Eulasia genei Truqui, 1848

Uliana, Marco & Sabatinelli, Guido, 2010, Revision of Eulasia genei Truqui, with description of Eulasia rittneri n. sp. from Israel and synonymic notes on related species (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea: Glaphyridae), Zootaxa 2436, pp. 28-56 : 32-36

Eulasia genei Truqui, 1848

Figs. 1–2 , 5–6, 9 , 11 , 13–17, 23 , 25

Diagnosis. The subgeneric placement in Eulasia (Rudeulasia) is based on the fine granulation of the pronotum, giving a matt appearance. Lateral margin of mandibles not protruding as a lobe. Protibiae of males not thickened or enlarged, without apical spur. Pronotum with sparse, stiff, erected setae of variable colour; longer along the anterior and lateral margins, much shorter, adpressed and spiniform along the midline. Each side of the pronotum with a large glabrous area, going from the basal margin to the anterior half of the pronotum and long as approximately 2/3 of the entire length of the pronotum. Very few sparse setae are sometimes present on the anterior part of this area. Elytra dehiscent, uniformly light brown, a metallic sheen is sometimes present but in the females only. In both sexes the sutural angle of the elytra is marked by a gentle, acute angle. The last two tergites of males are mostly orange and rarely have a faint metallic sheen on the penultimate tergite.

Type locality. “Hierosolymis” (Jerusalem).

Material examined. TYPE SERIES. Lectotype (male) and paralectotypes (3 males, 1 female), here designated ( MRSN). See “ The type specimens of Eulasia genei Truqui 1848 ” for details.

OTHER SPECIMENS. 527 specimens from the following localities have been examined. Full details of studied specimens are reported in Table 4 .

Iran: Chaldée Persane, entre Tcham-I-Kaw et le Sein- Merréh (1000–2000 m, puis 900 m). Elbourz, Talyche (0–2500 m). Louristan, Tala Zeudj (1400 m). Louristan, Tchahan-Dooul à Kirmanchah (900–1470 m). Kermanshah. Ghasr Chirin [Ghasr-e Shirin]. Khosravi. Poucht-é-Kouh, Sar-Bezin (1470 m). Poucht-é- Kouh, Halazard à Chirvan (2000– 900 m). Louristan, Le Sein-Merréh à Korrèmabad (650–1250 m). Mehran. Mehran Teha lab. Chaine Bordière S. O. de Suse à Ispahan (60–4500 m). Suse [Susa] (60 m). Khafr (2000– 2200 m). Choram. Kazeroun. Shiraz.

Turkey: Trojan Turquie, Bireçik.

Syria: Aleppo, Ain Darah (227 m). Aleppo, St. Simeon Archeol. remains, (Qala’at Samaan) (460–525 m). Aleppo, Dar Ezze (466 m). Aleppo. Dayr Hafir env.. Latakia, 35 km West Flinfah (77 m). Afamia (Apamea ruins) (268 m). 13 Km SE Hama (325 m). 41 Km E Hama, 25 Km E Salamiyah (503 m). Khirbat Duwayzin, 100 Km NW Palmyra (680 m). Damasco. Djebel Druze [=Djebel El Arab]. Djebel El Arab, Saleh (1400–1530 m). Bosra (700 m).

Israel (including occupied Palestinian territories): Golan Heights. Golan Heights, Mt. Hermon (750–1000 m). North Golan, Qalaat Nimrod (300–600 m). Golan, Odem forest. Golan, Mt. Merom (1000 m). Golan, Syrian Border, Bashanit Ridge Reserve (950 m). Gamla. South Golan, Hammat Gader (70 m). Lower Galilee, Nahal Arbel. Kinneret. Lower Galilee, Mt. Yavne’el, nera Mizpe Elot. Haifa. Lower Galilee, Kfar Hahoresh. Nazareth. Mt.Carmel, Ofer. Carmel Ridge, Dalya/Galed. 50 km S. Haifa, Nahal Oren Desert. Jordan Valley, 60 km N Jericho (- 240 m). Jordan Valley, 20 km North Jerico (40 km East Amman) (- 209 m). Jordan Valley, 28–40 km N. Jericho. Jordan Valley, Jericho (- 200 m). Wadi Farra, Jordantal [East Jericho] (200 m). Ma’ale Mikhmas, 50 km West Amman (200 m). Jerusalem. Bethl [Bethlehem].

Jordan: Amman Reg., Khisban env. (600 m). Hartha, 14 km N.Irbid, Abila (Quwayliba) archeol. Site (440 m). Umm Qais. Umm Qais, Al Himma (95 m). NW Ajlun, Kufr Alma. Pella (- 36 m). Pella env., 30Km W. Ajlun (- 80 m). Zubya Nat. Park (943 m). Wadi Rajib, 8 Km W.Kefraya (341 m). Valley, Al Arida (- 207 m). Salt-Al Arida (435– 200 m). Jordan, Zerkatal, b. Romana [Zarka Valley near Rumana] (200 m). Jubeiha N. Am. [Amman] (1000 m). 10km S. Salt (410 m). Amman transj. Amman West, Wadi Seer (600–721 m). Mt Nebo (668 m). Wadi el Mujib (0–200 m). Wadi El Hassa.

Distribution. Southeastern Turkey, western Iran, Iraq, Syria, northern Jordan, central and northern Israel, West Bank.

Interspecific variability. The large number of Eulasia genei specimens examined allowed us to define the intraspecific morphological variability. Size ranges from 11.5–13.0 mm in males and from 10.0–12.0 mm in females (from the apex of the clypeus to the apex of the elytra).

The metallic colour of the forebody is rather variable, although individuals with forebody colouration of dull green to green with yellow or orange reflections are far more common than others. Less common types of colour variation range from intense green to copper red or, rarely, purple. We observed a single green specimen with a blue reflection. Elytra are invariantly without a metallic reflection in males, while a coloured reflection is commonly present in females. Colour and intensity are both variable, the first going from light cyaneous/green to pink/purple, the second going from an almost unperceivable shine to a strongly metallic appearance covering the light brown integument. The colour of legs is most frequently copper red, with black tarsi. In all cases different colour forms are scattered across the entire distribution range with no geographic or population clustering.

A notable degree of variation is also observed in the colour of long pronotal setae. They can either be black or yellowish-white, with each of the two colours either alone or mixed with the other. A continuous gradient of intermediate conditions was observed, independent from the colour of the integument. Iranian populations distinguish themselves for having setae almost exclusively white, or white with an insignificant presence of black setae near the anterior angles. We evaluated whether to attribute these populations to a distinct subspecies based on this character, but concluded that such a distinction was unwarranted, since we could not find any other distinctive character and specimens with pronotal setae largely (sometimes completely) white are present also in other populations. Nevertheless, the presence of white setae on the pronotum seems to follow a gradient roughly going from NE (maximum presence) to SW (minimum presence), as shown in Table 1.

TABLE 1. Distribution in classes of colour of pronotal setae for Eulasia genei specimens from different countries.

Number of specimens with pronotal setal colour:

West Bank, Jerusalem-Dead Sea (n=13) 3 (23.1 %) 8 (61.5 %) 2 (15.4 %) -

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 4. Habitus of the investigated species. 1: male of Eulasia genei (Jordan, Hartha, 14 km N. Irbid, Abila (Quwayliba) archeol. Site). 2: female of Eulasia genei (Jordan, W Amman, Wadi Seer). 3: paratype male of Eulasia rittneri (Israel, Gaza border, Erez). 4: paratype female of Eulasia rittneri (Israel, Gaza border, Erez).

FIGURES 5 – 10. Details of pronotum punctation and setae of the investigated species. 5 – 6: male of Eulasia genei (Jordan, Hartha, 14 km N. Irbid, Abila (Quwayliba) archeol. Site). 7 – 8: paratype male of Eulasia rittneri (Israel, Tarqumia, NW Hebron). 9: female of Eulasia genei Truqui (Jordan, W Amman, Wadi Seer). 10: paratype female of Eulasia rittneri (Israel, Negev, Eshkol Nat. Park, Habesor).

FIGURES 11 – 12. Left paramere of primary type specimens. 11: Eulasia genei lectotype. 12: Eulasia rittneri holotype.

FIGURES 13 – 24. 13 – 17: left paramere of Eulasia genei showing variability in shape: 13 – 14: Syria, Afamia; 15: Iraq, Baji; 16: Jordan, Wadi Seer; 17: Iran, Khafr. 18 – 22: left paramere of Eulasia rittneri n. sp. (paratypes) showing variability in shape: 18 – 19: Israel, Beit Shemesh; 20: Israel, Netanya; 21: Israel, Erez Kibbutz; 22: Israel, Ze’elim. 23 – 24: Everted endophalli of Eulasia genei (Fig. 23; Israel, Bashanit Ridge Reserve) and E. rittneri (Fig. 24; Israel, Beit Shemesh). Arrows point to the diverticula most useful for specific distinction.

FIGURES 25 – 26. Female genital sclerites. 25: Eulasia genei (Syria, Afamia); 26: Eulasia rittneri paratype (Israel, Gaza border, Erez).