Platyderus (Eremoderus) brunneus brunneus Karsch, 1881

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

15.1. Platyderus (Eremoderus) brunneus brunneus Karsch, 1881

Figs 3D, E , 6A , 7I , 9C , 11B , 12J , 15A , 18

Platyderus brunneus Karsch, 1881: 43 (type locality: "Bir Milrha", Jabal Tarhūnah [Tarhuna plateau], Libya, based on lectotype designation), stat. rev.

Platyderus elegans = Platyderus elegans Bedel, 1900: 170 (type locality: "Sud de la Tunisie"), syn. n.

Notes on type locality.

This taxon was described from "Bir Milrha" (Murqub District, Libya; locality cannot be localized) and "Uadi Mbellem" (Misrata District, Libya; locality with approximate GPS coordinates: 31.167, 15.050) both localities in the Gebèl Tarhúna Plateaux. As a result of current lectotype designation, the former place becomes the type locality of P. brunneus brunneus . Platyderus elegans was first discovered from "Sud de la Tunisie" (Bedel, 1900), and for the second time - from “Aïn Segoufta à l’O. du Dj. Bon-Hedma" (Bedel, 1902); the second location refers to present Jebel Bou-Hedma National Park, situated on Gafsa Governorate and Sidi Bouzid Governorate, Tunisia.

References.

Platyderus elegans : Bedel 1902: 211, 214-215; Csiki 1931: 768; Lorenz 1998: 375; Hovorka and Sciaky 2003: 522; Lorenz 2005: 395; Hovorka 2017: 757. Platyderus languidus (data for Platyderus Eremoderus brunneus Karsch): Bedel 1902: 211, 214-215; Csiki 1931: 769; Hovorka and Sciaky 2003: 521; Lorenz 2005: 396; Hovorka 2017: 756.

Type material.

Platyderus brunneus Karsch, 1881. The original type series of Karsch consisted of six syntypes, 4♂♂, 2♀♀, all stored in MFNB. Their examination revealed the presence of two diagnosable taxa. One male and one female specimen were found to represent the subspecies Platyderus brunneus ferrantei (see section "Type material" under P. brunneus ferrantei ). The other four specimens belong to P. brunneus brunneus , the first of them designated lectotype and other three paralectotypes: ♂, '60906 [p, w] // Bir Milrha / Exp. Rohlfs. [h, tq] // Hist.-Coll. ( Coleoptera ) / Nr. 60906 / Platyderus brunneus Klug, / Karsch* / Bir Milrha / Zool. Mus. Berlin [p, w] // SYNTYPE / Platyderus / Platyderus Eremoderus brunneus Karsch, 1881 / labelled by MFNB 2017 [p, r]'; ♂, 'Uadi M’bellem / Exp. Rohlfs. [h, tq] // Hist.-Coll. ( Coleoptera ) / Nr. 60906 / Platyderus brunneus Klug, / Karsch* / Uadi M’bellem, Exped. / Rohlfs / Zool. Mus. Berlin [p, w] // SYNTYPE / Platyderus / Platyderus Eremoderus brunneus Karsch, 1881 / labelled by MFNB 2017 [p, r]'; ♂, 'gn 2469. [h, w] // Hist.-Coll. ( Coleoptera ) / Nr. 60906 / Platyderus brunneus Klug, / Karsch* / Bir Milrha & Uadi M’bellem, / Exped. Rohlfs / Zool. Mus. Berlin [p, w] // SYNTYPE / Platyderus / Platyderus Eremoderus brunneus Karsch, 1881 / labelled by MFNB 2017 [p, r]'; ♀, 'Hist.-Coll. ( Coleoptera ) / Nr. 60906 / Platyderus brunneus Klug, / Karsch* / Bir Milrha & Uadi M’bellem, / Exped. Rohlfs / Zool. Mus. Berlin [p, w] // SYNTYPE / Platyderus / Platyderus Eremoderus brunneus Karsch, 1881 / labelled by MFNB 2017 [p, r]'.

The synonymy of Platyderus brunneus with P. languidus was proposed by Bedel (1902: 211). Revision of the type material and study of the original descriptions of the both aforementioned forms and that of P. elegans , as well the study of other Eremoderus -specimens from North Africa and the Levant, revealed that P. brunneus and P. elegans represent a single species in contrast with P. languidus which is a separate species not occurring in North Africa.

Other material examined.

Tunisia: Medenine Governorate: 1♂, 1♀, ' TUNISIA c. or. / 50 km W of Ben Gardane / 22.4.1998 / R. Borovec lgt. // Platyderus / Platyderus elegans Bedel / JEANNE det. 2003 // COLL. WRASE / BERLIN’ (cWR) .

Libya: Nuqat al Khams District: 1♀, 'BUKAMASH [near Zuwarah City] / 04-II-2006 / LIBYA P. Weill’ (cWEI) . Jafara District: 1♀, 'AZIZIYAH P. Weill / 30-I-2010 LIBYE // Platyderus / Platyderus Eremoderus languidus . R & S / Det. P. Weill 2010' (cWEI) . Tripoli District: 1♂, ' 02-III-2002 / JANZUR / LIBYA - TRIPOLITANIA // JC Ringenbach Leg. / Platyderus languidus ' (cWEI) .

Three additional records from Libya that concern P. brunneus brunneus are pointed out for P. languidus in the webpage http://jcringenbach.free.fr/website/beetles/carabidae/Platyderus_languidus.htm, namely: 'East of Tajura’, 04/01/2002, JCR Leg.'; 'Road Yafran-Az Zintan, 25/12/2001, JCR Leg.'; 'Sidi As Sa’ih 03/02/2006, PW Leg.'. The webpage is part of the database http://jcringenbach.free.fr/website/beetles/carabidae/carablibya.htm created by Jean-Claude Ringenbach ( Pardies-Piétat, France) and Patrick Weill (Pau, France) and representing online checklist of Libyan ground-beetles.

TME: 9 specimens. TGE: 2♂♂, 1♀.

Diagnosis.

Nominotypical subspecies differs from ssp. Platyderus brunneus ferrantei in parascutellar striole and elytral striae 1-7 very shallow, almost indistinct, with bases not reaching basal bead (vs. parascutellar striole and elytral striae 1-7 distinct, slightly impressed, with bases reaching basal bead). In addition, the former has the pronotal anterior margin proportionally broader, compared to the posterior margin (vs. anterior margin of pronotum proportionally narrower, compared to posterior margin, see PA/PB, Table 3 ).

Habitat.

Two of the three Libyan specimens were collected under stones or plant debris. Bukamash and Aziziyah are two biotopes of Tripolitania located in a semi-desert zone (Jaffarah Plain), with a few sparse trees and abundant ground vegetation, mainly in early spring (Patrick Weill, pers. comm.).

Distribution.

Tunisia, Libya (Fig. 18 ).

Notes.

Hovorka (2017: 757) placed P. elegans in Platyderus (s. str.). Present study proved however that the species currently validly known as Platyderus P. brunneus is indeed a member of subgenus Eremoderus .

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 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).