Colobostomoides marshalli socotraensis, Švihla, 2012

Švihla, Vladimír, 2012, A review of the family Oedemeridae (Coleoptera) of the Socotra Archipelago, Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 52, pp. 337-346 : 338-341

Colobostomoides marshalli socotraensis ssp. nov.

( Figs. 1–2 )

Type locality. Yemen, Socotra Island, Neet.

Type material. HOLOTYPE: J ( NMPC), ‘ Socotra I., x.2000 / Neet / V. Bejček, K. Šťastný lgt. [white label, printed] ’. PARATYPES ( NMPC), same label data, 2 JJ ; ‘ YEMEN, SOCOTRA Island SE / sandy beach by Wadi Dehlme / N 12°26′43″, E 54°16′54″ / L. Purchart & J.Vybíral lgt. [white label, printed]’, 3JJ ; ‘ YEMEN, SOCOTRA ISLAND / ca. 3 km NE of SHUAB / Avicennia marina mangrove ; / sand dunes, 20.–21.vi.2012 / 12°34.1′N 53°23.9′E, 3 m // SOCOTRA Expedition 2012 / J. Bezděk, J. Hájek, V. Hula, / P. Kment, I. Malenovský, / J. Niedobová & L. Purchart leg.’, 1 J .

Diagnosis. Length (J): 9.2–14.4 mm. Male terminalia similar to those of the nominotypical subspecies (cf. VÁZQUEZ 1996), female unknown.

Differential diagnosis. The newly described subspecies differs from the nominotypical form in the characters mentioned in Table 1 (cf. Figs. 1–2 and VÁZQUEZ 1996).

Comments. C. marshalli marshalli is hitherto known only from the Republic of South Africa (Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal provinces). It is probable, that C. marshalli socotraensis ssp. nov. was introduced to Socotra by ocean streams and here it differentiated on the subspecific level. However, there is also the possibility, that C. marshalli s. lat. originates from Socotra (and/or Asian mainland) and it was introduced to southern Africa by the commercial ships commuting, very frequent during the Antiquity and the Middle Ages. Another possibility is that this species is widely distributed from South Africa to Yemen, but still has not been discovered in the intermediate areas. This pattern of distribution is known for example in Stenoria muiri Kaszab, 1956 (Meloidae) – Yemen and southern Mozambique, with two subspecies scarcely distinct by phenetic characters.

Pronotum pale lemon yellow with narrow medio-longi- Pronotum either entirely pale lemon yellow or (in one tudinal terra-cotta to sienna stripe, not reaching anterior specimen) almost entirely sienna with narrow anterior, and posterior margin. ventro-lateral and posterior paler margins only.

Elytra more or less darkened submarginally. Elytra either entirely pale lemon yellow or (in one specimen) almost entirely sienna with narrow sutural and lateral margins only.

Etymology. Named according to its distribution.

Distribution. Endemic to Socotra Island.

Figures

Figs. 1–4. General habitus of Socotran Oedemeridae. 1–2 – Colobostomoides marshalli socotraensis ssp. nov.; 3–4 – Dentostomus socotrensis (Švihla, 1986).