Agonum (s. str.) nigrum Dejean, 1828

Assmann, Thorsten, Boutaud, Esteve, Buse, Joern, Drees, Claudia, Friedman, Ariel-Leib-Leonid, Harry, Ingmar, Khoury, Fares, Orbach, Eylon, Renan, Ittai, Schmidt, Constantin, Schmidt, Kilian, Wrase, David W. & Zumstein, Pascale, 2021, The ground beetle tribe Platynini Bonelli, 1810 (Coleoptera, Carabidae) in the southern Levant: dichotomous and interactive identification tools, ecological traits, and distribution, ZooKeys 1044, pp. 449-478 : 449

Agonum (s. str.) nigrum Dejean, 1828

Dispersal power.

Fully winged and flight-active ( Chikatunov et al. 2006; pers. obs.).

Habitat.

A hygrophilous species in a wide range of habitats: from freshwater to brackish water habitats like winter ponds, shaded and unshaded streams, lakes, swamps, etc. Very abundant in the swamps north of the Sea of Galilee (Figs 31 , 33 ).

Phenology.

Spring breeder (reproduction. March to May), adults hibernate.

Distribution range.

From western Europe to Central Asia, northwards to Central Europe, southwards to North Africa, eastwards to Central Asia ( Schmidt 2017).

Distribution in the southern Levant.

From the Mediterranean climate zone to desert zone (Central Negev and Wadi Hasa). Egypt (Sinai, several sites: Schatzmayr 1936), Israel ( Schmidt and Liebherr 2009), Jordan ( Nasir and Katbeh-Bader 2017), Lebanon, Syria ( Schmidt and Liebherr 2009).

We did not find the species in the extremely arid and hot areas around the Dead Sea or at the springs in the Arava Valley. Also in the light catches from the En Gedi Nature Reserve (kept in the ZSM), which cover the whole year, the species is missing like all other Platynini .

Conservation.

In contrast to some other Agonum species not threatened and still widespread. Found even in strongly urbanized areas, like a winter pond circled by highway loops north of Tel Aviv (pers. obs.).

Figures

Figures 31 - 34. Habitats of Platynini species in the southern Levant 31 Merom Golan (Golan Heights): water reservoir, habitat of Agonum rugicolle, A. sordidum, A. marginatum, A. viridicupreum, A. nigrum, and Anchomenus dorsalis infuscatus 32 Ein Akev (Central Negev): headwater stream in desert, habitat of Agonum nigrum 33 Breikhat Ya'ar (Coastal Plain, east of Hadera): winter pond, habitat of Agonum monachum syriacum, A. viridicupreum, A. nigrum, and Anchomenus dorsalis infuscatus 34 Nahal Bezet (Upper Galilee): softwood floodplain woodland with Oleander (Nerium oleander), habitat of Atranus ruficollis.