Pharaonus (Pharaonus) varicoloreus ( Burmeister, 1844 )

Keith, Denis, Sabatinelli, Guido & Uliana, Marco, 2015, Synopsis of the genus Pharaonus (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Rutelinae), with descriptions of new taxa, Zootaxa 4012 (1), pp. 167-180 : 176-177

Pharaonus (Pharaonus) varicoloreus ( Burmeister, 1844)

( Figs. 9, 10 , 20 )

Examined material. Turkey, Adiyaman, Halfeti, Birecik, 20.V.98, leg. Snizek: 6 specimens ( DKCC, MUCC); Turkey, Adiyaman, Halfeti, 30.V.98, leg. Halada: 7 specimens ( DKCC); Iran, Gotvend, 1898–1899, leg. Escalera: 3 specimens ( DKCC, MNHN); Iran, Fars, Kazeroon, 25.V.1969, leg. Naviaux: 2 specimens ( DKCC); Iran, Kerman, Djegiran, 7.VI.57, leg. Pasquier: 4 specimens ( DKCC, MNHN); Iran, Tape Grayeli, 30.VI.57, leg. Dacht [?]Danial: 2 specimens ( HMIM); Iran, Mehran, 3.VI.1951, leg. [?]Fararhakheh: 1 specimen ( HMIM); Iran, Andimeshk, 10.V.1969, leg. Zairy Ay: 1 specimen ( HMIM); Iran, Zagros Mt., prov. Fars, Shiraz – Guyom eoj., 6.VI.2011, leg. J. Dalihod: 2 ♂ ( MUCC); Syria, environs of Palymra, 25.5.2009, leg. M. Šárovec: 3 ♂ ( MUCC); Irak, Djebel Makloub, 11.V.1961, 800– 1000 m, leg. Rémaudière: 1 specimen ( MNHN).

Distribution. Turkey, Iran, Syria, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait.

Remarks. This species was recorded from Israel by Chikatunov and Pavlicek (1997), based on specimens deposited in the Zoological Museum, Tel Aviv University and collected from the Arava Valley. In the entomological collections of the Zoological Museum, Tel Aviv University we found three specimens identified as P. varicoloreus : two of them were actually Tribopertha aegyptiaca ( Blanchard, 1851) (one from Wadi Ara, the other bears an unclear label) and the third specimen was Pharaonus fasciculatus bearing a correct identification label by R. Petrovitz. It is worth noting that none of these specimens came from the Arava Valley. According to the table provided by Král (2012: 133), there are three sources recording this species from Israel: Zorn (2006), in a catalogue not providing original data; Král (2012), which contradictorily does not contain any record for Israel; and Fairmaire (1881), under the name Phyllopertha mesopotamica Blanchard, 1851 . Fairmaire (1881) actually discussed a beetle from Caifa (=Haifa, Israel), identified as Phyllopertha mesopotamica , which is regarded as a synonym of P. varicoloreus . It is unclear how Fairmaire could identify his beetle as P. mesopotamica : the detailed description of his specimen/s does not fit the original description of the species ( Blanchard 1851). In addition, and most importantly, his specimen/s can by no means belong to the genus Pharaonus , as Fairmaire himself correctly argued, based on evidences such as the presence of a bifid mesoclaw. Therefore, there is no evidence that P. varicoloreus occurs in Israel.

Petrovitz (1980) introduced a name for a color form characterized by reddish-brown elytra, which is found mixed with the dark form. However, the name used does not have any nomenclatorial standing because clearly indicated as an aberration and was not retained a posteriori ( Zorn 2006) in accordance with article 10.2 of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature.

Figures

FIGURES 7 – 10. Habitus of Pharaonus (Pharaonus) species. 7: P. fasciculatus, male (Egypt). 8: P. saharicus, male paratype (Tamrit, Tassili n’Ajjer, Algeria). 9: P. varicoloreus, male (environs of Palymra, Syria). 10: P. varicoloreus, female (Birecik, Turkey).

FIGURES 15 – 23. Genitalia of Pharaonus. 15 – 19: aedeagus in dorsal, ventral, and lateral view of Pharaonus (Pharaonus): 15: P. adelphus, paratype (a-c) and holotype (d) (Kerman, Iran); 16: P. caucasicus (Gorovan, Armenia); 17: P. fasciculatus (Egypt); 18: P. farsensis, holotype (Darab, Iran); 19: P. saharicus, paratype (Tamrit, Tassili n’Ajjer, Algeria); 20: P. varicoloreus (Halfeti, Birecik, Adiyaman, Turkey). 21: female genital sclerites of P. adelphus (Kerman, Bakram-djord [= Bahramjerd], Iran). 22 – 23: aedeagus in dorsal, ventral, and lateral view of Pharaonus (Tamerlanius): 22: P. lederi (Koron 15 km Ekoc. Dzejran, Buckara, Uzbekistan); 23: P. semenowi (Kul'dzhuktau, Kizilkum desert, Uzbekistan).