Masoreus (s. str.) aegyptiacus Dejean, 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

12. Masoreus (s. str.) aegyptiacus Dejean, 1828

Fig. 3 C

Habitat and general distribution.

Masoreus aegyptiacus is an East-Mediterranean species ( Bousquet 2017 a). The species occurs in sand-dune habitats ( Assmann et al. 2015).

Material examined.

• Lasithi: Chrysi isl. , north beach salt-lake, 34.878045°N, 25.697966°E, 1 m elev., 15.VI.1992, handpicking, 2 spms, leg. Lymberakis P. ( NHMC) ; • Chrysi isl., Vages Beach , salt-lake, 34.874799°N, 25.728071°E, 1 m elev., 23.III.2023 – 13.VII.2023, pitfall traps, 39 spms, leg. Bolanakis G. ( NHMC) ; • Koufonisi isl. , near salt-marsh, 34.935084°N, 26.140310°E, 60 m elev., 16.XI.1997, handpicking, 2 spms, leg. Trichas, A. ( NHMC) ; • Xerokampos sand dunes , 35.049891°N, 26.239803°E, 1 m elev., 1.IV.2015 – 31.V.2015, pitfall traps, 4 spms, leg. Kyriakouli Chr. ( NHMC) ; • same data, but 31. V. 205– 5.VIII.2015 .

Comments.

The genus Masoreus Dejean, 1821 has been known from Greece since the 19 th century ( von Oertzen 1886) by the species M. wetterhallii (Gyllenhal, 1813) . Masoreus aegyptiacus has only recently been reported from Greece ( Wrase 2009) by some specimens from Peloponnese. Arndt et al. (2011) include only Peloponnese in the species’ distribution for Greece; thus, this is the first time the species is recorded from Crete. Till now, the species has been spotted in three localities, one in the eastern-most part of the island (Xerokampos) and two in a couple of south-eastern satellite islands of Crete (Chrysi and Koufonisi). This may indicate an eastern origin, which is to be expected given the species east-Mediterranean distribution ( Bousquet 2017 a). Assmann et al. (2015) report that this species prefers sand-dune habitats. In Crete, we observed a clear preference for coastal salt lakes / marshes, like those of Xerokampos and Chrysi.

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).