Metadromius arabicus Mateu, 1979

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

Metadromius arabicus Mateu, 1979 Figures 3, 8, 10, 14

Metadromius arabicus Mateu, 1979: 151.

Type locality.

Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, Wadi Mazbil.

Type depository.

Holotype male in NHMB.

Material examined.

Holotype. Total 654 specimens: Male labeled "HOLOTYPE [red label]" / "Saudi Arabien, W. Büttiker” / "Wadi Mizbil, 13.4.1977" / " Metadromius arabicus n.sp. J. Mateu det. 1977". [NHMB] (Fig. 26). Al Baha: 1♂, "KSA, Al Makhwa, Shada Al Aala, 19°50.411'N 41°18.686'E Alt. 1611 m, 27.I.2015, (LT)., 1♀, "19°51.066'N 41°18.037'E Alt. 1325 m, 27.I.2015, (LT)., 1♂, 2♀, "19°50.710'N 41°18.267'E Alt. 1474 m, 15.II.2014, (LT)., 3♂, 5♀, "19°50.575'N 41°18.691'E Alt. 1666 m, 02.III.2015, (LT)., 1♂, "19°51.066'N 41°18.037'E Alt.1325 m, 02.III.2015, (LT)., 1♂, 1♀, "19°51.762'N 41°18.089'E Alt. 1225 m, 02.III.2015, (LT), H. Al Dhafer, M.S. Abdel-Dayem, H. H. Fadl, A. El Turkey, A. Elgarbway & I. Rasool". 1♀, "KSA, Al Baha, Wadi Turaba, 20°14.369'N 41°15.234'E Alt. 1757 m, 9.III.2012, (LT), M.S. Abdel-Dayem". 51♂, 71♀ "19°50.329'N 41°18.604'E Alt. 1563 m, 02.IX.2015, (LT)., 2♂, ♀, "19°51.066'N 41°18.037'E Alt. 1325 m, 02.IX.2015, (LT)., 14♂, 22♀, "19°50.575'N 41°18.691'E Alt. 1666 m, 02.IX.2015, (LT)., 37♂, 51♀, "19°50.710'N 41°18.267'E Alt. 1474 m, 02.IX.2015, (LT)., 2♀, "19°51.762'N 41°18.089'E Alt. 1225 m, 02.IX.2015, (LT)., 88♂, 96♀, "19°50.411'N 41°18.686'E Alt. 1611 m, 02.IX.2015, (LT)., Al Dafer H., M.S. Abdel Dayem., H. H. Fadl., El Gharbawy., El Turkey & Soliman, A". 3♂, 6♀, "19°50.329'N 41°18.604'E Alt. 1563 m, 17.X.2014, (LT)., 1♂, 2♀, "19°51.762'N 41°18.089'E Alt. 1225 m, 17.X.2014, (LT)., 3♂, 2♀, “19°50.710N’ 41°18.267'E Alt. 1474 m, 17.X.2014, (LT)., 1♂, 1♀, "19°51.066'N 41°18.037'E Alt. 1325 m, 17.X.2014, (LT)., 4♂, 2♀, "19°50.411'N 41°18.686'E Alt. 1611 m, 17.X.2014, (LT), H. Al Dhafer, M.S. Abdel-Dayem, H. H. Fadl, A. El Turkey, A. Elgarbway & I. Rasool". 1♀, "19°52.598'N 41°18.672'E Alt. 892 m, 17. X.2014, (LT)., 1♀, "19°50.391'N 41°18.634'E Alt. 1562 m, 03.XI.2013, (HP), I. Rasool". 1♂, "19°52.685'N 41°18.663'E Alt. 851 m, 14.XI.2015, (LT)., 2♂, 2♀, "15.XI.2015, (LT)., 2♀, "19°50.329'N 41°18.604'E Alt. 1563 m, 18.XI.2015, (LT)., 1♂, 1♀, "19°52.598'N 41°18.672'E Alt. 892 m, 15.XI.2015, (LT)., 3♂, 5♀, "19°51.066'N 41°18.037'E Alt. 1325 m, 14.XI.2015, (LT)., 2♂, "19°50.329'N 41°18.604'E Alt. 1563 m, 14.XI.2015, (LT)., 5♂, 3♀, "19°52.717'N 41°18.712'E Alt. 825 m, 15.XI.2015, (LT)., 2♂, 4♀, "13.XI.2015, (LT), Al Dafer H., M.S. Abdel Dayem., H. H. Fadl., El Gharbawy., El Turkey & Soliman, A". 1♀, "KSA, Wadi Saad Dam, 20°07.605'N 41°21.459'E (HP), I. Rasool". Asir: 4♀, "KSA, Abha, Rayda, 18°11.749'N 42°23.345'E Alt.1614 m, 21.II.2014, (LT)., 2♂, 4♀, "18°11.679'N 42°23.691'E Alt. 1851 m, 21.II.2014, (LT)., 5♂, 5♀, "18°11.618'N 42°23.42'E Alt. 1772 m, 21.II.2014, (LT), H. Al Dhafer, M.S. Abdel-Dayem, H. H. Fadl, A. El Turkey, A. Elgarbway & I. Rasool". 1♂, 2♀, "Wadi Maraba, 18°19.79'N 42°40.952'E Alt. 1467 m, 23.II.2014, (HP), Rasool, I". 3♂, 7♀, "Wadi Rayda, 18°11.749'N 42°23.345'E Alt.1614 m, 24.II.2014, (LT), Rasool, I". 6♂, 9♀, "18°11.749'N 42°23.345'E Alt. 1614 m, 24.III.2014, (LT), S. Soonbati". 1♂, 1♀, "18°11.884'N 42°24.435'E Alt. 2387 m, 04.III.2015, (LT)., 1♀, "18°11.766'N 42°24.315'E Alt. 2285 m, 04.III.2015, (LT)., 2♂, "18°11.695'N 42°23.818'E Alt. 1897 m, 04.III.2015, (LT)., 5♂, 7♀, "18°11.679'N 18°11.679'E Alt. 1851 m, 04.2015, (LT)., 3♂, 1♀, "18°11.618'N 42°23.42'E Alt. 1772 m, 04.III.2015, (LT), Al Dafer H., M.S. Abdel Dayem., H. H. Fadl., El Gharbawy., El Turkey & Soliman, A". 1♂, 2♀, "18°11.695'N 42°23.818'E Alt. 1897 m, 26.IV.2014, (LT)., 1♂, "18°11.679'N 42°23.691'E Alt. 1851 m, 06.VI.2014, (LT)., 3♂, 6♀, "18°11.618'N 42°23.42'E Alt. 1772 m, 26.VIII.2014, (LT)., 1♀, "18°11.695'N 42°23.818'E Alt. 1897 m, 26.VIII.2014, (LT)., 3♀, "18°11.618'N 42°23.42'E Alt. 1772 m, 20.X.2014, (LT)., 1♂, 1♀, "18°11.679'N 18°11.679'E Alt. 1851 m, (LT)., 2♂, "18°11.749'N 42°23.345'E Alt. 1614 m, (LT)., 1♂, 3♀, "18°11.695'N 42°23.818'E Alt. 1897 m, (LT)., 2♂, 1♀, "18°11.766'N 42°24.315'E Alt. 2285 m, (LT)., 4♂, 2♀, "18°11.884'N 42°24.435'E Alt. 2387 m, (LT), H. Al Dhafer, M.S. Abdel-Dayem, H. H. Fadl, A. El Turkey, A. Elgarbway & I. Rasool". 1♂, "Al Magardah, Wadi Yabah, 19°14.911'N 41°47.255'E Alt. 402 m, 11. X.2013, (HP), I. Rasool, M. Al Harbi, S. Soonbati & S. Khan". 1♀, "18°11.749'N 42°23.345'E Alt. 1614 m, 17.XI.2015, (LT)., 1♂, "17.XI.2015, (HP)., 1♀, "18°12.315'N 42°24.607'E Alt. 2578 m, 18.XI.2015, (LT)., 1♂, 3♀, "18°11.679'N 18°11.679'E Alt. 1851, 18.XI.2015, (LT)., 2♂, 2♀, "18°11.618'N 42°23.42'E Alt. 1772 m, 18.XI.2015, (LT)., 1♂, "18°11.884'N 42°24.435'E Alt. 2387 m, 18.XI.2015, (LT)., 1♂, 1♀, "18°11.695'N 42°23.818'E Alt. 1897 m, 18.XI.2015, (LT), Al Dafer H., M.S. Abdel Dayem., H. H. Fadl., El Gharbawy., El Turkey & Soliman, A". 1♂, "18°11.766'N 42°24.315'E Alt. 2285 m, 12.XII.2014, (LT)., 2♂, "18°11.695'N 42°23.818'E Alt. 1897 m, (LT)., 1♂, 3♀, "18°11.679'N 18°11.679'E Alt. 1851 m, (LT)". 1♂, 2♀, "18°11.749'N 42°23.345'E Alt. 1614 m, (LT)., 1♀, "18°11.618'N 42°23.42'E Alt. 1772 m, (LT), H. Al Dhafer, M.S. Abdel-Dayem, H. H. Fadl, A. El Turkey, A. Elgarbway & I. Rasool" [KSMA].

Description.

Small beetles (Fig. 25) TBL 2.43-3.00 mm. Color: Frons and vertex dark brown or rufo-testaceous; neck, mouthparts, antennae, pronotum, elytra, epipleurae and legs testaceous; antennae, mouthparts and legs sometimes pale testaceous; abdomen pale testaceous; elytra with dark brown transverse band at middle, not reaching to lateral margin and apex, prolonged along suture to the base of elytra. Microsculpture: Labrum with isodiametric transverse pattern; head without microsculpture; last sternum of abdomen sometimes with depressed microlines. Head: as long as wide HL 0.52-0.66 mm and HW 0.56-0.63 mm, narrower than pronotum; dorsum finely and sparsely punctuated (Fig. 14). Pronotum: Transverse, PW 0.61-0.66 mm PL 0.42-0.49 mm, narrowed posteriorly with sharp basal angles, base incised near the angles (Fig. 14); dorsum finely punctuated. Elytra: Subparallel, EL 1.42-1.73 mm, EW 0.99-1.20 mm; widest behind the middle; apex obliquely truncate. Claws weakly dentate. Abdomen: All sternites smooth, except last sternum with short and fine pubescence; apical margins of last sternum rounded and tetra–setose in females, slightly incised in middle and bi–setose in males. Aedeagus: Elongate (Fig. 40), AL 0.53 mm; in lateral view it is curved dorsally, narrowed at both ends, thick and broad before apical lamina; apical lamina elongate, rounded at the end; endophallus armature almost rounded

Affinities.

This species is very close to Metadromius spec. (see below) in general appearance, body form, shape of head, pronotum, and elytra, but can be easily distinguished by its testaceous pronotum, smooth head, transverse band on elytra, and short apical lamina of aedeagus, with an elongate endophallus armature.

Ecological notes.

It is collected from low lands to high lands in diverse habitats within 402-2387 m range of altitude (Fig. 51). It is found under stones among vegetation and in sandy ranges, which are influenced by rain water. The species was collected during all months of the year except July.

Geographical distribution.

This species is described from Saudi Arabia ( Mateu 1979) and distributed in southwest Saudi Arabia, also reported from Iran and United Arab Emirates ( Felix 2009, Kabak 2017). It is W–Palaearctic element that exemplifies SW–Asiatic chorotype.