Xylomedes bidasi, Jerzy & Andrzej & Marek, 2021

Jerzy, Borowski, Andrzej, Lasoń & Marek, Sławski, 2021, Remarks on Xylomedes Lesne, 1902 with description of a new species from Iran (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae, Apatinae), Zootaxa 4941 (2), pp. 291-300 : 299-300

1. Xylomedes bidasi n. sp.

Distribution: Iran, the Zagros Mts.

2. Xylomedes carbonnieri ( Lesne, 1897)

Apate carbonnieri Lesne, 1897: 235

Distribution: Algeria, Libya, Tunisia.

Note. The least frequently collected species, inhabiting mainly desertic localities (like oases) in southern Algeria, Libya and Tunisia.

3. Xylomedes cornifrons ( Baudi di Selve, 1873)

Apate cornifrons Baudi di Selve, 1873: 334

Note. Label data of syntypes (2 females) of Apate cornifrons Baudi di Selve : “ Cyprus, 88.57; Xylomedes ♀ cornifrons Baudi, P. Lesne vid. 07”, ( NHML) .

In several publications P. Lesne emphasised the striking similarity between X. rufocoronata and X. cornifrons ; based on rich material from almost all European public and private collections the authors support his conclusion formulated in the final part of the Bostrichidae monograph ( Lesne 1909), at the end of the description of X. cornifrons : “Le X. cornifrons n’est peut-être qu’une race régionale de l’espèce suivante, X. rufocoronata .”. In view of minor morphological differences and—hitherto—lack of compact distribution of X. cornifrons and X. rufocoronata , we decided to treat them as subspecies:

3a. Xylomedes cornifrons cornifrons ( Baudi di Selve, 1873)

Xylomedes turcica Lesne, 1941: 134 n. syn.

Note. Label data of the holotype of Xylomedes turcica Lesne : “ Turkey, Sureya Bey; Pres. by Imp. Inst. Ent. Brit. Mus. 1931-56; Xylomedes turcica , male, Lesne type, P. Lesne vid”, ( NHML) .

Examination of the type specimen of X. turcica showed beyond doubt that it is a younger synonym of X. cornifrons (Baudi) . Distribution: Cyprus, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey.

3b. Xylomedes cornifrons rufocoronata ( Fairmaire, 1892) n. stat.

Apate rufocoronata Fairmaire, 1892: 104

Note. Label data of syntypes (2 females) of Apate rufocoronata Fairmaire : “ Obock; Apate rufocoronata Frm. n. sp. type, 175” ( MNHN) .

Distribution: Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenia, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Socotra, Somalia, Sudan, Tunisia, Yemen.

4. Xylomedes coronata ( Marseul, 1883)

Apate coronata Marseul, 1883: 183 (female)

Apate sericans Marseul, 1883: 183 (male of X. coronata )

Distribution: Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia.

Note. The species occurring mainly in the western part of North Africa, becoming progressively rarer eastwards.

5. Xylomedes laticornis ( Lesne, 1895)

Apate laticornis Lesne, 1895: 178

Distribution: Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Yemen.

6. Xylomedes scutifrons Lesne, 1908

Xylomedes scutifrons Lesne, 1908: 427

Distribution: Namibia

Note. X. scutifrons , although widely distributed in the Namib and Kalahari deserts, has been hitherto known only from Namibia. It seems to be a circumdesertic species inhabiting mainly semideserts, and its occurrence in the RSA, Botswana, or even Angola, Zambia or Zimbabwe cannot be excluded.