Graphipterus barthelemyi Dejean, 1830

Renan, Ittai, Assmann, Thorsten & Freidberg, Amnon, 2018, Taxonomic revision of the Graphipterusserrator (Forskal) group (Coleoptera, Carabidae): an increase from five to 15 valid species, ZooKeys 753, pp. 23-82 : 32

Graphipterus barthelemyi Dejean, 1830 Figs 3a, 6c, 9a, 17, 20 a–b

Types.

Holotype: ♂ (Blue label, black handwritten): <Barthelemyi. Solier/. in Barbaria. Tunis. D. Barthelemyi>. (White label with brown margin, brown letters, handwritten): <EX Musaeo/Chaudoir>. (Red label, black letters, type written): <TYPE>. Deposited in NHMB, Chaudoir collection [examined].

Diagnosis.

Medium-sized species with grayish or yellowish scales usually cover the elytra and sometimes also on the pronotum. Elytra pattern rarely visible with six lateral margin extensions and 18-24 isolated white circular to elongated spots occur on elytra.

Description.

BL male: 13.0-17.0 mm, average 15.8 ± 1.5 mm; BL female: 15.5-17.0 mm, average 16.3 ± 0.6 mm. Grayish with elytral white blurred spots and extensions.

Head slender: HW/PW: 0.72; EYL: 1.1-1.4 mm; EYL/EL: 0.15. Mentum without teeth (Fig. 3a). Frontal ridge reduced. In male, apical white frons stripes slenderer than exposed frons (cf. Fig. 4a).

Pronotum wide; PL/PW: 0.63; BPW/BPW/PW: 0.6; posteromedially concave and with white lateral margin, as wide as antennomere I long: white slushy scales cover disc sometimes.

Elytra wide, elytron margin almost continuously rounded from humeri to posterolateral angles; EL: 7.1-8.8 mm, average 8.2 mm; EW: 6.5-7.8 mm, average 7.3 mm; EL/EW: 1.1. Elytra longitudinally flat, usually with grayish scales, disc visible between scales (Fig. 6c); extensions and lateral margin blurred. Lateral margin nearly as wide as antennomere I long and with six extensions; extension I usually elongated; white posterior margin almost touches suture at apex. Disc with 18-24 rounded, usually elongated spots, anterior pair of spots elongate, as wide as extension I; posterior pair of spots rounded, located toward suture; round spots located posterior to third extensions laterally in imaginary lateral line as posterior spots. Apical sinuation slightly developed to straight, apex not protuberant, broadly rounded, especially medially (Fig. 7c). Suture inconspicuous.

Legs medium; MTIL: 4.5-6.5 mm, average 5.7 mm; El/MTIL: 1.7. Metatibial secondary spur brown. MTAL: 3.5-4.4 mm, average 4 mm; MTAL/MTIL: 0.8. Claws of hind legs brown at base.

Median lobe of aedeagus with short unbent tip (Fig. 9a).

Comparisons.

Distinguished from all other species of the G. serrator group by white lateral margins merged at the posterior margin of the pronotum. Median lobe of aedeagus with short, straight tip.

Habitat.

Unknown. The species was found exclusively in coastal dune habitats.

Co-occurring species.

Graphipterus barthelemyi lives in sympatry with G. luctuosus in Tunisia.

Distribution.

Restricted to north-east Tunisia (Fig. 17).

Conservation.

The restricted distribution range of the endemic species and the decline of the coastal sandy habitat as a result of increasing anthropogenic pressures (e.g., tourism activities, urbanization, etc.) threaten at least the long-term survival of the species.

Comments.

Both Basilewsky (1977) and Lorenz (2005) note in error that G. barthelemyi was described by Dejean (1831).