Microlestes infuscatus fragilis Mateu, 1956

Rasool, Iftekhar, Abdel-Dayem, Mahmoud S., Felix, Ron F. F. L. & Aldhafer, Hathal M., 2018, The Dromiusina Bonelli, 1810 of southwestern Saudi Arabia with description of a new species (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Lebiini), ZooKeys 771, pp. 73-103 : 73

Microlestes infuscatus fragilis Mateu, 1956 Figures 18, 31, 32, 44, 52

Type locality.

Saudi Arabia, Hejaz.

Type depository.

Holotype in BMNH.

Material examined.

Total 55 specimens: HOLOTYPE: Male labeled "Hedjaz, Millingen, 1915-38" / "Holotype [red square label]" / " Microlestes fragilis , J. Mateu, det." / "Holotype [red round label]". [BMNH] (Fig. 32). Al Baha: 1♂, 2♀, "KSA, Al Makhwa, Shada Al Aala, 19°52.598'N 41°18.672'E Alt. 892 m, 26.I.2015, (LT), I. Rasool". 3♂, 5♀, "Thee Ain Village, 19°55.774'N 41°26.574'E Alt. 754 m, 10.III.2012, (HP), M.S. Abdel-Dayem". 2♂, 3♀, "19°55.465'N 41°26.343'E Alt. 744 m, 07.IV.2013, (HP), M.R. Sharaf". 7♂, 9♀, "19°52.598'N 41°18.672'E Alt. 892 m, 23.IV.2014, (LT), H. Al Dhafer, M.S. Abdel-Dayem, H. H. Fadl, A. El Turkey, A. Elgarbway & I. Rasool". 2♀, "9°55.459'N 41°26.302'E Alt. 741 m, 11.V.2013, (HP), M.R. Sharaf". 2♂, 3♀, "Al Mandaq, Wadi Turba, 20°12.937'N 41°17.176'E Alt. 1793 m, 14.V.2011, (HP)., 2♂, "Wad Elzaraeb, 20°04.243'N 41°23.123'E Alt. 2086, (HP), M.R. Sharaf". 1♂, "19°51.066'N 41°18.037'E Alt. 1325 m, 23.VIII.2014 (LT), H. Al Dhafer, M.S. Abdel-Dayem, H. H. Fadl, A. El Turkey, A. Elgarbway & I. Rasool". 1♀, "19°50.710'N 41°18.267'E Alt. 1474 m, 02.IX.2015, (LT)., 1♂, "19°50.575'N 41°18.691'E Alt. 1666 m, 02.XI.2015, (LT), H. Al Dhafer, M.S. Abdel-Dayem, H. H. Fadl, A. El Turkey, A. Elgarbway & I. Rasool". 1♀, "19°50.575'N 41°18.691'E Alt. 1666 m, 15.XI.2015, (LT), H. Al Dhafer, M.S. Abdel-Dayem, H. H. Fadl, A. El Turkey, A. Elgarbway & A. Soliman". Asir: 1♂, "KSA, Abha, Rayda, "18°11.695'N 42°23.818'E Alt. 1897 m, 26.IV.2014, (LT)., 2♀, "18°11.766'N 42°24.315'E Alt. 2285 m, 8.VI.2014, (PT), H. Al Dhafer, M.S. Abdel-Dayem, H. H. Fadl, A. El Turkey, A. Elgarbway & I. Rasool". 2♂, 1♀, "Al Magardah, Wadi Yabah, 19°14.911'N 41°47.255'E Alt. 402 m, 11.X.2013, (LT)., 1♂, 1♀, "Wadi Talalea, 19°2.74'N 41°46.333'E Alt. 259 m, 12.X.2013, (LT), I. Rasool, M. A. Al Mushairi, S. Sonmbaati, S. Khan". Jazan: 2♂, 2♀, "Fayfa, Dayer Beni, 17°28.797'N 43°.14.434'E Alt. 871 m, 4.IV.2013, (HP), M. R. Sharaf" [KSMA].

Description.

Small beetle (Fig. 31), TBL 2.27-2.55 mm. Color: Head and pronotum black, pronotum sometimes–dark brown; sub scutellum, apical forth of elytra, epipleurae, femora, thoracic and abdominal ventrum, antennae, mouthparts and labrum–dark brown; rest of the elytra, tibiae and tarsomeres ferruginous. Microsculpture: Head with longitudinal microlines; clypeus with isodiametric mesh pattern; labrum, pronotum, elytra, thoracic and abdominal ventrum with transverse microlines; irregular on abdominal sternite. Head: As long as wide, HL 0.48-0.56 mm, HW 0.44-0.51 mm; eyes small with long tempora (Fig. 18). Pronotum: Transverse, almost as wide as head, PL 0.34-0.38 mm and PW 0.52-0.58 mm; pronotum narrowed posteriorly, sinuate before basal angles, base of pronotum lobate in the middle. Elytra: Parallel sized; EL 1.13-1.20 mm, EW 0.79-0.85 mm; apex transversally truncates, claws weakly dentate in the middle. Abdomen: apical margin of last sternum rounded in males and slightly incised in females. Aedeagus: small (Fig. 44), AL 0.38 mm; in lateral view, strongly curved; basal part up to apical lamina thick, widened in the middle, apical margin and lamina narrow and long; apical end small rounded; internal sacs leaf-like.

Affinities.

This species is very close to Microlestes vittipennis J.R Sahlberg, 1908 in general appearance, color, body size and pattern of elytra, but it can be distinguished by: antennomere II as long as III, eyes small with large temples, strongly curved, apical margin and lamina narrow and long; apical end small rounded; internal sacs leaf-like.

Ecological notes.

The species was collected from low lands and mountainous areas with 648-2285 m elevation range (Fig. 52). Adults were found under gravels and leaf litter in humid and moist places among mixed vegetation and shrubs. Also, they are attracted to UV–light.

Geographical distribution.

This species was described by Matue (1956) from southwestern Saudi Arabia and also reported from Afghanistan and Yemen ( Mateu 1979, Kabak 2003). This range exemplifies Afrotropico–Indo–Mediterranean.