Sphaerotachys pseudocomptus (G. Müller, 1942)

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 : 98-99

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.5176756
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/C27787E3-FF9D-FFDD-B646-63A57009D0BD
treatment provided by	Carolina
scientific name	Sphaerotachys pseudocomptus (G. Müller, 1942)
status

Treatment

Material examined (31 spec.). YEMEN: SOCOTRA ISLAND: Homhil , hills and pasture east of plateau, 12°34′N, 54°19′E, 540 m a.s.l., 9.ii.1999, 2 spec., lgt. H. Pohl, det. Lorenz ( HLMD) GoogleMaps ; Diksam , camp, 12°31.401′N, 53°57.204′E GoogleMaps ,

26.–27.x.2000, 10 spec., lgt. H. Pohl, det. M. Persohn ( HLMD) ; Wadi Danegan , 12°36′59″N, 54°03′48″E, 90 m a.s.l., 30.x.2000, 3 spec., lgt. A. van Harten, det. M. Persohn ( HLMD) GoogleMaps ; Wadi Danegan , same data, pitfall, 1 spec., lgt. A. van Harten & H. Pohl, det. M. Persohn, ( HLMD) GoogleMaps ; Hadibo , village and environment, 12°36′57″N, 54°01′01″E, 1.xi.2000, 2 spec., lgt. A. van Harten, det. M. Persohn ( HLMD) GoogleMaps ; Homhil , 12.587N, 54.302E, 330 m a.s.l., 20.–21.xi.2000, 1 spec., lgt. V. Bejček & K. Šťastný, det. T. Kopecký ( JFCP) GoogleMaps ; Firmihin , 12.474N, 50.015E, 530 m a.s.l., x.2000, 1 spec., lgt. V. Bejček & K. Šťastný, det. T. Kopecký ( JFCP) GoogleMaps ; Homhil protected area, 12°34′27″N, 54°18′32″E, 364 m a.s.l., 28.–29.xi.2003, 2 spec., lgt. J. Farkač, det. T. Kopecký ( JFCP) GoogleMaps ; Wadi Ayhaft , 12°36′38″N, 53°48′49″E, 190 m a.s.l., 24.–26.xi.2003, 1 spec., lgt. J. Farkač, det. T. Kopecký ( JFCP) GoogleMaps ; Dixam plateau, Sirhin area, 12°31′08″N, 53°59′09″E, 812 m a.s.l., 1.–2.xii.2003, 1 spec., lgt. J. Farkač, det. T. Kopecký ( JFCP) GoogleMaps ; same data, 1 spec., lgt. P. Kabátek ( JFCP) GoogleMaps ; Wadi Ayaft , 12°36′38″N, 53°58′49″E, 190 m a.s.l., 24.–26.xi.2003, 1 spec., lgt. D. Král, det. R.F.F.L. Felix ( NMPC) GoogleMaps ; Homhil protected area, 12°34′27″N, 54°18′32″E, 364 m a.s.l., 28.–29.xi.2003, 1 spec., lgt. Kabátek, det. R.F.F.L.Felix ( NMPC) GoogleMaps ; Hadiboh env., 12°65′02″N [sic!], 54°02′04″E, 10–100 m a.s.l., 21.xi.–12.xii.2003, 1 spec., lgt. Kabátek, det. R.F.F.L. Felix ( NMPC) ; plain south of airport, 12°35′32.6″N, 53°49′07.8″E, 21.ii.2009, 1 spec., lgt. & det. R.F.F.L. Felix ( RFBE) GoogleMaps ; Wadi Ayaft , 12°36′39.1″N, 53°58′44.8″E, 26.x.2010, 1 spec., lgt. & det. R.F.F.L. Felix ( RFBE) GoogleMaps .

Diagnosis. Body length 2.5–2.8 mm. Black, with two testaceous spots on each elytron; shiny, without any microsculpture. Elytra with one dorsal stria each. Sides of pronotum very oblique, posterior angles dentiform and prominent.

Comments on classification. Sphaerotachys pseudocomptus (former Tachyura (Nototachys) pseudocompta ) is very similar to S. comptus (Andrewes, 1935) (former Tachyura (Nototachys) compta ). Although BASILEWSKY (1948) synonymized both taxa, BRUNEAU DE MIRÉ (1963) separated them again. The specimens from Socotra are identical with a specimen compared by Basilewsky with the type of S. pseudocomptus from Somalia deposited in MRAC. Basilewsky re-identified this specimen again as S. pseudocomptus . Sphaerotachys comptus is an Asian species and differs from S. pseudocomptus in having simple frontal furrows instead of double ones, head narrower, eyes less protruding, pronotum less contracted and elytral spots different.

Distribution. Kenya, Somalia. First record from Socotra Island.