Diaphorocera hemprichi saudita Kaszab, 1983

Bologna, Marco A. & Turco, Federica, 2007, The Meloidae (Coleoptera) of the United Arab Emirates with an updated Arabian checklist, Zootaxa 1625 (1), pp. 1-33 : 9-10

Diaphorocera hemprichi saudita Kaszab, 1983

Distribution. This polytypic Saharo-Arabian species is distributed from Morocco to Egypt, Israel and northern Saudi Arabia. The ssp. saudita is recorded only from eastern Saudi Arabia, Oman and southern Iran ( Turco & Bologna 2007). Cited from U.A.E. by Gillet & Howarth (2004) and Gillet & Gillet (2005).

New records. U.A.E. Ras Al Khaimah Emirate, EA1, road E11 crossroad to the International Airport, 25,66708° N 55,76770° E, 5–10 m a.s.l., 11.iii.2005 M. Bologna & F. Turco coll. 5 exx., on Senecio glaucus coronopifolius (CB) . Ras Al Khaimah Emirate, EA2, 23 Km S International Airport on road E18 (Habab- Manama), 25,43997° N 55,98395° E, 120 m a.s.l., 11.iii.2005 M. Bologna & F. Turco coll. 2 exx., on Zygophyllum mandavillei (CB) . Abu Dhabi Emirate, EA4, Al Bateen dunes, 4 Km W Al Aïn on the road to Abu Dhabi, 24,20491° N 55,61263° E, 195 m a.s.l., 15.iii.2005 M. Bologna & F. Turco coll. 3 exx., on Tribulus omanense (CB) . Idem, 18.iii.2000, M. Gillet coll. 2 exx. (CB). Abu Dhabi Emirate, EA5, Al Jahar-Al Saad on road Al Aïn-Abu Dhabi, 24,21940° N 55,52091° E, 180 m a.s.l., 12.iii.2005 M. Bologna & F. Turco coll. 2 exx., on Zygophyllum mandavillei (CB) . Idem, 13.iii.2005, 1 ex. (CB). Abu Dhabi Emirate, EA10, Al Aïn, 3– 4 Km E Al Selimat on road Al Aïn-Abu Dhabi, 24,19263° N 55,58861° E, 220 m a.s.l., 13.iii.2005 M. Bologna & F. Turco coll. 1 ex., on Eremobium aegyptiacum (CB) . Idem, 15.iii.2005, 4 exx. on Tribulus omanense (CB) .

Remarks. The genus, recently revised by Turco & Bologna (2007), includes eight species distributed in the Saharan and Arabic deserts. Schneider (1991) considered doubtful the ssp. saudita , which is actually distinct only by its deeper punctation on the head and pronotum. We temporarily retained the validity of the subspecies.