Acritini, Wenzel, 1944

Penati, Fabio & Vienna, Pierpaolo, 2006, An updated catalogue of the Histeridae (Insecta: Coleoptera) of the Arabian Peninsula, with biogeographical remarks, Zootaxa 1157 (1), pp. 1-74 : 31-33

Tribe Acritini

22. Acritus (Acritus) alutaceus Thérond ( Fig. 10 )

Distribution: Chad, Ghana, Namibia, Botswana, Republic of South Africa, Kenya, Yemen ( Gomy 2004).

Chorology: Afrotropical (widespread).

Literature. Yemen: Wadi Sharez [a few km east of Hajjah, 15°41’36”N 43°36’11”E], II.1985, cow dung, 1 ♀ ( Gomy 2004); ibidem, 24.III.1985, 1 ♂ ( Gomy 2004); Al Kowd [= Al Kawd, 13°05’19”N 45°21’53”E], IX.2003, light trap, 2 ex. ( Gomy 2004). 23. Halacritus beneteaui Gomy ( Fig. 10 )

Distribution: North Yemen, Djibouti, Eritrea ( Gomy 2003).

CHOROLOGY: Afrotropical (spread in E Africa).

Literature. Yemen: Red Sea coast near Hodeida [= Al Hudaydah, 14°47’52”N 42°57’08”E], 14.III.1938, 7 ex. [ Müller 1954, as Acritus (Halacritus) alutiger Wenzel ]; Hodeidah [= Al Hudaydah, 14°47’52”N 42°57’08”E], Russians’ beach, I.1970, under algae, 5 ex. ( Gomy 1978).

Notes. Five specimens of those determined by Müller as Acritus (Halacritus) alutiger are actually deposited in Müller’s collection at the Museum of Natural History of Trieste ( Italy). One of us (Pierpaolo Vienna) has revised them and so he has been able to state that they belong to Halacritus beneteaui .

24. Halacritus condenti Gomy ( Fig. 10 )

Distribution: Comoro Is., Kenya, Sudan, Eritrea, North Yemen, Djibouti, Somalia.

Chorology: Afrotropical (spread in E Africa).

Literature. Yemen: Red Sea coast near Hodeida [= Al Hudaydah, 14°47’52”N 42°57’08”E], 14.III.1938, 2 ex. [ Müller 1954, as Acritus (Halacritus) algarum ]; Hodeidah [= Al Hudaydah, 14°47’52”N 42°57’08”E], 9.X.1902, 2 ex. ( Gomy 1978, as H. algarum ; Gomy 1989,); ibidem, 27.I.1951, 4 ex. ( Gomy 1989); ibidem, beach, I.1970, under algae, 7 ex. ( Gomy 1978, as H. algarum ; Gomy 1989).

Notes. We think that the two specimens ascribed to Acritus (Halacritus) algarum by Müller (1954) must be regarded as H. condenti , even though we did not examine them. Our opinion is based on the confusion between the two species, as clearly demonstrated by Gomy (1989), and moreover on the presence in Müller’s collection of nine specimens of H. condenti (det. P. Vienna) from Eritrea (Assab, 11.I.1929), determined as A. algarum by Müller himself.

Figures

FIGURE 10. Distribution of the Histeridae in the Arabian Peninsula. Acritus (s. str.) alutaceus, Halacritus beneteaui, Halacritus condenti, Halacritus sp..