de l’Océan Indien occidental (Col. Histeridae). Nouvelle Revue d’Entomologie, 8(2), 181–203.
Gomy, Y. (1981) Contribution à la connaissance des Histeridae des îles de la Société (Col.). Bulletin de la Société entomologique de France, 86, 187–192.
Gomy, Y. (1983) Les Coléoptères Histeridae des Iles Mascareignes. Annali del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Genova, 84, 269–348.
Gomy, Y. (1989) Contribution à la connaissance du genre Halacritus Schmidt (Coleoptera Histeridae). Nouvelle Revue d’Entomologie (n. s.), 6, 413–431.
Gomy, Y. (1996a) Note scientifique. Contribution à la connaissance des Histeridae de Mauritanie (Coleoptera). Nouvelle Revue d’Entomologie (n. s.), 13(1), 45–46.
Gomy, Y. (1996b) Les Histeridae des graines de coton entreposées au Burkina-Faso (Insecta, Coleoptera). Bulletin Mensuel de la Société Linnéenne de Lyon, 65(8), 265–272.
Gomy, Y. (2001) Contribution à la connaissance des Histeridae de la faune afro-tropicale (Insecta, Coleoptera). Il Naturalista Valtellinese - Atti del Museo civico di Storia naturale di Morbegno, 12, 47–61.
Gomy, Y. (2003) Catalogue ded Histeridae de la République de Djibouti (Coleoptera). Bulletin Mensuel de la Société Linnéenne de Lyon, 72(1), 17–30.
Gomy, Y. (2004) Contribution à la connaissance des Histeridae de la République du Yémen (Coleoptera). Bulletin Mensuel de la Société Linnéenne de Lyon, 73(10), 406–420.
Gomy, Y. (2005) Sur quelques nouvelles données biogéographiques chez les Histeridae (Col.). Bulletin de la Société entomologique de France, 110(1), 30.
Gomy, Y. & Dudley, C.O. (1996) Contribution à la connaissance des Histeridae du Malawi (Insecta, Coleoptera). (II). Il Naturalista Valtellinese - Atti del Museo civico di Storia naturale di Morbegno, 7, 57–70.
Jakobson, G.G. (1911) Zhuki Rossii i zapadnoj Evropy. Rukovodstvo k opredeleniju zhukov. 9. A. F. Devrien, St. Petersburg, 1+641–720 pp.
Kanaar, P. (1998) Neopachylopus secqui, a new species from Djibouti and North Yemen (Coleoptera: Histeridae). Entomologische Berichten Amsterdam, 58(3), 45–48.
Kryzhanovskij, O.L. (1979) Insects of Saudi Arabia. Coleoptera: Fam. Histeridae. Fauna of Saudi Arabia, 1, 184–185.
Kryzhanovskij, O.L. (1987) Novye i maloizvestnye palearcticheskije taksony podsemeystva Saprininae (Coleoptera, Histeridae). Trudy ZoologiÖeskogo Instituta, Akademija Nauk SSSR, 164, 24–38.
Kryzhanovskij, O.L. & Reichardt, A. (1976) Zhuki nadsemeystva Histeroidea (semeystva Sphaeritidae, Histeridae, Synteliidae). Fauna SSSR, Zhestkokrylye, V, vyp. 4. Leningrad, 434 pp.
Kürschner, H. (2000) Bryophyte Flora of the Arabian Peninsula and Socotra. Nova Hedwigia, 71(1-2), 1–267.
Lewis, G. (1879) Descriptions of new species of Histeridae. The Entomologist’s Monthly Magazine, 16, 76–79.
Lewis, G. (1885) New species of Histeridae, with synonymical notes. The Annals and Magazine of Natural History, (5)15, 456–473.
Lewis, G. (1904) On new species of Histeridae and notices of others. The Annals and Magazine of Natural History, (7)14, 137–151.
Marseul, S.A. (1854) Essai monographique sur la famille des Histérides. (Suite). Annales de la Société entomologique de France, (3)2, 525–592.
Marseul, S.A. (1862) Supplément à la monographie des Histérides (Suite). Annales de la Société entomologique de France, (4)2, 5–48, 437–516.
Marseul, S.A. (1870) Description d’espèces nouvelles d’Histérides. Annales de la Société Entomologique de Belgique, 13(1869–1870), 55–158.
Mazur, S. (1976) Notes on the genus Saprinus Erichson (Col., Histeridae). Polskie Pismo Entomologiczne, 46, 703–720.
Mazur, S. (1984) A world catalogue of Histeridae. Polskie Pismo Entomologiczne, 54, 1–379.
Mazur, S. (1994) Histeridae (Coleoptera) of the Arabian Peninsula. Fauna of Saudi Arabia, 14, 71–76.
Mazur, S. (1997) A world catalogue of the Histeridae (Coleoptera: Histeroidea). Biologica Silesiae, Wroclaw, 377 pp.
Mazur, S. (2004) On the genus Pactolinus Motschulsky, 1860 and two related genera (Coleoptera: Histeridae). Baltic Journal of Coleopterology, 4(2), 165–172.
Müller, G. (1931) Note sugli Histeridae della Tripolitania e Tunisia raccolti durante i viaggi organizzati da S. A. Serenissima il Principe Alessandro Della Torre e Tasso. Memorie della Società Entomologica Italiana, 10, 93–104.
Müller, G. (1933) Histeridae. In: Gridelli E., Spedizione scientifica all’Oasi di Cufra (marzo–luglio 1931). Annali del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale “Giacomo Doria”, 56(1932–1933), 186–191.
Müller, G. (1939) Coleoptera: Histeridae. In: Zavattari E. (Ed.), Missione Biologica nel Paese dei Borana vol. II. Raccolte zoologiche, parte 1. Reale Accademia d’Italia - Centro di Studi per l’Africa Orientale Italiana, Tipografia del Senato, Roma, pp. 49–54.
Müller, G. (1954) 20. Coleoptera: Histeridae. British Museum Expedition to South-West Arabia, 1, 307–314.
Olson, D. M., Dinerstein, E., Wikramanayake, E.D., Burgess, N.D., Powell, G.V.N., Underwood, E.C., D’Amico, J.A., Itous, I., Strand, H.E., Morrison, J.C., Loucks, C.J., Allnutt, T.F., Ricketts, T.H., Kura, Y., Lamoreux, J.F., Wettengel, W.W., Hedao, P. & Kassem, K.R. (2001) Terrestrial Ecoregions of the World: A New Map of Life on Earth. BioScience, 51(11), 933–938.
Penati, F. & Vienna, P. (1995) Descrizione e posizione sistematica di Dahlgrenius gen. n. (Coleoptera: Histeridae: Saprininae). Elytron, 9, 39–43.
Reichardt, A. (1932) Beiträge zu einer Monographie der Saprininae (Coleoptera, Histeridae). Mitteilungen aus dem Zoologischen Museum in Berlin, 18(1), 1–164.
Reichardt, A. (1938) Description des Histerides (Coleoptera) nouveaux avec remarques sur quelques espèces connues. EntomologiÖeskoe Obozr.nie, 27, 234–238.
Reichardt, A. (1941) Sem. Sphaeritidae i Histeridae (chast’ 1). Fauna SSSR, Nasekomie zhestkokrylye, V, 3. Moscow-Leningrad, xiii+419 pp.
Slipinski, A.S. & Mazur, S. (1999) Epuraeosoma, a new genus of Histeridae and phylogeny of the family Histeridae (Coleoptera, Histeroidea). Annales Zoologici, 49(3), 209–230.
Strahler, A.N. & Strahler, A.H. (1979) Elements of Physical Geography. Second edition. John Wiley & Sons, New York, 560 pp.
Tishechkin, A. (2002) New data on the fauna of Palaearctic Histeridae (Coleoptera) [in Russian]. In: Yurin, V. M. (Ed.), Advances in modern biology and biological education. Proceedings of the second international scientific conference November 29–30, 2002, Minsk. Belarussian State University Press, Minsk, pp. 138–142.
Vienna, P. (1980) Coleoptera Histeridae. Fauna d’Italia, vol. XVI. Calderini, Bologna, 373 pp.
Vigna Taglianti, A., Audisio, P.A., Biondi, M., Bologna, M.A., Carpaneto, G.M., De Biase, A., Fattorini, S., Piattella, E., Sindaco, R., Venchi, A. & Zapparoli, M. (1999) A proposal for a chorotype classification of the Near east fauna, in the framework of the Western Palearctic region. Biogeographia, 20, 31–58.
Walker, F. (1871a) List of Hymenoptera collected by J. K. Lord, Esq., in Egypt, in the neighbourhood of the Red Sea, and in Arabia. With descriptions of the new species. E. W. Janson, London, 59 pp.
Walker, F. (1871b) List of Coleoptera collected by J. K. Lord, Esq., in Egypt, Arabia and near the African shore of the Red Sea. With characters of the undescribed species. E. W. Janson, London, 19 pp.
World Wildlife Fund (2005) Conservation Science. Terrestrial Ecoregions of the World, World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Available from http://www.worldwildlife.org/science/ecoregions/terrestrial.cfm (accessed 12 December 2005).