Pseudobium richteri (SCHEERPELTZ 1961)

Assing, V., 2012, On the Pseudobium species of the Palaearctic region. III. A new species from China, a new synonymy, a new combination, and additional records (Insecta Coleoptera Staphylinidae Paederinae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 44 (1), pp. 409-419 : 411

Pseudobium richteri (SCHEERPELTZ 1961)

M a t e r i a l e x a m i n e d: Iran: 5 exs., Kerman, 100 km E Hajiabad, 4 km W Sorkhan , 28°20'N ; 56°51'E, 1430 m, 20.IV.2006, leg. Frisch & Serri ( MNHUB, cAss). Oman: 47 exs., Batinah province, Al-Jabal al-Ahdar mts., SE Ruataq , W Awabi , Wadi Bani Awf , 23°20'N, 57°29'E, 430 m, light-trap, 19.-20.XII.2009, leg. Lehmann et al. (cPüt, cAss) ; 71 exs., same data, but 29.-30.XII.2009 (cPüt, cAss) ; 1 ex., Al-Sharqiyah province, 12 km SE junction Road 23, Wadi b. Khalid, Wadi al-Batha, 17°11'N, 54°05'E, 250 m, light-trap, 26.XII.2009, leg. Lehmann et al. (cPüt). Yemen: 2 exs., Al Hudaydah gov., Jabal Bura valley forest NP, 14°52'N, 43°25'E, 240-350 m, light, 4.XI.2010, leg. Hlavá (cAss) .

C o m m e n t: Pseudobium richteri was previously known from southern Iran and Afghanistan ( ASSING 2007), and was recently reported also from Israel (ASSING & FELDMANN 2012). The above specimens from Oman and Yemen represent new country records. For a map illustrating the previously known distribution see ASSING (2007). It should be noted that the illustrations of the aedeagus of P. richteri in BOHA (1988) are either misleading or refer to a species that is not conspecific with the above material. Based on the illustration of the aedeagus provided by COIFFAIT (1982), it does not seem unlikely that the type material of P. buettikeri ( COIFFAIT 1979) , which was described from Saudi Arabia, is conspecific with P. richteri .