Freyula psammarina psammarina Koch, 1959

Purchart, Luboš, 2014, Two new species of the genera Zophosis and Oxycara, and a new record of the genus Freyula from the Island of Socotra (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) *, Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 54, pp. 231-240 : 238-239

Freyula psammarina psammarina Koch, 1959

(Fig. 18)

Material examined (21 spec.). YEMEN: SOCOTRA ISLAND: Noged plain, sand dunes, N 12°2ʹ09ʺ E 53°01ʹ47ʺ, 11 m, 6.–7.xii.2003, 5 spec., D. Král leg. ( NMPC) ; Halla area , Arher, freshwater spring in sand dune, N 12°33ʹ00ʺ, E 54°27ʹ36ʺ, 5 m, 9.–10. + 15.vi.2012, 11 spec., L. Purchart leg. ( LPCB) ; same data, 5 spec., J. Hájek leg. ( NMPC) .

Comments. The genus Freyula was described by KOCH (1959) from Somalia with F. psammarina as the type species (by monotypy). Later, KOCH (1960) added a new subspecies F. psammarina gravitrix Koch, 1960 from the same country. I did not study the types of F. p. gravitrix but I had the opportunity to compare the specimens collected on the Island of Socotra with the type series of F. p. psammarina deposited in the Natural History Museum in London. I found no distinct differences between the Socotran population and the nominotypical subspecies, except for the body length which is somewhat higher in specimens from Socotra (2.5–2.8 mm compared to 1.5–2.0 mm in nominotypical sub- Fig. 18. Freyula psammarina psammarina Koch, 1959 , species). Furthermore, I compared specimens habitus in dorsal view. Scale bar = 1 mm. from Socotra with the original description of

F. p. gravitrix and found differences between those populations that were identical with the differences described by KOCH (1960) between F. p. gravitrix and F. p. psammarina . I therefore refer specimens from Socotra to the nominotypical subspecies.

Collection circumstances. Specimens of this psammophilous species were collected on the seashore in sand between roots of halophilous plants together with members of the genera Trachyscelis Latreille, 1809 and Philhammus Fairmaire, 1871 . This observation fully agrees with that of KOCH (1959) for the Somali population.

Distribution. Somalia. New record for the genus and species from the Socotra Archipelago.