Pheropsophus (Stenaptinus) hilaris sobrinus ( Dejean, 1826 )

Felix, Ron F. F. L., Farkač, Jan & Suleiman, Ahmed Saeed, 2012, Annotated checklist of the Carabidae (Coleoptera) of the Socotra Archipelago, Insect biodiversity of the Socotra Archipelago. (Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 52), pp. 75-106 : 77-78

Pheropsophus (Stenaptinus) hilaris sobrinus ( Dejean, 1826)

Material examined (39 spec.). YEMEN: SOCOTRA ISLAND: W Socotra, 6.–24.ix.1999, 4 spec., lgt. V. Bejček & K. Šťastný, det. D. W. Wrase ( DWCB, JFCP) ; Wadi Zeweef , Homhil plain, 320–640 m a.s.l., 7.–8.ii.1999, 12°35′N, 54°18′E, 6 spec., lgt. H.Pohl, det. M. Persohn ( HLMD) ; Homhill , 12°34′13′′N, 54°18′32′′E, 29.x.2000, 1 spec., lgt. H. Pohl, det. M. Persohn ( HLMD) ; Wadi Faar , 12.433N, 54.195E, 69 m a.s.l., 1.iv.2001, 1 spec., lgt. V. Bejček &

K. Šťastný , det. J. Farkač ( JFCP) ; Kam village , 10 km E Hadibo, 12°33′42″N, 54°07′05″E, 60 m a.s.l., 5.v.2004, 2 spec., lgt. A. Reiter, det. J. Farkač ( NMPC, JFCP) ; Suq village , 6 km NE Hadibo, 12°39′59″N, 54°03′40″E, 12 m a.s.l., 7.v.2004, 5 spec., lgt. A. Reiter, det. J. Farkač ( NMPC, JFCP) ; Ridah (Mômi), 12°32′40.3″N, 54°17′41.1″E, 24.ii.2009, 18 spec., lgt. & det. R.F.F.L. Felix ( RFBE) ; Lagoon Sirhin , 12°40′09.4″N, 54°02′07.7″E, 27.ii.2009, 1 spec., lgt. & det. R.F.F.L. Felix ( RFBE) ; Mômi plateau, Wadi Teida, 12°31′36.5″N, 4°14′52.8″E, 297 m. a.s.l., 02.xi.2010, 1 spec., lgt. & det. R.F.F.L. Felix ( RFBE) .

Diagnosis. Body length 13.0–16.0 mm. Head yellow, pronotum yellow, sometimes with black margin at base and apex. Elytra with round median yellow spots and apex with yellow border. Shape and extension of median spots vary. Legs completely yellow.

Comments on classification. Already recorded from Socotra by GAHAN (1903) as Pheropsophus sobrinus . ANDREWES (1930) mentioned Pheropsophus hilaris var. sobrinus from Socotra. WRANIK (2003) mentioned the species as Pheropsophus africanus Arrow, 1901 .

Pheropsophus hilaris and its pale form sobrinus , both described from India, should be characterised by pale epipleura with fine tubercles, but almost always without visible setae. On the other hand, P. africanus should be recognised by its almost entirely black epipleura with always more or less distinctive seta-bearing tubercles. However, we have studied extensive material of all three taxa from Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Iran and India and found that most of characteristics mentioned by other authors, like colour of pronotum and prosternum and the shape and extension of the median elytral spots, are highly variable among populations. The Socotran specimens mostly have more or less yellow epipleura with fine tubercles, but always without setae and thus we tentatively assigne them to P. hillaris sobrinus . According to D. W. Wrase and J. Hrdlička (pers. comm. 2012) the whole group is in urgent need of comprehensive taxonomic revision.

Collection circumstances. More than 10 specimens were observed underneath stones near Wadi Shimi (Mômi), 12°32′10.5″N, 54°14′44.0″E, 25.ii.2009. They were usually collected near water underneath stones, and especially during the night abundantly running on swampy grassy banks (Ridah, Mômi).

Distribution. Pheropsophus hilaris sobrinus is an Asian subspecies, known from India, Sri Lanka, Taiwan and also from Pakistan and Nepal (J. Hrdlička, pers. comm. 2012).