Afrophthalma arabica (Bryant, 1957)

Fig. 12

Material examined

Holotype

YEMEN: 1 ♀, “Type [round white label with red collar, p] // W. ADEN PROT. / Jebel Jihaf, / Wadi Lejij. / ca. 7,000 ft. / 1.x.1937. [w, p] // B. M. Exp. to / S. W. Arabia / H. Scott & / E. B. Britton / B. M. 1938– 246. [w, p] // Gynandrophthalma / arabica / Bryant. [h] / G. E. Bryant det. 195 [h] 6 [w, h]” (BMNH).

Paratype

YEMEN: 2 ♀♀, “from edges of / terraced fields. [w, p] // W. ADEN PROT. / Jebel Jihaf, / Wadi Lejij . / ca. 7,000 ft. / 29.ix.1937. [w, p] // B. M. Exp. to / S. W. Arabia / H. Scott & / E. B. Britton / B. M. 1938–246. [w, p] // SYNTYPE / Smaragdina / arabica Bryant [w, p]” (BMNH).

Other material examined

OMAN: 1 ♂, Darbaat, 18–21 Sep. 2003, R. Červenka leg. (JBCB); Taqah env., ca 270–300 m a.s.l., 18–19 Oct. 2005, R. Červenka leg. (JBCB); Dhofar, Wadi Nashib, 1–3 Sep. 2007, Z. Košťál leg. (NMPC); 2 ♀♀, Dhofar, Jabal al Qamar, 15 km W of Al Mughsayl, 16.85591° N, 53.72375° E, 450 m a.s.l., 26 Sep. 2011, P. Kučera leg. (LSCP); 1 ♀, Dhofar, Jabal al Qamar, 5 km N of Dhalqut, 16.72291° N 53.27424° E, 300 m a.s.l., 23 Aug. 2012, P. Kučera leg. (LSCP); 1 ♀, Dhofar, Jabal al Qamar, Ajdarawt env., Ra’s Sajir-Wádí, 750 m a.s.l., 24 Sep. 2011, P. Kučera leg. (LSCP); 1 ♀, Dhofar, Jabal Samhán, AWadi Darbat, N of Taqah, 17°05′ N, 54°26′ E, 160 m a.s.l., 9 Oct. 2013, P. Kučera leg. (LSCP); 2 ♂♂, 1 ♀, Dhofar, Jebel Samhan, 900–1200 m a.s.l., 23–25 Sep. 2003, S. Jakl leg. (JPCH).

YEMEN: 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Haraz Mts., S slope of Al Ilan Mt., 2600 m a.s.l., 23 Jun. 2010, V. Hula and J. Niedobová leg. (JBCB).

Comments

The elytral colour pattern of Afrophthalma arabica is variable. The female holotype depicted in the original description has a metallic stripe starting on the humeral callus, narrow in the anterior half and widened in the posterior half on each elytron (Fig. 12A). The anterior part of the metallic stripe is missing in most of the examined specimens (Fig. 12C) including two female paratypes. On the contrary, two examined specimens from Yemen have an extended metallic pattern with only the sutural stripe orange (Fig. 12D). The males of pale and dark forms were dissected, and their aedeagi are exactly the same (Fig. 12E).

Distribution

Oman, Saudi Arabia, Yemen (Regalin & Medvedev 2010b).