Ophonus ( Metophonus ) puncticeps Stephens, 1828

Pavlou, Christoforos, Bolanakis, Giannis, Kardaki, Ljubitsa & Trichas, Apostolos, 2025, Forty years of ground-beetle sampling in Crete. A major contribution to the Carabidae (Coleoptera, Adephaga) fauna of Crete (Greece), Contributions to Entomology 75 (2), pp. 269-288 : 269-288

17. Ophonus ( Metophonus) puncticeps Stephens, 1828

Figs 3 H , 5 F

Habitat and general distribution.

Ophonus puncticeps has a Turano-Mediterranean distribution, extending into Europe, Near and Middle East, as well as North Africa ( Morocco) ( Kataev and Wrase 2017). The species has also been introduced in North America ( Kataev and Wrase 2017). Ophonus puncticeps is an euryecous species, occurring in open fields and in anthropogenic areas ( Lindroth 1968; Nováková and Šťastná 2014).

Material examined.

• Heraklion: Almyros River near phrygana , 35.334000°N, 25.048799°E, 3 m elev., 3.VI.2012 – 1.VIII.2012, pitfall traps, 1 spm, leg. Aspradaki E. ( NHMC) ; • Almyros River , in phrygana and cultivations, 35.333509°N, 25.048097°E, 2 m elev., 1.VIII.2012 – 28.XI.2012, pitfall traps, 2 spms, leg. Aspradaki E. ( NHMC) ; • Aposelemis River, Sfentyli Dam , in a Tamarix grove near road, 35.237073°N, 25.421797°E, 218 m elev., 30.V.2017 – 19.X.2017, pitfall traps, 3 spms, leg. Amyntas A. ( NHMC) .

Comments.

Ophonus puncticeps is reported in Greece from the Greek mainland (excluding Peloponnese), Ionian islands and the Aegean ( Arndt et al. 2011). To our knowledge, this is the first time O. puncticeps has been reported from Crete. Ophonus puncticeps is a good disperser (e. g. it has been introduced and expanding in the USA ( Larsen 2013)), thus it is not surprising that it also occurs in Crete, given its current distribution in Greece. Both localities, where the species was found, are located in the north part of central Crete, in rivers that form small deltas and have artificial dams.

Figures

Figure 3. Α. Chlaenius dejeanii; B. Anaulacus ruficornis; C. Masoreus aegyptiacus; D. Cymindis andreae; E. Cymindis ornata; F. Trichis maculata; G. Anisodactylus intermedius; H. Ophonus puncticeps; I. Parophonus hirsutulus. Scale bars: 4 mm (A); 1.75 mm (B); 1.75 mm (C); 2.55 mm (D); 2 mm (E); 1.8 mm (F); 3 mm (G); 2.2 mm (H); 2.1 mm (I).

Figure 5. Aedeagii. Α. Brachinus plagiatus; B. Brachinus psophia; C. Sirdenus grayii; D. Anaulacus ruficornis; E. Cymindis andrae; F. Ophonus puncticeps; G. Dicheirotrichus obsoletus; H. Parophonus hirsutulus; I. Pterostichus anthracinus; J. Calathus cinctus. Scale bars: 0.53 mm (A); 0.41 mm (B); 0.28 mm (C); 0.72 mm (D); 0.49 mm (E); 0.61 mm (F); 0.47 mm (G); 0.56 mm (H); 1.17 mm (I); 0.63 mm (J).