Scarites ( Scallophorites ) buparius (Forster, 1771)

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

8. Scarites ( Scallophorites) buparius (Forster, 1771)

Fig. 2 I

Habitat and general distribution.

Scarites buparius has a Mediterranean distribution, occurring in south Europe and North Africa ( Balkenohl 2017). The species is found in coastal sand habitats (Arndt et a. 2017).

Materials examined.

• Chania: Platanias, Platanias River mouth 35.336232°N, 24.274637°E, 1 m elev., 28.V.2021 – 4.VIII.2021, pitfall traps, 1 spm, leg Bolanakis G. ( NHMC) .

Comments.

Scarites buparius was first mentioned from Crete in 1857 as S. pyracmon ( Schaum 1857) from specimens collected by Zebe during his expedition to the island in 1853. This record seems to be the source for all the following references ( von Oertzen 1886; Apfelbeck 1904; Csiki 1914; Arndt et al. 2011). In all these references, there is no locality given for the species in Crete. Schaum (1857) described the habitat where Zebe found the specimens, but no precise locality name was given. In this study, we report the first detailed locality for the species in Crete, a coastal wetland that fits perfectly with the habitat described by Schaum (1857) and Arndt et al. (2011). Moreover, we provide concrete data for the species’ existence in Crete for the first time after one and a half centuries. Despite S. buparius being a typical Mediterranean species and the exhaustive samplings that we carried out in the coastal wetlands of Crete, we only managed to obtain one specimen, indicative of the species rarity in the island. Further research is required in order to clarify the species’ distribution in Crete. Unfortunately, when we revisited the small delta where the species was found, the sandy coast had been pressed and cleared to be exploited for recreational activities. Wood and plant debris, as well as stones have been dumped in the small dune where the species was found and we did not manage to find any new specimens. Therefore, further sampling effort is required in order to reconfirm the presence of the S. buparius in Platanias River mouth.

Figures

Figure 2. A. Calosoma inquisitor; B. Calosoma maderae; C. Carabus graecus trojanus; D. Brachinus plagiatus; E. Brachinus psophia; F. Clivia ypsilon; G. Sirdenus grayii; H. Scarites eurytus; I. Scarites buparius. Scale bars: 5.5 mm (A); 7.75 mm (B); 5 mm (C); 3 mm (D); 2.5 mm (E); 1.75 mm (F); 1.1 mm (G); 6.4 mm (H); 6.8 mm (I).