Hycleus brunnipes ( Klug, 1845 )

Bologna, Marco A. & Turco, Federica, 2007, The Meloidae (Coleoptera) of the United Arab Emirates with an updated Arabian checklist, Zootaxa 1625 (1), pp. 1-33 : 19

Hycleus brunnipes ( Klug, 1845)

Distribution. Saharo-Arabian species, distributed from Morocco through Sahara east to Egypt, south Israel and Saudi Arabia. New for Oman, Yemen and U.A.E. Cited from U.A.E. by Gillet & Gillet (2005).

New records. Saudi Arabia: Hedjaz, P. Bates 2 exx. (BMHN).

U.A.E.: Ras Al Khaimah Emirate, EA1, road E11 crossroad to the International Airport , 25,66708° N 55,76770° E, 5–10 m a.s.l., 11.iii.2005 M. Bologna & F. Turco coll. 15 exx., on Senecio glaucus coronopifolius (CB) . Ras Al Khaimah Emirate, EA2, 23 Km S International Airport on road E18 ( Habab-Manama ), 25,43997° N 55,98395° E, 120 m a.s.l., 11.iii.2005 M. Bologna & F. Turco coll. 1 ex. , on Eremobium aegyptiacum (CB) . Sharjah Emirate, EA3, 6,3 Km N Mileiha on W detour, 1,2 Km from crossroad, 25,19188° N 55,90548° E, 150 m a.s.l., 11.iii.2005 M. Bologna & F. Turco coll. 2 ex. , on Eremobium aegyptiacum (CB) . Abu Dhabi Emirate, EA4, Al Bateen dunes, 4 Km W Al Aïn on the road to Abu Dhabi, 24,20491° N 55,61263° E, 195 m a.s.l., 15.iii.2005 M. Bologna & F. Turco coll. 3 exx., on Tribulus omanense (CB) . Abu Dhabi Emirate, Al Aïn, Al Bateen dunes, 18.iii.2000, M. Gillet coll. 2 exx. (C. Krejcik) . Abu Dhabi Emirate, Al Aïn road, 15.iv.1983, J.N.B. Brown 1 ex. ( BMNH) .

Yemen: North Yemen, Al Mahrah, between Shabwa and Haswah , 100 m, 29.xii.1998, B. Osella coll. 7 exx. ( CB) . South Yemen, Hadhramaut, between Aymal and Seyium, 30.xii.1998, B. Osella coll. 1 ex. ( CB) .

Oman: Wadi Air , 7.v.1957, G. Popov & A.j. Wood coll. 3 exx. ( BMNH) .

Remarks. Pardo Alcaide [1963, as Mylabris (Gorrizia) ] considered in the Mesogorbatus - type lineage one Saharan group including 7 species: H. quatuordecimsignatus (Marseul, 1870) , saharicus (Chobaut, 1901) , rungsi (Peyerimhoff, 1935) , gratiosus (Marseul, 1870) , brunnipes ( Klug, 1845) , wagneri (Chevrolat, 1838), raphael (Marseul, 1876) . Afterwards, the same Author ( Pardo Alcaide 1968, as Gorrizia ) deduced from this group a Trans-Saharan restricted unit, named group of H. brunnipes , which includes only H. brunnipes , H. raphael , to which he added H. ghorfii (Pardo Alcaide, 1962) , H. kaszabi ( Pardo Alcaide, 1968) , and doubtfully also H. varius (Olivier, 1811) . Actually, this last group is well distinct from the remaining species because of the aedeagus shape, with a single proximal large hook. To this group, so defined, we refer also H. pintoi n.sp. (see below). H. varius remains still not clearly placed.

The remaining species can be referred to: a) the group of H. quatuordecimsignatus , partially discussed by Ruiz (2004), which has the male aedeagus with two hooks, the proximal one large and the distal one very small (see below); b) the possible group of H. gratiosus , still scarcely characterized (see below).

Pic (1896: 62) noted that the North African specimens of H. brunnipes are distinct from those typical from Arabia and named them as var. letourneuxi and var. interrupta , and afterwards described “ Zonabris ” adrarensis Pic, 1942, which, according to Pardo Alcaide (1962) is only a synonym of H. brunnipes . Actually, the Maghrebian specimens have a few morphological differences, as the pronotum shorter and wider, the elytra more reddish and with the black ondulate strip less angulate.