Cornucistela serrata Campbell, 1980

Nabozhenko, M. V. & Matsumoto, K., 2021, New data on diagnostics and distribution of the little-known comb-clawed beetle Cornucistela serrata (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae: Alleculinae), Zoosystematica Rossica (Zoosyst. Rossica) 30 (1), pp. 8-12 : 9

Cornucistela serrata Campbell, 1980

( Figs 1–8 )

Material examined. Saudi Arabia: “Arabia: S. Hedjax [Hejaz], Qui’iya . 14.viii.1931. H. St. J. B. Philby. B.M.1931-549 // NHMUK014381294 ”, 1 male ( NHM) .

Note. We found only two localities with similar names in Saudi Arabia: Qai’iya (=Al-Qai’yah; 24°19 ′ N 43°31 ′ E) and Quai’iya (=Al Quway’iyah; 24°03 ′ N 45°15 ′ E). Both villages are located in the Riyadh Province of Saudi Arabia, and not in the south of the historical region Hejaz , where the specimen was ostensibly collected. Hejaz includes six current provinces in the west of Saudi Arabia. We found that Philby travelled near Taif and As-Shafa in Southern Hejaz and from Mecca to Riyadh during August–October 1931, according to the inventory of the Philby archive (“collection”) available online (Harry St John Philby collection, 2004). However, localities with the name “Qui’iya” or similar are absent in the Hejaz region (at least we did not find it on available maps of the 20th century and modern maps). The second of two localities listed above, village Quai’iya (=Al Quway’iyah; 24°03 ′ N 45°15 ′ E), is situated on the road between the latter two cities and two regions, Hejaz and Riyadh. We assume that the specimen was collected there.

Diagnostic characters of the specimen. Body rufo-testaceous, pronotum and head slightly darker than elytra. Ocular index 48. Ratios of length: width of antennomeres 1–11: 1.5: 1.5, 1.2: 1.1 (l = 1.09), 2.5: 1.9 (l = 1.32), 2.1: 2.5 (t = 1.19), 1.7: 2.7 (t = 1.58), 1.9: 2.8 (t = 1.64), 1.7: 2.8 (t = 1.64), 1.8: 2.8 (t = 1.55), 2.0: 2.5 (t = 1.25), 1.9: 2.4 (t = 1.26), 2.5: 2.0 (l = 1.25). Basal margin of pronotum straight in middle, fully pubescent with moderately long dense setae. Elytra covered with clear dense recumbent pubescence; setae longer and suberect on lateral sides and apical parts of elytra.

Distribution. The species is distributed in central Saudi Arabia. The locality in western Saudi Arabia (Hejaz region) on the map shown by Novák & Nabozhenko (2019) is erroneous. Here we use for our map ( Fig. 9 ) the following localities and coordinates published for the expedition of Prof. Wilhelm Büttiker, who collected the type series of C. serrata in Saudi Arabia in 1977–1978 ( Sabatinelli & Pontuale, 1998): Wadi Khumra (24°57 ′ N 46°06 ′ E; type locality), Heith, 40 km S of Riyadh (24°29 ′ N 47°00 ′ E), and Kushm al-Buwaybiyat (25°12 ′ N 46°50 ′ E).

Figures

Figs 1–8. Cornucistela serrata, male from Quai’iya. 1, habitus, dorsally; 2, pubescence of elytra; 3, abdominal ventrites; 4, left antennomere; 5, head and pronotum; 6–8, aedeagus (6, laterally; 7, ventrally; 8, ventrally, turned forward, with apical part in normal position). Scale bars: 5 mm (1), 1 mm (2–4, 6–8), 2 mm (5).

Fig. 9. Cornucistela serrata, distribution. 1, Wadi Khumra (holotype); 2, Heith (paratypes); 3, Kushm al-Buway- biyat (paratypes); 4, Quai’iya (specimen collected by Philby).