Dromius saudiarabicus, Rasool, Abdel-Dayem & Felix

Rasool, Iftekhar, Abdel-Dayem, Mahmoud S., Felix, Ron F. F. L. & Aldhafer, Hathal M., 2018, The Dromiusina Bonelli, 1810 of southwestern Saudi Arabia with description of a new species (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Lebiini), ZooKeys 771, pp. 73-103 : 73

Dromius saudiarabicus, Rasool, Abdel-Dayem & Felix sp. n. Figures 6, 12, 23, 38, 48, 50

Type material.

23 specimens: HOLOTYPE, male in KSMA, point-mounted, labeled: "KSA, Asir, Abha, Rayda, 18°11.695'N 42°23.818'E Alt. 1897 m, 21.X.2014, (LT), H. Al Dhafer, M.S. Abdel-Dayem, H.H. Fadl, A. El Turkey & A. Elgarbawy" / "Holotype [red label] Dromius saudiarabicus sp. n." [printed label]. Paratypes: Total 22 specimens, sex and label data as follows. "4♀, same as holotype". 1♀, same as holotype except, 18.XI.2015, H. Al Dhafer, M.S. Abdel-Dayem, H.H. Fadl, A. El Turkey, A. Elgarbawy & Soliman, A". 1♂, 1♀, same as holotype except, "18°12.315'N 42°24.607'E Alt. 2761 m, 30.II.2014., "1♀, same as holotype except "18°11.766'N 42°24.315'E Alt. 2285 m, 20.X.2014., 2♀, same as holotype except "18°11.884'N 42°24.435'E Alt. 2387 m, 20.X.2014., 1♂, 1♀, same as holotype except "18°12.315'N 42°24.607'E Alt. 2761 m, 20.X.2014., 2♂, same as holotype except "18°12.095'N 42°24.536'E Alt. 2578 m, 20.X.2014., 1♂, 1♀ same as holotype except, "18°12.095'N 42°24.536'E Alt. 2578 m, 18.XI.2015, H. Al Dhafer, M.S. Abdel-Dayem, H.H. Fadl, A. El Turkey, A. Elgarbawy & Soliman, A". 2♂, 2♀ same as holotype except, "18°11.766'N 42°24.315'E Alt. 2285 m, 18.XI.2015, H. Al Dhafer, M.S. Abdel-Dayem, H.H. Fadl, A. El Turkey, A. Elgarbawy & Soliman, A" [KSMA]. 1♀ same as holotype except, "18°12.315'N 42°24.607'E Alt. 2761 m, 20. X.2014., 1♂, same as holotype except, "18°11.884'N 42°24.435'E Alt. 2387 m, 20.X.2014" [RMNH]. All paratypes with second label reading "Paratype Dromius saudiarabicus sp. n." [yellow label]

Type locality.

Rayda Nature Reserve (18°12'N, 42°24'E), 20 km northwest the city of Abha, Asir Province, southwestern Saudi Arabia.

Specific epithet.

The specific epithet is a Latinized adjective in the masculine form based on country Saudi Arabia, from which the new species is described.

Diagnosis.

Adults of Dromius saudiarabicus sp. n. have all the features of other members of subgenus Dromius Bonelli, 1810 and can be distinguished from them by the following combination of external features: dorsum of head and pronotum rufous to rufo-testaceous, Elytra dark brown, with testaceous maculae, antennae, mandibles, palpi, and legs; head without microlines, but with mesh pattern isodiametric on the vertex, frons smooth; head longer than wide; tempora long with strongly constricted neck; pronotum not strongly transverse, narrowed and sinuate posteriorly before angles.

Description.

Habitus: Body form (Fig. 21) elongate subparallel sized species, TBL Holotype 6.90 mm, male 6.80-7.30 mm, female 7.00-8.00 mm. Color: Dorsum of head and pronotum rufous to rufo–testaceous; antennae, mandibles, palpi and legs testaceous. Elytra dark brown, with testaceous macula suture below scutellum with different expending range, but never reaching middle or lateral border of elytra; epipleurae testaceous anteriorly and dark brown posteriorly; ventrum of thorax testaceous, abdominal sternites dark brown laterally and testaceous medially, sometimes sternites III–V completely dark brown. Microsculpture: Head without microlines, but with mesh pattern isodiametric on the vertex, frons smooth; pronotum with distinct transverse wrinkles medially along the median longitudinal impression, smooth laterally; elytra with mesh pattern isodiametric, microlines absent; thoracic ventrum smooth; abdomen with microlines. Luster: Head, pronotum and ventrum glossy, elytra moderately dull. Head: Small and obtuse (Fig. 12), Holotype HL 1.36 mm and HW 1.16 mm; tempora long with strongly constricted neck; surface smooth with two pairs of supraorbital setae; clypeus smooth, larger than labrum, with a pair of setae; labrum almost as long as wide, rounded laterally, with anterior margins slightly convex; last segments of maxillary and labial palpi pointed; mentum without median tooth; antennae long filiform, extending beyond base of pronotum by three antennomeres; antennomeres I, III and IV equal in length and longer than the rest; antennomeres II shortest; antennomeres V–IX subequal; pubescence starts from antennomere IV. Pronotum: more or less transverse, (Fig. 12) Holotype PL 1.05 mm and PW 1.24 mm; median longitudinal impression deep; narrowed posteriorly, slightly sinuate before basal angles; provided with two pairs of lateral setae; anterior margins of pronotum concave with rounded angles and basal margins straight with almost right angles. Elytra: subparallel sided, Holotype WL 4.10 mm and EW 2.50 mm, broadened in the posterior third; humeri broadly rounded; striae clear; apices of elytra slightly obliquely truncate; epipleurae ends before apical angles of elytra. Legs: Long and slender; protarsomeres I–III dilated in male; tarsomeres I shorter than V in fore legs, tarsomeres I as long as V in median and hind legs; claws with 2-3 tooth in the middle. Abdomen: abdominal sternite smooth, laterally pubescent; suture between III and IV sternite not complete; margins of last two sternite with lateral setae, last sternum emarginated medially in males and rounded in females; males and females with 8 anal setiferous punctures at the apical margin of the last sternum, 4 inner setiferous punctures shorter than outer in females. Aedeagus: Shape of aedeagus (Fig. 38), AL of Holotype 1.50 mm; in lateral view it is narrowed at both ends, broad in the middle, curved dorsally; apical lamina long, narrowed and depressed, rounded apically; basal side rounded and cylindrical.

Affinities.

Externally, Dromius saudiarabicus sp. n. is similar to D. buettikeri Mateu, 1990 and D. meridionalis Dejean, 1825, but it can be differentiated from both species by its dull surface, constricted neck, and shape and internal sac of aedeagus. It can also be separated from D. buettikeri by its comparatively less transverse pronotum, sinuate lateral margin of pronotum and tempora long. It is also separated from D. meridionalis by its slightly sinuate lateral margin of pronotum and absence of two ridges near eyes.

Ecological notes.

This species was collected at elevation of 1897-2761 m (Fig. 50) in Rayda Nature Reserve. Fully winged beetles were collected by UV–light traps from steep slopes covered in woodlands dominated by juniper Juniperus procera Hochst. Ex Endl. ( Cupressaceae ) (Fig. 48) and wild olive trees, Oleae europaea cuspidata (Wall. ex G. Don) Cif. ( Oleaceae ). Adults are collected only during October.

Geographical distribution.

This species is only known from the type locality in the Rayda Nature Reserve, Abha, on the southwestern edge of Al Souda Mountain, in the Asir Highlands of the southwestern of Saudi Arabia (Fig. 50).