Sybrinus simonyi Gahan, 1903

Hájek, Jiří & Kabátek, Petr, 2012, Synonymical notes on the genus Sybrinus from Socotra Island (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Lamiinae), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 52, pp. 365-372 : 370

Sybrinus simonyi Gahan, 1903

( Figs. 3–4 , 10–12 )

Sybrinus simonyi Gahan, 1903: 287 (original description); AURIVILLIUS (1922): 299 (catalogue); NEUMANN et al. (2004): 139 (notes); ADLBAUER (2010): 227 (catalogue).

Sybrinus (Sokotrosybrinus) simonyi: BREUNING (1949) : 21 (new subgeneric placement).

Sybrinus nov. spec.?: NEUMANN et al. (2004): 139 (notes).

Sybrinus (Arabosybrinus) albosignatus sokotrensis Jiroux, Sudre & Téocchi, 2004: 22 (original description), syn. nov.

Sybrinus (Arabosybrinus) sokotrensis: TÉOCCHI et al. (2007) : 21 (redescription).

Sybrinus sokotrensis: ADLBAUER (2010) : 227 (catalogue).

Type material. Sybrinus simonyi : HOLOTYPE: J ( BMNH), labelled: ‘Type [p, rounded label with red margin] // Jena–agahan, / Sokotra./ 1200 [hw] feet.[p] /.Jan 99. / W.R.O.Grant./ 99–85. [p] // Sybrinus / simplex, / Gahan / Type [hw] // HOLOTYPE J / SYBRINUS / simonyi Gahan, 1903 / J. Hájek & P. Kabátek des. 2011 [p, red label]’.

Sybrinus albosignatus sokotrensis : HOLOTYPE J ( MNHN), labelled: ‘Ile de Sokotra / Nov. 1997 / Dr. Canu leg [handwritten] // HOLOTYPE [red label, printed] // Sybrinus / ( Arabosybrinus ) / albosignatus Breuning / subsp. sokotrensis nov. / J. Sudre et P. Téocchi / det 2004 [handwritten]’.

Additional material examined. SOCOTRA ISLAND: 22 spec., 10 km W Hadibo , 10–70 m, 23.xi.+ 11.xii.2003, P. Kabátek leg. ( PKCP) ; 1 spec., Homhil protected area, 12°34′27″N, 54°18′32″E, 364 m, 28.–29.xi.2003, P. Kabátek leg. ( PKCP) ; 4 spec., Noged plain, Qaareh waterfall, 12°20′10″N, 53°37′56″E, 57 m, 5.–6.xii.2003, P. Kabátek leg. ( PKCP) [These specimens were erroneously listed as paratypes of S. sokotrensis by TÉOCCHI et al. (2007: 21)] ; 2 spec., wadi Ayhaft , 12°36′38″N, 53°58′49″E, 190 m, 24.–26.xi.2003, P. Kabátek leg. ( PKCP) ; 3 spec., wadi Ayhaft , 12°36.5′N, 53°58.9′E, 200 m, at light, 7–8.xi.2010, J. Batelka leg. ( JBCP) ; 2 spec., same data, but J. Bezděk leg. ( NMPC) ; 2 spec., same data, but J. Hájek leg. ( NMPC) ; 1 spec., Al Haghier Mts. , W slopes, Skant area, 12°35′52″N, 54°00′01″E, 900–1240 m, 2.xii.2003, P.Kabátek leg. ( PKCP) ; 4 spec., Qualentiah env., slopes 5 km SE from Quaysoh, 12°39.691′N, 53°26.658′E, 4.–5.vi.2010, V. Hula & J. Niedobová leg. ( NMPC) ; 1 spec., Dixam plateau, Firmihin, Dracaena forest, 12°28.6′N, 54°01.1′E, 490 m, 15.–16.xi.2010, L. Purchart leg. ( NMPC) .

Comments on classification. Although the type specimen of Sybrinus simonyi bears an identification label ‘ Sybrinus simplex ’, the specimen fits perfectly to Gahan’s description and we have no doubts about its authenticity. We assume that Gahan changed the name during publication and dedicated the new species to Prof. Oscar Simony without changing the respective label.

JIROUX et al. (2004) did not study the type of S. simonyi and compared their S. albosignatus sokotrensis only with a non-type specimen from Saudi Arabia attributed to the nominotypical S. albosignatus . Similarly TÉOCCHI et al. (2007), when they elevated the taxon to specific rank, compared S. sokotrensis only with description of S. albosignatus and S. commixtus – and both mentioned species indeed differ significantly from S. sokotrensis in many characters. However, when we compared S. sokotrensis with the single type specimen of S. simonyi , we found no differences between the two taxa, and therefore consider Sybrinus sokotrensis syn. nov. to be a junior subjective synonym of S. simonyi .

Bionomic notes. Sybrinus simonyi was reared from spurges Euphorbia arbuscula and Jatropha unicostata (both Euphorbiaceae ). Adult beetles were also collected at light.

Figures

Figs. 1–6. Habitus of Sybrinus. 1 – Sybrinus commixtus Gahan, 1900 (Hadibo; 11 mm); 2 – S. albosignatus Breuning, 1948 (Yemen, wadi Sari; 11 mm); 3 – S. simonyi Gahan, 1903 J (W of Hadibo; 10 mm); 4 – S. simonyi ♀ (W of Hadibo; 10 mm); 5 – S. x-ornatus Téocchi, Jiroux & Sudre, 2007 (Scant Mt.; 12 mm); 6 – S. x-ornatus (holotype; 14 mm).

Figs. 7–15. Male genitalia of Sybrinus. 7–9. Sybrinus commixtus Gahan, 1900; 10–12. S. simonyi Gahan, 1903; 13–15. S. x-ornatus Téocchi, Jiroux & Sudre, 2007. 7, 10, 13 – median lobe in dorsal view; 8, 11, 14 – same in lateral view; 9, 12, 15 – parameres.