Lydomorphus (Lydomorphus) angusticollis suturellus (Haag-Rutenberg, 1880)

Bologna, Marco A. & Turco, Federica, 2007, The Meloidae (Coleoptera) of the United Arab Emirates with an updated Arabian checklist, Zootaxa 1625 (1), pp. 1-33 : 7

Lydomorphus (Lydomorphus) angusticollis suturellus (Haag-Rutenberg, 1880)

Distribution. Lydomorphus angusticollis is a polytypic Sudanian-Sindian species, distributed from Mauritania to northwest India, through northern Sahel, Ethiopia and Somalia, the Arabian Peninsula and Southern Iran. Kaszab (1983) cited from Oman the ssp. fairmairei Kaszab, 1955 , also recorded from Djibouti (formerly French Somalia), Saudi Arabia and Yemen. From the Arabian Peninsula are cited also the ssp. suturellus , considered as a distinct species by Schneider (1991), distributed from Eritrea, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, Iran, Pakistan, India (erroneously cited also from Mauritania), and the ssp. maculithorax Kaszab, 1955 , recorded from Yemen. According to Selander (1988), the locality of Buraimi, cited by Kaszab (1983) is located in the U.A.E., but actually it is in Oman, close to the borders with U.A.E., near the city of Al Aïn. Previously cited from U.A.E. by Gillet & Gillet (1996, 2005) and Gillet & Howart (2004).

New records. Saudi Arabia: Usfān-Jiddah , 10.iv.1979, F. Nunziati coll. 2 exx. ( CB) . Wadi Jizan, 20.iii.1978, 1.6.1978, 18., 23. and 26.xi.1978, G. Filipponi coll. 10 exx. ( CB) . Wadi Qarma , 14.ii.1937, H. St.J.B. Phillby coll. 5 exx. ( BMNH) . Wapar Faja , 17–18.vi.1936, H. St.J.B. Phillby coll. 1 ex. ( BMNH) . Lodar , 16.v.1967, G. Guichardt coll. 2 exx. ( BMNH) ; Ahwar , vi.1936, R. C. M. Darling coll. 1 ex. ( BMNH) .

U.A.E.: United Arab Emirates, 1 ex. (University of Al Aïn, Department of Biology Insect Collection). Abu Dhabi Emirate, EA7, Al Aïn "Aïn Al Fayda" Hotel , 24,08863° N 55,72238° E, 235 m a.s.l., 13.iii.2005 M. Bologna & F. Turco coll. 6 exx. at light ( CB) .

Oman: Al Seefa , 3.iii.1989, L. Gray coll. 1 ex. ( CB) .

Remarks. The taxonomy of this species is still under discussion, and the validity of the six described subspecies needs confirmation. These subspecies are recognizable by colour differences, considered constant by Kaszab (1955; 1983), but actually they seem to form a cline; moreover, the ranges of these forms are partially overlapping. Schneider (1991) considered suturellus as a distinct species, the eastern vicariant (Arabian Peninsula, Iran to India) of angusticollis , which is distributed through the Sahel and the Horn of Africa, to Western Arabia and Yemen. We agree with Kaszab’s opinion and consider suturellus as a subspecies, while we retain as doubtful some of the subspecies from Eritrea and Somalia.