Pelochares sinbad, Hernando & Ribera & Csic, 2014

Hernando, Carles, Ribera, Ignacio & Csic, 2014, The Limnichidae (Coleoptera) of the Arabian Peninsula and the island of Socotra, Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 54, pp. 173-189 : 174-178

Pelochares sinbad sp. nov.

( Figs 1 , 6–7 )

Type locality. Oman, Sur ( Fig. 15A ).

Type material. HOLOTYPE: J ( MNCN), ‘11 Oman 9.4.2010 15 km SW Sur / residual pools in wadi Rd. 23 / N22º27ʹ51.9ʺ E59º23ʹ15.2ʺ 85m, Ribera, Cieslak & Hernando leg.’ [genitalia dissected and mounted in DMHF on a transparent card pinned with the specimen] . PARATYPES (67 specimens, CHBS, IBEB, MNCN, NHMO, NHMW, NMPC, UAEIC): 9 spec.: same data as holotype ; 6 spec.: ‘8 Oman 7.4.2010 Murri env. / wadi Bani Ghafir , stream with pools / N23º29ʹ46.2ʺ E56º53ʹ34.8ʺ 759m / Ribera, Cieslak & Hernando leg.’ [1 spec. used for DNA extraction, voucher IBE-RA123; preserved in absolute ethanol] ; 1 spec.: ‘10 Oman 9.4.2010 Muqal / wadi Bani Khalid residual pools / N22º36ʹ16.9ʺ E59º05ʹ15.2ʺ 649m / Ribera, Cieslak & Hernando leg.’ [preserved in absolute ethanol] ; 12 spec.: ‘12 Oman 9.4.2010 1 km W Qalhat / residual pools in wadi / N22º41ʹ25.4ʺ E59º22ʹ03.0ʺ 88m, Ribera, Cieslak & Hernando leg. ’; 15 spec.: ‘ UAE 10387 - Wadi Wurayah farm / 25º23ʹN 56º19ʹE, 15.01- 22.02.2009 / light trap, leg. A. van Harten’ ; 4 spec.: ‘ UAE 12169 - Wadi Maidaq / 25º18ʹN 56º07ʹE, 12.06- 15.07.2006 / light trap, leg. A. van Harten’ ; 20 spec.:‘ UAE 15642 - Wadi Safad / 25º13ʹN 56º19ʹE, 04.03- 04.05.2006 / light trap, leg. A. van Harten’ ; 19 spec.: ‘ UAE: Ras al-Khaimah / (south), Wadi Shawkah / Hajar Mountains ( UAE 2) / ca. 80 km ESE Dubai / 23.I.10, leg. M.A. Jäch // residual pools / above dammed area / ca. 303 m a.s.l. / 25º06′14.1″N / 56º02′46.4″E’ ; 1 spec.: ‘ UAE: Fujairah (north) / Wadi Wurayah ( UAE 4) / Hajar Mountains, ca. 10 / km NW Khor Fakkan / 24.I.10, leg .

M.A. Jäch // stream, flowing through / trough valley / ca. 222 m a.s.l. / 25º23′41.8″N / 56º16′04.8″E’; 7 spec.: ‘ UAE: Fujairah (north) / Wadi Wurayah ( UAE 5) / Hajar Mountains , ca. 10 / km NW Khor Fakkan / 24.I.10,leg. M.A. Jäch // residual pool / in main valley / ca. 240 m a.s.l. / 25º23′14.9″N / 56º15′55.5″E’ ; 10 spec.: ‘ UAE: Fujairah ( UAE 11) / Wadi Hayl / Hajar Mountains / 26.I.10, leg. M.A. Jäch // ca. 2 km SW Hayl Village / ca. 12 km SW Fujairah / City , small stream // flowing trough oasis / ca. 234-240 m a.s.l. / 25º04′58′N / 56º13′28″E’ .

Description. Length 2.0– 2.2 mm; maximum width 1.0– 1.1 mm. Body elongate, oval but with middle part rather parallel-sided ( Fig. 1 ). Dorsal surface black, covered with golden-silvery, short, very dense recumbent pubescence, with an alternate orientation forming a zig-zag; covered with uniform, strong setiferous punctures; surface between punctures smooth and shiny. Body appendages dark brown.

Head. Eyes flat, although visible from above; upper margin of eyes bordered, border reaching insertion of antennae. Surface of head posterior to eyes flat, without depressions or fossae. Antennae with 11 symmetrical antennomeres, apical four forming a loose club.

Pronotum transverse (ratio median length / width at base = 0.50); anterior angles acute; anterior margin of pronotum straight, without crenulations; with a weak border close to angles; posterior margin with a double sinuation; lateral margins slightly convergent, strongly bordered. Hypomeron flat, without depressions or fossae.

Elytra with humeral callus; lateral margins bordered from humerus to apex; apex acuminate, with a locking device. Membranous wings well developed.

Ventral surface with fine, long pubescence except on metaventrite. Surface of abdominal ventrites with uniform, strong and very dense punctures; surface between punctures reticulated-shagreened. Ventrites I–III connate (fused). Inter-metacoxal plate on first ventrite triangular, strongly acuminate; first ventrite with depressions for reception of metafemora and metatibiae.Apical ventrite strongly emarginate, with a blunt medial protuberance; pubescence denser in medial area (in males denser than in females).

Protibia without preapical comb of setae, with a small preapical denticle (as typical of the genus).

Male genitalia ( Fig. 6 ). Median lobe of aedeagus as long as parameres, apex acuminate. Parameres shorter than phallobase; apex of parameres slightly dilated, poorly sclerotised. Phallobase very long; base asymmetrical, with struts as long as median lobe. Genital segment symmetrical, spatuliform, with lateral paramere narrow and slightly shorter than medial lamina. Ventrite VIII V-shaped.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 7 ). Ovipositor relatively short, straight.

Etymology. Named after Sinbad the Sailor (noun in apposition), a figure of the Middle Eastern folklore believed by some to be born in Sohar ( Oman).

Collection circumstances. We collected the specimens from Oman inhabiting the margins of residual pools in wadis (temporary rivers), on a substratum of gravel and stones ( Figs 15A,B ). Specimens from the United Arab Emirates were collected at light, in the proximity of wadis.

Distribution. Known from the north of Oman and the United Arab Emirates ( Fig. 16 ).

Remarks. Pelochares sinbad sp. nov. differs from the African species described and fi- gured by DELÈVE (1968) by the male aedeagus. It differs from P. murinus (Baudi, 1870) in the body shape (in P. murinus more oval, with acuminate elytra) and the shape of the margins of the pronotum (completely straight in P. murinus ). There are no known species of Pelochares in other nearby areas, the nearest being in the Himalayas ( CHAMPION 1923; SPANGLER et al. 2001).

Figures

Figs 1–5. Habitus of the Limnichidae of Arabian Peninsula and Socotra Islands. 1 – Pelochares sinbad sp. nov.; 2 – P. sabaeanus sp. nov.; 3 – Limnichus arabicus sp. nov.; 4 – Byrrhinus socotrensis sp. nov.; 5 – B. helicophallus sp. nov. Upper scale bar applied to Figs 1–3, bottom scale bar to Figs 4–5.

Fig. 6. Male genitalia of a paratype of Pelochares sinbad sp. nov. A – aedeagus; B – genital segment; C – ventrite VIII. Scale bar: 0.5 mm.

Fig. 7. Female genitalia of Pelochares sinbad sp. nov.A – ovipositor; B – spiculum ventrale. Scale bar: 0.5 mm.

Fig. 15. Representative habitats where specimens of Limnichidae were found. A – Oman, wadi 15 km southwest of Sur, type locality of Pelochares sinbad sp. nov.; B – Oman, wadi west of Qalhat, also with P. sinbad sp. nov.; C – Western Yemen, Jabal Bura, type locality of Pelochares sabaeanus sp. nov. and Byrrhinus helicophallus sp. nov.; D – Socotra, wadi Dirhor (Esgego), type locality of B. socotrensis sp. nov.(photos:A–B –A. Cieslak; C–D – J. Hájek)

Fig. 16. Distribution of the known Arabian Limnichidae. Blue circles – Pelochares sinbad sp. nov.; green circles – P. sabaeanus sp. nov.; red circles – Byrrhinus helicophallus sp. nov.; yellow circles – B. socotrensis sp. nov.; purple circle – Limnichus arabicus sp. nov. With question marks, specimens of uncertain identity from Ethiopia; inset – detailed distribution of B. socotrensis sp. nov. in Socotra.