Platyderus (Eremoderus) brunneus ferrantei Reitter, 1909

Gueorguiev, Borislav, Wrase, David W., Assmann, Thorsten, Muilwijk, Jan & Machard, Patrice, 2022, Taxonomic revision of the African and Southwest Asian species of Platyderus Stephens, subg. Eremoderus Jeanne (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Sphodrini), Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift 69 (1), pp. 71-122 : 71

15.2. Platyderus (Eremoderus) brunneus ferrantei Reitter, 1909 stat. nov.

Figs 3F , 5H , 6B , 7J , 9D , 11C , 12K , 15B , 18

Platyderus ferrantei Reitter, 1909: 29 (type locality: Egypt, “Cairo”).

Notes on type locality.

Nothing is known about the exact locality and circumstances of collecting. At time of collecting, the city of Cairo was entirely situated on the east bank of the Nile River. Nevertheless, it is possible for the subspecies Platyderus brunneus ferrantei to occur on both sides of the Nile River, as moisture should favor the species’ occurrence and distribution in certain less human-influenced habitats.

References.

Platyderus ferrantei : Csiki 1931: 768; Lorenz 1998: 375; Hovorka and Sciaky 2003: 522; Lorenz 2005: 395; Abdel-Dayem 2012: 200-201; Hovorka 2017: 758.

Type material.

Platyderus ferrantei Reitter, 1909. Holotype, female in HNHM, with the following labels: 'Aegiptus / Cairo Ferrante’ [h, w] // Ferrantei / m. / Cairo. [h, w, written by Reitter himself] // coll. Reitter [p, w] // Holotypus 1909 / Platyderus / Ferrantei / Reitter [p, h, w/r, subsequently added]'.

The holotype designations in many type series, stored in HNHM, made by the late Zoltán Kaszab (or one of his co-workers) are invalid because in most cases these are syntypes. In this case, the labelling as holotype was correct, as it is only one specimen on which the description was based.

Type material.

Platyderus brunneus Karsch, 1881. One female specimen and one male specimen from type series of P. brunneus are conspecific with the holotype of P. ferrantei . They are labelled as follows: 1♀, '2469 [p, w] // Hist.-Coll. ( Coleoptera) / Nr. 2469 / Sphodrus Platyderus Eremoderus brunneus / Aegypt., Ehrenberg / Zool. Mus. Berlin [p, w] // SYNTYPE / Platyderus / Platyderus Eremoderus brunneus Karsch, 1881 / labelled by MFNB 2017 [p, r] // Platyderus Eremoderus brunneus / m. Karsch* / Egypt Ehrbg. [h, tl]' (MFNB); 1♂, '2470 [p, w] // Syria. Ehr: / lxxiii. 196. [h, y] // Hist.-Coll. ( Coleoptera) / Nr. 2470 / Sphodrus Platyderus Eremoderus brunneus / Syria, Ehrenberg / Zool. Mus. Berlin [p, w] // SYNTYPE / Platyderus / Platyderus Eremoderus brunneus Karsch, 1881 / labelled by MFNB 2017 [p, r]' (MFNB). The male specimen has non-chitinised genitalia and a paler coloration (see Karsch 1881: 44), indicating the immaturity of the specimen.

Other material examined.

Israel: Southern District: 1♂, 1♀, ' Israel / Holot Haluza / 1.iii.2008 / Ittai Renan’ (SMNH-TAU) ; 1♀, 'Israel / Holot Haluza / 25.IV. 2009 / I. Renan’ (SMNH-TAU); 2♀♀, 'Israel / Holot Haluza / 2.iii.2010 / I. Renan’ (SMNH-TAU).

TME: 8 specimens. TGE: 1♂, 1♀.

Diagnosis.

See “Diagnosis” under the nominotypical subspecies.

Comparisons.

The subspecies considered here differs from easterly occurring representatives of the " Platyderus Eremoderus languidus " group, i.e. P. languidus , P. jordanensis sp. nov. and P. arabicus sp. nov., by the meso- and metatarsomeres dorsally somewhat flattened and grooved. Its median lobe of aedeagus is more arcuate ventrally and with ventral margin of apex straight (this of P. languidus is appreciably less arcuate ventrally, whereas that of P. jordanensis has ventral margin of apex convex). Other differences between P. brunneus ferrantei and P. jordanensis sp. nov. are listed in section “Comparisons” under the latter taxon.

Supplementary distinctions between P. brunneus ferrantei and P. arabicus sp. nov., are: a/ head compared to pronotum wider, PW/HW: 1.29-1.39 (vs. head narrower, PW/HW: 1.41-1.43); b/ pronotum appreciably wider than long, PW/PL: 1.14-1.21, less constricted to apex, PW/PA: 1.34-1.42, with anterior margins compared to posterior margin long, PA/PB: 0.82-0.89 (vs. pronotum less wider, PW/PL: 1.07-1.11, more constricted to apex, PW/PA: 1.44-1.48, with anterior margin compared to posterior margin much narrower, PA/PB: 0.76-0.79).

P. irakensis and P. brunneus ferrantei share meso- and metatarsomeres dorsally flattened and slightly grooved. The two taxa can be reliably diagnosed by a combination of three ratios - PW/PB, EL/EW and EL/PL (Table 3 ).

Habitat.

The Israeli site is located in the sand dunes of Western Negev. The species lives on the shifting dunes, together with Atlantomasoreus groneri Assmann, Renan & Wrase, 2015, Discoptera arabica Fairmaire, 1896, Scarites striatulus Dejean, 1825, Thermophilum sexmaculatum (Fabricius, 1787), Graphipterus serrator ( Forsskål, 1775) (or G. multiguttatus (Olivier, 1790)), and a species of the Cymindis setifeensis/suturalis group(s). For a detailed description of the habitat see those of Anthia sexmaculata , A. groneri and G. serrator in Assmann et al. (2015a, 2015b) and Renan et al. (2018). Photographs of the habitat are given by Assmann et al. (2015a, fig. 7b, p. 62) and Renan et al. (2018, fig. 14, p. 59).

Distribution.

Northeast part of Egypt (not yet found in Sinai Peninsula, but possibly occurring there), southwestern part of Israel (Southern District), see Fig. 18 . The record from Holot Haluza is the first record for P. brunneus (s.l.) for Israel and for the Asian continent.

Figures

Figure 3. Dorsal habitus. A. Platyderus (Eremoderus) afghanistanicus, sp. nov., holotype; B. P. (E.) arabicus, sp. nov., holotype; C. P. (E.) brunki, sp. nov., holotype; D. P. (E.) brunneus brunneus Karsch, 1881, lectotype and its labels; E. P. (E.) brunneus brunneus Karsch, 1881, male specimen, 50 km W of Ben Gardane, Medenine Governorate, Tunisia; F. P. (E.) brunneus ferrantei Reitter, 1909, lectotype and its labels. Scale bars: 1 mm.

Figure 5. Mesofemora, anterior side (A-D: left mesofemur, E-I: right mesofemur; white arrows and dots indicate position of setiferous punctures). A. Platyderus (Eremoderus) weiratheri Maran, 1940, female specimen, Boz dag koey env., Izmir District, Turkey; B. P. (E.) felixi, sp. nov., topotype female paratype; C. P. (E.) iranicus, sp. nov., topotype female paratype; D. P. (E.) lassallei, sp. nov., female paratype, Iran, Mazandaran Province, E Qolqol; E. P. (E.) klapperichi, sp. nov., holotype; F. P. (E.) taghizadehi Morvan, 1974, male specimen, Tochal, Tehran Province, Iran; G. P. (E.) afghanistanicus, sp. nov., holotype; H. P. (E.) brunneus ferrantei Reitter, 1909, lectotype; I. P. (E.) languidus (Reiche & Saulcy, 1855), female specimen, Netanya 1.3.97, Central District, Israel. Scale bars: 0.5 mm.

Figure 6. Metatarsus, dorsal view. A. Platyderus (Eremoderus) brunneus brunneus Karsch, 1881, left metatarsus, female specimen, Aziziyah, Jafara District, Libya; B. P. (E.) brunneus ferrantei Reitter, 1909, left metatarsus, female specimen, Holot Haluza, Southern District, Israel; C. P. (E.) irakensis, sp. nov., left metatarsus (black arrows indicate longitudinal grooves on metatarsomeres 2, 3 and 4), holotype; D. P. (E.) jordanensis, sp. nov., right metatarsus, holotype; E. P. (E.) languidus (Reiche & Saulcy, 1855), right metatarsus, male specimen, Na ẖal Prat, Judea and Samaria Area, Israel. Scale bars: 0.5 mm.

Figure 7. Urite, ventral view. A. Platyderus (Eremoderus) chatzakiae, sp. nov., holotype; B. P. (E.) weiratheri Maran, 1940, E: topotype male specimen; C. P. (E.) felixi, sp. nov., holotype; D. P. (E.) vrabeci, sp. nov., holotype; E. P. (E.) lassallei, sp. nov., holotype; F. P. (E.) ledouxi Morvan, 1974, male specimen, 10 km S Hasan Keif, Mazandaran Province, Iran; G. P. (E.) taghizadehi Morvan, 1974, male specimen, Tochal, Tehran Province, Iran; H. P. (E.) afghanistanicus, sp. nov., holotype; I. P. (E.) brunneus brunneus Karsch, 1881, male specimen, 50 km W of Ben Gardane, Medenine Governorate, Tunisia; J. P. (E.) brunneus ferrantei Reitter, 1909, male specimen, Holot Haluza, Southern District, Israel; K. P. (E.) jordanensis, sp. nov., holotype; L. P. (E.) languidus (Reiche & Saulcy, 1855), lectotype; M. P. (E.) languidus (Reiche & Saulcy, 1855), male specimen, Na ẖal Prat, Judea and Samaria Area, Israel; N. P. (Platyderus) sp., male specimen, Boz Daglar Mtn., Turkey; O. P. (P.) reticulatus (Chaudoir), male specimen, Tashehzeh, Nowshahr County, Mazandaran Province, Iran. Scale bars: 0.5 mm.

Figure 9. Median lobe of aedeagus, left lateral view (black arrows on D, F-H indicate convexity of ventral margin of apex of median lobe). A. Platyderus (Platyderus) sp., male specimen, Boz Daglar Mtn., Turkey; B. P. (Eremoderus) afghanistanicus, sp. nov., holotype; C. P. (E.) brunneus brunneus Karsch, 1881, male specimen, 50 km W of Ben Gardane, Medenine Governorate, Tunisia; D. P. (E.) brunneus ferrantei Reitter, 1909, male specimen, Holot Haluza, Southern District, Israel; E. P. (E.) insignitus insignitus Bedel, 1902, male specimen, SW Tiznit, Sous-Massa Region, Morocco; F. P. (E.) jordanensis, sp. nov., holotype; G. P. (E.) languidus (Reiche & Saulcy, 1855), lectotype; H. P. (E.) languidus (Reiche & Saulcy, 1855), male specimen, Na ẖal Prat, Judea and Samaria Area, Israel. Scale bars: 0.2 mm.

Figure 11. Median lobe of aedeagus, ventral view. A. Platyderus (Eremoderus) afghanistanicus, sp. nov., holotype; B. P. (E.) brunneus brunneus Karsch, 1881, male specimen, 50 km W of Ben Gardane, Medenine Governorate, Tunisia; C. P. (E.) brunneus ferrantei Reitter, 1909, male specimen, Holot Haluza, Southern District, Israel; D. P. (E.) insignitus insignitus Bedel, 1902, male specimen, SW Tiznit, Sous-Massa Region, Morocco; E. P. (E.) jordanensis, sp. nov., holotype; F. P. (E.) languidus (Reiche & Saulcy, 1855), lectotype; G. P. (E.) languidus (Reiche & Saulcy, 1855), male specimen, Na ẖal Prat, Judea and Samaria Area, Israel. Scale bars: 0.2 mm.

Figure 12. Right paramere, external face. A. Platyderus (Eremoderus) chatzakiae, sp. nov., holotype; B. P. (E.) weiratheri Maran, 1940, lectotype; C. P. (E.) felixi, sp. nov., holotype; D. P. (E.) iranicus, sp. nov., holotype; E. P. (E.) vrabeci, sp. nov., holotype; F. P. (E.) lassallei, sp. nov., holotype; G. P. (E.) ledouxi Morvan, 1974, male specimen, 10 km S Hasan Keif, Mazandaran Province, Iran; H. P. (E.) taghizadehi Morvan, 1974, male specimen, Tochal, Tehran Province, Iran; I. P. (E.) afghanistanicus, sp. nov., holotype; J. P. (E.) brunneus brunneus Karsch, 1881, male specimen, 50 km W of Ben Gardane, Medenine Governorate, Tunisia; K. P. (E.) brunneus ferrantei Reitter, 1909, male specimen, Holot Haluza, Southern District, Israel; L. P. (E.) jordanensis, sp. nov., holotype; M. P. (E.) languidus (Reiche & Saulcy, 1855), lectotype; N. P. (E.) languidus (Reiche & Saulcy, 1855), male paralectotype, " Syria ". Scale bars: 0.5 mm.

Figure 13. Spermathecal complex and gonocoxites, ventral view. A. Platyderus (Eremoderus) weiratheri Maran, 1940, topotype female specimen; B. P. (E.) felixi, sp. nov., topotype female paratype; C. P. (E.) iranicus, sp. nov., topotype female paratype; D. P. (E.) vanensis, sp. nov., topotype female paratype; E. P. (E.) vanensis, sp. nov., female paratype, col de Buglan 1500 m, border area of Bingoel and Mus provinces, Turkey; F. P. (E.) vrabeci, sp. nov., topotype female paratype. Scale bars: 0.5 mm. Abbreviations: ag - apical gonocoxite; at - atrium; bc - bursa copulatrix; bg - basal gonocoxite; co - common oviduct; rc - receptaculum; sg - spermathecal gland; smc - seminal canal; spc - spermathecal canal.

Figure 15. Spermathecal complex and gonocoxites, ventral view. A. Platyderus (Eremoderus) brunneus brunneus Karsch, 1881, female specimen, Bukamash, Nuqat al Khams District, Libya; B. P. (E.) brunneus ferrantei Reitter, 1909, female specimen, Holot Haluza, Southern District, Israel; C. P. (E.) insignitus insignitus Bedel, 1902, female specimen, Plage Aglou, Sous-Massa Region, Morocco; D. P. (E.) irakensis, sp. nov., holotype; E. P. (E.) jordanensis, sp. nov., female paratype, N Wadi Musa, Ma'an Governorate, Jordan; F. P. (E.) languidus (Reiche & Saulcy, 1855), female specimens, Israel, Netanya 22. xii. 1996, Central District, Israel. Scale bars: 0.5 mm. For abbreviations see captions on Fig. 13.

Figure 18. Distribution of species from subgenus Platyderus Eremoderus in continental North Africa and the southern Levant: Platyderus brunneus brunneus (blue circles), P. brunneus ferrantei (yellow circles), P. insignitus insignitus (red circles), and P. insignitus presaharensis (brown circle).