Hycleus apicipennis ( Reiche, 1866 )

Serri, Sayeh, Bologna, Marco A. & Riccieri, Alessandra, 2020, Revision of the Hycleus sexmaculatus species group (Coleoptera: Meloidae Mylabrini), Zootaxa 4790 (1), pp. 1-42 : 5-6

Hycleus apicipennis ( Reiche, 1866)

Figs 1, 13, 26–32

Mylabris apicipennis Reiche, 1866 (1865) : 635.

Zonabris apicipennis var. innesi Pic, 1912a: 1 .

Zonabris apicipennis var. fortuai Pic, 1921: 45 .

Hycleus apicipennis, Bologna & Turco, 2007: 17 .

Type material. We did not find the type of H. apicipennis in MNHN, that is probably lost. We examined in the same museum specimens identified by Marseul in the same period, which were compared with the types of Reiche. We also examined the types of the varieties described by Pic . Type locality: “ Egypte ” ( Reiche 1866) .

Additional material examined. Egypt. 4 exx. Egypt ( MSNV, MRSN) ; 2 ♂ Egypten ( HMHN) ; 1 ♀ Aegypten, coll. Germar ( HNHM) ; 3 ♂ Aegyptus, coll. Reitter ( HNHM) ; 1 ♀ Egypte, R. Oberthür, Eing. Nr. 4, 1956 ( HNHM) ; 2 ♀ Egitto , dint. Cairo, VII.1936, leg. S. Patrizi, ( MABC) ; 2 ♂ 3 ♀ Le Caire, Henon, R. Oberthür (Coll. E. Martin), Eing. Nr. 4, 1956 ( HNHM) ; 1 ♀ Meadi (Cairo), 11.VII.33, leg. W. Wittmer ( HNHM) ; 1 ♀ Ägypten, Piramiden ( HNHM) ; 1 ex. Hebah ( MCNV) ; 1 ex. Tell el Kebir ( MCNV) ; 2 ♀ [illegible label] ( HNHM) ; 1 ♀ Ägypten , Bit- terseegebiet, 17. VI.1946, leg. L. Dieckmann ( HNHM) . Israel-Palestine . 1 ♂ Israel, Zofar , 10. VI.1997, leg. A. Freidberg ( MABC) . Saudi Arabia. 1 ♂ Arabia, Rawdat Khraim, 6. VI.83 ( HNHM) ; 1 ♀ Arabia, Wadi al Hawshah, Najd, 27. V.87 ( HNHM) .

Records from literature. Egypt. Egypt ( Reiche 1866, type locality; Baudi di Selve 1878a, 1878b; Sumakov 1915, 1930; Mader 1927a; Kuzin 1954; Bologna 2008); Alexandrie, Maryout ( Andrès 1911); Cairo ( Marseul 1870, 1872); near Cairo ( Reiche 1866; Alfieri 1976); Wadis S of Cairo ( Alfieri 1976); Kirdasa and Abu Rauwash ( Iconomopoulos 1916; Alfieri 1976); El Hayat and Maghagha ( Alfieri 1976); Sinai ( Mader 1927a); Sinai, Wadi Karam, Cheikh Hamid and El Krieg ( Pic 1920; Alfieri 1976); Sinai ( Chikatunov 1999; Bologna 2008); Sakkara ( Bologna 2009). Israel-Palestine. Israel-Palestine (Bologna 2008); Judean Hills, Dead Sea area, northern Negev, central Negev ( Chikatunov 1999); Dead Sea area and northern Arabe valley (Bytinsky-Salz, unpubl.). Jordan. Jordan (Bologna 2008).

The record from Libya ( Beccari & Gerini 1979; Bologna 2008) refers to Egypt ( Bologna 2009). Chikatunov (1999) recorded this species generically from northern Africa. Heyden (1892) recorded a mylabrine species from Turkestan as Zonabris apicipennis which is distinctly different in colouration.

Description. Body length 10–15 mm. Body black, elytra reddish yellow with black pattern; setation black and short; head with deep punctures; antennomere III ca. 1.5 times as long as IV, V–VII progressively widened, VIII equal or only slightly narrower than VII, IX–XI progressively narrowed, male XI ( Fig. 26 ) distinctly narrower and slightly longer than X, curved and obtuse at apex, in female ( Fig. 27 ) shorter, curved, more conical, at base narrower than X. Pronotum ( Fig. 13 ) longer than wide, with shallow anterior and basal depressions; mesosternun as in Fig. 31 . Each elytron with two round black spots on anterior third, two irregular spots after middle and a big apical black spot ( Fig. 32 ). Last male ventrite convex and with posterior margin relatively deep emarginated; male genitalia as in Figs 28–30 ; gonoforceps slender both in dorsal and lateral view; aedeagus with two distanced, subequal dorsal hooks, with the same inclination.

Taxonomic remarks. In some specimens the following variations exist: male last antennomere more curved and slightly longer than in most specimens; anterior spots of elytra sometimes reduced, middle spots in some specimens fused and forming a fascia, sometimes inner middle spots close to or reaching the suture. Pic (1912a) described the variety innesi with the median sinuate elytral fascia which extends toward suture, and a wide apical spot. In the specimens of the variety fourtani both elytral anterior spots are reduced.

Despite the antennal variations, the shape of male genitalia is constant among populations. This species appears close to H. pirata , because of the similarity in shape of genitalia and the elytral pattern, but mostly differs because of the length of antennomere IV which is submoniliform and clearly shorter than V; in most specimens of apicipennis elytra are more opaque, due to the denser punctures.

FIGURES 1–12. Habitus: 1. Hycleus apicipennis ; 2. H. balteatus ; 3. H. bipunctatus ; 4. H. cingulatus ; 5. H. colligatus ; 6. H. hayki ; 7. H. lindbergi ; 8. H.pirata ; 9. H. schauffelei ; 10. H. sexmaculatus ; 11. H. tenuepictus ; 12. H. trianguliferus .

According to the description of Zonabris sialanus Pic, 1929 , we suspect that this species, described from Egypt (Fayum, Siala), can be referred to H. apicipennis as synonym and represents only a variation of H. apicipennis with different elytral pattern; this variation was already examined in some specimens (MNHN). We did not examine the holotype of Z. sialanus , preserved in the Alfieri’s collection (probably in Egypt, Cairo), but the shape of last antennomere, pronotal shape, punctation, and elytral pattern are extremely similar to those of H. apicipennis .

Distribution. Hycleus apicipennis was described from Cairo, Egypt ( Reiche, 1866), and later recorded from other north-eastern Egyptian localities (including Sinai), southern Israel and Jordan. The records of Rawdat Khraim and Najd are the first ones of this species in Saudi Arabia.

Figures

FIGURES 26–32. Hycleus apicipennis (Reiche): 26. male antenna; 27. female antenna; 28. tegmen, ventral view; 29. tegmen, lateral view; 30. aedeagus, lateral view; 31. mesosternum; 32. elytral pattern. Scale bar: 1 mm.

FIGURES 13–24. Head and pronotum of: 13. Hycleus apicipennis; 14. H. balteatus; 15 H. bipunctatus; 16. H. cingulatus; 17. H. colligatus; 18. H. hayki; 19. H. lindbergi; 20. H. pirata; 21. H. schauffelei; 22. H. sexmaculatus; 23. H. tenuepictus; 24. H. trianguliferus.