Apristus jaechi KIRSCHENHOFER 1988

Wrase, DW, 2009, New or interesting records of Carabid beetles from Europe, Madeira, northern Africa, Turkey, from the Near East, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, and Pakistan, with nomenclatorial and taxonomic notes (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Bembidiini, Brachinini, Cyclosomini, Elaphrini, Harpalini, Lebiini, Nebriini, Platynini,, Linzer biologische Beiträge 41 (1), pp. 901-935 : 923

Apristus jaechi KIRSCHENHOFER 1988

I s r a e l: North District: Upper Galilee, N. shore of Sea of Galilee, - 200 m, Kfar Nakhum Capernaum), 32°53.011’N / 035°34.707’E (shore with stones and gravel), 22.IV.2006, Wrase leg. [4] (3 spcms. cWR). Upper Galilee, Batika N.R., Batika river, nr. N. shore of Sea of Galilee, - 200 m (open fine gravel bank), 26.III.2008, Th. Assmann leg., Wrase leg. [30] (about 50 spcms., cASSM, cWR).

E g y p t: Janub Sina: Wadi Isla, 6.VIII.1994, S.A. Mahmoud leg. (233, 4♀♀, cWR).

I r a n: Fars:Kāzerūn env., 10.V.1999, K. Orszulik leg. (1♀, cWR).

Recently described from Israel (Zaki lagoon, situated near Kfar Nakhum and most likely identical with Batika river), based on one female (holotype in NHM investigated, additionally a second specimen, coming from the same series but not mentioned in the description). The specimens from Batika river ran very quickly on the shore of a lagoon covered with fine dry gravel and small stones and at a certain distance from water. The Iranian specimen is of same coloration like the specimens from Israel and Egypt but the internal elytral stria are somewhat stronger impressed and the elytra are a little more slender, so a small doubt on the correctness of identification remains. More material including males is needed for corroboration of the occurrence in Iran.

The species could be a further example for distribution of elements of the Sahara- Arabian region coming from the Arabian Peninsula and reaching due to convenient climatic conditions via the Arava valley and the Dead Sea Region along the Jordan River the Sea of Galilee, as known for other invertebrates (see also FURTH 1975, MÜLLER et al. 2006), and even further eastwards to the Irano-Turanian region if the occurrence of A. jaechi should be confirmed in Iran. First records for Egypt and Iran.