Orphilus beali, Zhantiev, 2001

Holloway, Graham J., Foster, Christopher W. & Herrmann, Andreas, 2024, The Genus Orphilus Erichson, 1846 (Coleoptera: Dermestidae) in Europe, The Coleopterists Bulletin 78 (2), pp. 117-124 : 120-121

ORPHILUS beaLI Zhantiev, 2001

Orphilus beali ( Fig. 7A): mean ♂ BL = 3.52 ± 0.18 mm (n = 60, max = 4.05 mm, min = 3 mm), mean ♂ BW = 2.28 ± 0.13 mm (n = 61), mean ♂ BW/EL = 0.934 ± 0.021 (n = 61). Mean ♀ BL = 3.62 ± 0.23 mm (n = 49, max = 4.2 mm, min = 3.15 mm), mean ♀ BW = 2.32 ± 0.22 mm (n = 50), mean ♀ BW/EL = 0.927 ± 0.020 (n = 50). Females have a slightly, but significantly, larger BL than males (t = 2.4, df = 107, p = 0.018), but BW does not vary between the sexes (t = 1.53, df = 109, ns). There is no evidence of a difference in shape (BW/EL) between males and females (t = 1.8, df = 109, ns). The integument is heavily punctate, and the elytra have a reddish hue. The reddish coloration of the elytra is most noticeable in dissected specimens, less so otherwise.

The antenna ( Fig. 7B) is reddish brown, asymmetrical, and pubescent. The example shown in Fig. 7B is 221 µm long and 144 µm across antennomere 10.

The aedeagus ( Fig. 8A ) is thick and rounded, both laterally and dorsoventrally. The tips of the parameres are peg-like and are no paler than the rest of the aedeagus. The median lobe is encased by the parameres so that only the final part of the median lobe is visible. The median lobe ( Fig. 8B ) is thick and heavily sclerotized, narrowing obviously towards a blunt point. The slim, upwardly curved “tooth” on the ventral surface is not positioned very close to the tip. The ventral surfaces of the posterior ends of the parameres bear numerous setae.

Fig. 9A shows the position of the ovipositor styli in situ relative to tergite X. The styli terminate in pale, nipple-like structures, two on each stylus. There are two setae emerging from each stylus tip very close together (which tend to stick together post dissection). The posterior edge of tergite X is strongly bilobed with long setae emanating from each lobe ( Fig. 9B ).

Current records suggest that O. beali is distributed along the northern coastal regions of the Mediterranean, from Spain to Turkey and Israel, including Crete and Cyprus ( Fig. 10 ).

Figures

Fig. 8. Orphilus beali aedeagus. A) Dorsal aspect, B) Lateral aspect. Scale bars = 200 µm.

Fig. 9. Orphilus beali ovipositor styli and tergite X. A) Lateral aspect, B) Dorsal aspect. Scale bars = 100 µm.

Fig. 10. Distribution of Orphilus beali. Hatched areas indicate countries from which O. beali is found according to Háva (2023a). Records supplemented with other specimens in AHEC dissected prior to the current study, and Háva (2023b).