Microlestes discoidalis (Fairmaire, 1892)

Rasool, Iftekhar, Abdel-Dayem, Mahmoud S., Felix, Ron F. F. L. & Aldhafer, Hathal M., 2018, The Dromiusina Bonelli, 1810 of southwestern Saudi Arabia with description of a new species (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Lebiini), ZooKeys 771, pp. 73-103 : 73

Microlestes discoidalis (Fairmaire, 1892) Figures 16, 29, 42, 52

Blechrus discoidalis Fairmaire, 1892: 83.

Microlestes schmiedeknechti Pic, 1900: 91.

Type locality.

Djibouti, Obock

Type depository.

Holotype in MHNP.

Material examined.

51 specimens: Al Baha: 2♂, 1♀, "KSA, Al Makhwa, Shada Al Aala, 19°52.598'N 41°18.672'E Alt. 892 m, 26. I.2015, (LT)., 3♂, 8♀, "19°52.598'N 41°18.672'E Alt. 892 m, 15-16. II.2014, (LT), I. Rasool, 1♂ "19°50.329'N 41°18.604'E Alt. 1563 m, 21. IV.2014, (LT)., 1♂, "19°52.598'N 41°18.672'E Alt. 892 m, 23.IV.2014, (LT), H. Al Dhafer, M.S. Abdel-Dayem & H. H. Fadl, I. Rasool". 1♂, 1♀, "19°52.685'N 41°18.663'E Alt. 851 m, 15.XI.2015, (LT)., 1♀, "19°52.717'N 41°18.712'E Alt. 825 m, 13.XI.2015, (LT), Al Dafer H., M.S. Abdel-Dayem., H. H. Fadl., El Gharbawy., El Turkey & Soliman, A". Asir: 1♀, "KSA, Abha, Rayda, 18°11.749'N 42°23.345'E Alt. 1614 m, 24.II.2014, (LT), I. Rasool". 1♂, "Wadi Rayda, 18°11.749'N 42°23.345'E Alt. 1614 m, 24.III.2014, (LT), S. A. El-Sonmbati". 1♀, "18°11.749'N 42°23.345'E Alt. 1614 m, 30. I.2015, (LT), H. Al Dhafer, M.S. Abdel-Dayem, H. H. Fadl, A. El Turkey, A. Elgarbway & I. Rasool". 2♀, "Al Manznar, Wadi Baqrah, 18°47.476'N 41°56.310'E Alt. 331 m, 13.III.2012, (LT), H. AL Dhafer, M. S Abdel-Dayem & H. H. Fadl". 1♂, "Wadi Quonunah, 19°25.457'N 41°36.141'E Alt. 353 m, 12.V.2011, (LT), M.R. Sharaf". 1♀, "Al Magardah, Wadi Yabah, 18°47.977'N 42°01.375'E Alt. 411 m, 2.VI.2012, (LT), H. Al Dhafer & A. Al Ansi". 2♀, "19°14.911'N 41°47.255'E Alt. 402 m, 11.X.2013, (LT)., 5♀, 1♂, "Al Hubail, Wadi Reem, 20.X.2014, 18°06.981'N 42°13.939'E Alt. 451 m, (LT), I. Rasool & M. Al Harbi". Jazan: 6♂, 7♀, "KSA Adrab, Wadi Baiz, 17°37.562'N 42°22.242'E Alt. 75 m, 24.II.2015, (HP), I. Rasool".1♂, 2♀, "Fifa, Al Absia, 17°15.831'N 43°60.498'E Alt. 1770 m, 23.III.2014, (LT)., 1♂, "17°15.831'N 43°60.498'E Alt. 1770 m 20.III.2014, (LT), S. A. El-Sonmbati" [KSMA].

Description.

Small beetles (Fig. 29), TBL 2.25-3.47 mm. Color: Dorsum and ventrum of head and pronotum black; femora, tarsomeres, mouthparts and epipleurae dark brown; antennae, abdomen, lateral margins, suture, base and apex of elytra -dark brown, elytra with two large pale testaceous macula. Microsculpture: Head, clypeus and labrum with isodiametric mesh pattern; pronotum with irregular and ventrum of head, thorax and abdomen with regular transverse microlines; elytra with transverse microlines on base, apex and lateral margins. Head: as long as wide, as wide as width of pronotum, HL and HW 0.52-0.70 mm; eyes large and prominent, tempora short (Fig. 16) Pronotum: Slightly wider than long, PL 0.38-0.56 mm and PW 0.49-0.69 mm; pronotum narrowed and sinuate posteriorly, basal angles very weak, base of pronotum lobate in middle (Fig. 16). Elytra: Elytra parallel sized; EL 1.07-1.77 mm, EW 0.78-1.27 mm. Abdomen: Apical margin of last sternum bi–setose in both males and females, rounded in males, slightly incised in females. Aedeagus: Shape of aedeagus (Fig. 42), AL 0.58 mm; in lateral view, aedeagus strongly curved dorsally and ventrally, blunt base, broadened in the middle, narrowed apically; apical lamina elongated and with blunt end; endophallus armature of aedeagus elongate and slender with pointed end.

Affinities.

This species is very similar to M. glabrellus ( Reitter 1901) in body size, shape of pronotum, large eyes, and short tempora, but can be differentiated by the two large and elongated pale testaceous discal maculae on the elytra and suppressed transverse microlines on the elytra. Endophallus armature of aedeagus elongate and slender.

Ecological notes.

The species was attracted to UV–light at low elevated areas to high mountainous areas at 75-1770 m range of altitude (Fig. 52). In day time, it remains hidden under gravels and leaf litter below the shade of small shrubs and vegetation; and can be easily collected by aspirator.

Geographical distribution.

This species was described from Djibouti ( Fairmaire 1892) and is now widely distributed in Afghanistan, Chad, Eritrea, Iran, Israel, Kenya, Mauritania, Niger, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Turkey, Yemen, United Arab Emirates ( Felix 2009, Kabak 2003, 2017, Anichtchenko 2017). It exemplifies Afrotropico–Indo–Mediterranean chorotype.