Tachyura (Tachyura) biblis ( Britton, 1948 )

Felix, Ron F. F. L., Farkač, Jan & Suleiman, Ahmed Saeed, 2012, Annotated checklist of the Carabidae (Coleoptera) of the Socotra Archipelago, Insect biodiversity of the Socotra Archipelago. (Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 52), pp. 75-106 : 100-101

Tachyura (Tachyura) biblis ( Britton, 1948)

Material examined (2 spec.). YEMEN: SOCOTRA ISLAND: NW Qalansiya, inside village, wadi, 1403969N, 769884E, 5 m a.s.l., 21.ii.2008, 1 spec., lgt. I. Brunk, det. R.F.F.L.Felix ( IBCD) ; Wadi di-Negehen, 12°38′33.0″N, 54°03′18.5″E, 20.ii.2009, 1 spec., lgt. & det. R.F.F.L. Felix ( RFBE) .

Diagnosis. Body length 1.9–2.4 mm. Completely yellow. Eyes large. Pronotum and elytra convex. Sides of pronotum almost straight, hardly sinuate near posterior angles, which are obtuse but sharp. Elytra with four distinct punctured striae; striae V and VI indistinct.

Comments on classification. Although KOPECKÝ (2003) treated T. biblis as a synonym of T. emeritus (Péringuey, 1898) , BRUNEAU DE MIRÉ (1964, 1990) considered this synonymy incorrect due to the fact that BRITTON (1948) has mixed both species among the type series of T. biblis . This is confirmed by examination of two paratypes of T. biblis from ‘Western Aden Protectorate’. One paratype refers to the true T. biblis and the second to T. emeritus . Tachyura biblis is larger than T. emeritus , almost always more than 2 mm (1.9–2.4 mm), with large prominent eyes; diameter of eye larger than length of clypeus. Temples almost absent. Pronotum transverse, hardly narrowing backwards. Elytral striae superficial, outer striae indistinct, intervals almost flat.

Collection circumstances. The specimen from Qalansyia was found under a stone in dry grassland.

Distribution. This species has a vast subdesertic distribution in Africa. Known also from the United Arab Emirates. First record from Socotra Island.