Pharaonus Blanchard, 1851

Keith, Denis, Sabatinelli, Guido & Uliana, Marco, 2015, Synopsis of the genus Pharaonus (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Rutelinae), with descriptions of new taxa, Zootaxa 4012 (1), pp. 167-180 : 178-179

Key to the species of the genus Pharaonus Blanchard, 1851

We only examined female P. (Pharaonus) adelphus , P. (P.) varicoloreus , and P. (Tamerlanius) lederi . Based on these species, the following secondary sexual characters can be used for determining the sex: in males the antennal clubs are longer, the protarsi stouter, the inner claw of prolegs broader.

1. Clypeus with anterior margin raised, sides parallel, anterior angles rounded but right. Labrum not visible from above. In males: inner claw of the prolegs narrow and sharp ( Fig. 1 ); antennal club longer, at least 1.7 times as long as the rest of the antenna. Species from North Africa to the Caucasus............................................... subgenus Pharaonus : 2

- Clypeus with anterior margin bordered but not raised, sides convergent forward, anterior angles obtuse. Labrum visible from above. In males: inner claw of the prolegs broad, subrectangular, with truncate apex ( Fig. 2 ); antennal club shorter, 1.3 times as long or shorter compared to the rest of the antenna. Species from central Asia.................. subgenus Tamerlanius: 7

2. (1) Pronotum (except margins) glabrous. Protibia of male tridentate. Black to brownish black, elytra seldom light brown. Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Syria, Turkey ( Figs. 9, 10 , 20 )............................... P. varicoloreus ( Burmeister, 1844)

- Pronotum with long pilosity on most or entire surface. Protibia of male bidentate. Elytra yellowish brown to light brown.... 3

3. (2) Pronotum with dense and strong punctation, punctures separated by a distance of less than one puncture diameter......... 4

- Pronotum with scattered and fine punctation, punctures separated by a distance of more than one puncture diameter. Armenia, Caucasus, Turkey ( Figs. 5 , 16 ).................................................... P. caucasicus ( Reitter, 1888)

4. (3) Pygidium entirely punctate and striolate. Clypeus 1.8–2.0 times as wide as long. Pronotum without impressed median line. North Africa and Levant: Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Libya, Sudan, Tunisia........................................... 5

- Pygidium with a smooth area between the tufts of setae. Clypeus 2.1–2.5 times as wide as long. Pronotum with a more-or-less distinct longitudinal impression along the midline. Iran........................................................ 6

5. (4) Dorsal surface of head, pronotum, and lateral parts of abdominal ventrites with denser, markedly long, erect or semierect setae. Pygidium covered with long and dense, almost recumbent setae forming two tufts near the base. Aedeagus stout, broader, especially in lateral view; lateral outline of parameres shallowly sinuate ( Fig. 17 ): Egypt, Israel, Libya, Sudan, Tunisia ( Figs. 7 , 17 ).......................................................................... P. fasciculatus ( Burmeister, 1844)

- Dorsal surface of head, pronotum, and lateral parts of abdominal ventrites with less dense, not considerably long, erect, pale setae. Pygidium covered with considerably long, sparse, erect macrosetae concentrated laterobasally but not forming two tufts. Aedeagus slender, relatively narrow, especially in lateral view; lateral outline of parameres broadly rounded ( Fig. 19 ). Algeria ( Figs. 8 , 19 )........................................................................ P. saharicus Král 2012

6. (4) Elytra with sparse pubescence arranged in loose stripes; denser on intervals 3, 5, and 7; setae reaching at least the middle of the elytra ( Fig. 14 ), shorter, but clearly visible (20X) setae reaching the apical region. In males: antennal club 1.13–1.16 times as long as the clypeal width. Iran ( Figs. 6 , 14 , 18 ).............................. P. farsensis Keith, Sabatinelli , and Uliana

- Elytra with long pubescence limited to the humeral region and to a very narrow basal area, not going beyond the tip of the scutellum ( Fig. 13 ); the rest of the elytra glabrous or with some microsetae barely visible at 40X. In males: antennal club 0.91– 0.94 times as long as the clypeal width. Iran ( Figs. 3, 4 , 13 , 15 )................ P. adelphus Keith, Sabatinelli , and Uliana

7. (1) Body, except elytra and appendages (but including femora), covered with very dense, strongly adpressed, short, thick, white setae; setae almost entirely obscuring the integument. Midline of the pronotum impunctate, glabrous. Pygidium completely and densely covered by uniformly thick setae, except for the narrow midline. Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan ( Figs. 12 , 23 )................................................................ P. semenowi ( Reitter, 1887)

- Body, except elytra and appendages (but including femora) bearing recumbent or semierect long, thin setae; setae not obscuring the integument. Midline of the pronotum punctate, setose. Pygidium bearing two basal tufts of dense setae, the rest of the surface is clearly visible through a loose pilosity. Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan ( Figs. 11 , 22 ).................................................................................. P. lederi ( Reitter, 1888)

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 2. Proclaws in Pharaonus (Pharaonus) (1) and in Pharaonus (Tamerlanius) (2).

FIGURES 7 – 10. Habitus of Pharaonus (Pharaonus) species. 7: P. fasciculatus, male (Egypt). 8: P. saharicus, male paratype (Tamrit, Tassili n’Ajjer, Algeria). 9: P. varicoloreus, male (environs of Palymra, Syria). 10: P. varicoloreus, female (Birecik, Turkey).

FIGURES 15 – 23. Genitalia of Pharaonus. 15 – 19: aedeagus in dorsal, ventral, and lateral view of Pharaonus (Pharaonus): 15: P. adelphus, paratype (a-c) and holotype (d) (Kerman, Iran); 16: P. caucasicus (Gorovan, Armenia); 17: P. fasciculatus (Egypt); 18: P. farsensis, holotype (Darab, Iran); 19: P. saharicus, paratype (Tamrit, Tassili n’Ajjer, Algeria); 20: P. varicoloreus (Halfeti, Birecik, Adiyaman, Turkey). 21: female genital sclerites of P. adelphus (Kerman, Bakram-djord [= Bahramjerd], Iran). 22 – 23: aedeagus in dorsal, ventral, and lateral view of Pharaonus (Tamerlanius): 22: P. lederi (Koron 15 km Ekoc. Dzejran, Buckara, Uzbekistan); 23: P. semenowi (Kul'dzhuktau, Kizilkum desert, Uzbekistan).

FIGURES 3 – 6. Habitus of Pharaonus (Pharaonus) species. 3: P. adelphus, male paratype (Kerman, Iran). 4: P. adelphus, female paratype (Kerman, Bakram-djord [= Bahramjerd], Iran). 5: P. caucasicus, male (Gorovan sands, Armenia). 6: P. farsensis, male paratype (Darab, Iran).

FIGURES 13 – 14. Different elytral setation in evidence. 13: P. adelphus. 14: P. farsensis.

FIGURES 11 – 12. Habitus of Pharaonus (Tamerlanius) species. 11: P. l e de r i, male (Koron 15 km Ekoc. Dzejran, Bukhara, Uzbekistan). 12: P. semenowi, male (Katta-kum, Turkmenkuduk, Uzbekistan).