Hydaticus (Prodaticus) africanus (Rocchi, 1976)

Hájek, Jiří & Reiter, Antonín, 2014, Adephagous water beetles (Coleoptera: Gyrinidae, Haliplidae, Noteridae, Dytiscidae) of Yemen and Dhofar region (Oman) with description of a new Hyphydrus from Socotra Island, Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 54, pp. 63-99 : 83-84

Hydaticus (Prodaticus) africanus (Rocchi, 1976)

Published records. GAHAN (1895: 286): Yemen (as Prodaticus pictus Sharp, 1882 ).

Material examined. OMAN: DHOFAR: 2JJ, 12 km NW Mirbat, wadi Hannah , 17°03ʹN, 54°37ʹE, 310 m, 30.iii.2012, A. Reiter leg. ( NMPC) ; 25 spec., 15 km W of Jufa ( Laga Shalia ), 17°11ʹ05ʺN, 54°56ʹ38ʺE, 24.viii.2012, P. Kučera leg. ( JSCL, PKCL) ; 13 spec., same data, but 13.iv.2013, R. Fouqué leg. ( JSCL) ; 5 spec., same data, but 10.x.2013, P. Kučera leg.( PKCL) ; 1 spec., wadi Al Mughsayl , 16°52ʹN, 53°43ʹE, 120 m, 10.iv.2013, P. Kučera leg. ( PKCL) ; 3 spec., Sarfayt env., 16°41ʹ23ʺN, 53°08ʹ02ʺE, 580 m, 4.x.2013, P.Kučera leg.( PKCL) . YEMEN: 1J, Hadramaut ( BMNH) .

Habitat. Found in a small concrete dam on a stream on the bottom of a forested wadi ( Fig. 8 ), and in larger pools in vegetated wadis.

Distribution. A species described from Somalia and subsequently recorded also from Saudi Arabia ( BRANCUCCI 1985). The single record of similar species H. pictus from Yemen ( GAHAN 1895) belongs in fact also to H. africanus . First records from Oman.

Figures

Figs 8–9. Aquatic habitats in Dhofar, Oman. 8 – stream in forested wadi Hannah dammed with a small concrete dam; 9 – residual pool in wadi with gravel bottom at Difa, partially with running water.