Bulletin of the Natural History Museum - Plovdiv Bull. Nat. Hist. Mus. Plovdiv, 2021, vol. 6: 61-64

First Record of an Invasive Clown Species, Platylomalus gardineri (Scott, 1913) (Coleoptera, ) from Greece

George Kakiopoulos1*, Jakovos Demetriou2,3

1 - Ilidos 60-62 street, 11527 Athens (Ampelokipi), GREECE 2 - Section of Ecology and Systematics, Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15784 Athens, GREECE 3 - Museum of Zoology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15784 Athens, GREECE *Corresponding author: [email protected]

Abstract. Platylomalus gardineri (Scott, 1913) is recorded from Greece for the first time. The species’ distribution, ecology and possible ecological impacts are discussed. A synoptic key to members of Platylomalus Cooman, 1948 from Greece is provided to facilitate the future data collection.

Key words: Platylomalus gardineri, Coleoptera, Histeridae, introduced species, Greece.

Introduction Despite that P. gardineri was first described from The genus Platylomalus Cooman, 1948 the Seychelles, SCOTT (1913) suspected it was contains currently 59 described species and is introduced to the Archipelago, rather than being predominantly Oriental in distribution (MAZUR, indigenous to the area. Considering that the species’ 2011). It includes inter alia, 21 species native origin is not mentioned in the examined distributed across the Palaearctic region literature, P. gardineri should be regarded as (LACKNER et al., 2015). In Greece, the genus cryptogenic, i.e. of unknown origin, until its native has so far only been represented by range is investigated. Platylomalus complanatus (Panzer, 1797) (LACKNER et al., 2015) thus, the present record Material and Methods of Platylomalus gardineri (Scott, 1913) A single specimen identified as P. gardineri represents a new finding for the Greek fauna. was collected in Greece (PORTA, 1926; SCOTT, The geographical range of P. gardineri 1913). To confirm the species’ identity, the includes sporadic references from various specimen was compared to reliably identified zoogeographic realms including records from specimens of P. gardineri from France, islands in the Indian Ocean: Seychelles, Reunion alongside with specimens of the country’s and Comoro Islands, the Hawaii Archipelago native species. All specimens are deposited in (Oahu Island) in Oceania, as well as records from the private collection of G. Kakiopoulos. Indonesia and Nepal in the Oriental Region. In the Western Palaearctic, the species has been Results and Discussion introduced to France, Spain, Morocco and Turkey Platylomalus gardineri (Scott, 1913) (YÉLAMOS, 1991; DE FERRER, 2005; ATAY et al., 1 ex., Greece, Fthiotida, Martino [38.5601o 2012; THIEREN et al., 2014; TELNOV et al., 2016). N, 23.1881o E], 28.iv.2013, coll. G. © Bull. Nat. Hist. Mus. Plovdiv Regional Natural History Museum – Plovdiv http://rnhm.org/en/ University of Plovdiv Publishing House First Record of an Invasive Clown Beetle Species, Platylomalus gardineri (Scott, 1913) from Greece Kakiopoulos, surprisingly found in a rural areas’ et al., 2019). As the potential prey can only be rubbish bin. inferred, it is important to establish any adverse 2 ex., France, Haute-Garonne (F-31), Saint ecological impacts upon native saproxylic Antré, 15.vi.2012, coll. Dr. Hervé Brustel. diversity. Approximately 20% of Platylomalus complanatus (Panzer, 1797) European saproxylic are threatened 2 ex., Greece, Larissa, Pineios River estuary, (CÁLIX et al., 2018). Although introduced near Kouloura village [39.9244 o N, 22.6956 o invasive species rank the last as one of their E], 24.iv.1996, coll. George Kakiopoulos. main threats (CÁLIX et al., 2018), they can, This record of P. gardineri represents the first however, present cascading effects alternating finding of this taxon in Greece. Due to the peculiar community structures and disturbance regimes. circumstances under which the specimen was To facilitate further research towards the collected, it is hard to extract any data on the species distribution and presence of established species ecology in the invaded locality. P. gardineri populations in Greece, a synoptic identification key shows a wide taxonomically and ecologically to the two aforementioned species is provided: inconsistent host plant association, ranging from - Pronotum wide, lateral sides almost monocots Arecaceae [Cocos nucifera L. (SCOTT, parallel (Fig. 1A). Pronotal width/length at the 1913)] to eudicots such as Fagaceae [Quercus spp. midline: 1,6. Propygidium with fine (ATAY et al., 2012; QUINTO, 2013)], Oleaceae punctuation; distance between adjacent [Fraxinus angustifolis (QUINTO, 2013)], Salicaceae punctures, 3 times the diameter of the punctures. length 2.5–3.5 mm.... [Populus nigra (DE FERRER, 2005)], and Fabaceae …………………… P. complanatus (Fig.2A). [Robinia pseudoacacia (DE FERRER, 2005)]. Its - Pronotum narrower, lateral sides slightly native counterpart, P. complanatus is mainly convergent anteriorly (Fig. 1B). Pronotal associated with the genera Populus, Fagus, width/length at the midline: 1,4. Propygidium Quercus, and in some cases with conifers with strong punctuation; distance between (VIENNA, 1980; STEPHANELLI et al., 2014). adjacent punctures, equal to the diameter of the P. gardineri is known to feed upon small punctures. Insect length 1.9–2.3 saproxylic under the tree bark (VIÑOLAS mm...... P. gardineri (Fig.2B).

Fig. 1. Habitus of Platylomalus complanatus (A) and P. gardineri (B). Photographs provided by kind courtesy of T. Lackner.

62 George Kakiopoulos, Jakovos Demetriou PURCHART. 2018. European Red List of Saproxylic Beetles. Brussels, Belgium: IUCN. Available at: portals.iucn.org/library/node/47296. DE FERRER J. 2005. Confirmación de la presencia en España de Platylomalus gardineri (Scott, 1913) (Coleoptera, Histeridae, , ). Boletín Sociedad Entomológica Aragonesa, 36: 274. LACKNER T., S. MAZUR, A. F. NEWTON. 2015. Histeridae In: Löbl, I. & Löbl, D. (Eds.), Catalogue of Palaearctic Coleoptera, volume 2. Revised and updated version. – Staphylinoidea. Brill, Leiden-Boston xxvi + 1702 pp. MAZUR S. 2011. A Concise Catalogue of the Histeridae (Coleoptera). Warsaw: Warsaw University of Life Sciences, SGGW Press, 332 p. PORTA A. 1926. Fauna Coleopterorum Italica. Fig. 2. Propygidium of Platylomalus Vol. II - Staphylinoidea. Piacenza, complanatus (A) and P. gardineri (B). Stabilimento Tipografico Piacentino, Magnification x 100. 405 p. QUINTO J. 2013. Diversidad, ecología y Acknowledgements conservación de insectos saproxílicos We are highly grateful to Dr. Hervé Brustel (Coleoptera y Diptera: Syrphidae) en (Toulouse, France) for the provided specimens oquedades arbóreas del Parque Nacional of P. gardineri. In addition, we would like to thank T. Lackner (Munich, Germany) and one de Cabañeros (España). Doctoral anonymous reviewer for their valuable Dissertation, University of Alicante, 300 p. comments and corrections to the manuscript. SCOTT H. 1913. Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae, We would also like to wholeheartedly thank T. Histeridae, No. X. In: The Percy Sladen Lackner (Munich, Germany) for providing us Trust Expedition to the Indian Ocean with the high resolution habitus pictures of P. in 1905, under the leadership of Mr. J. complanatus and P. gardineri. Stanley Gardiner, M.A. Vol. 5. Transactions of the Linnean Society of References London. Serie 2, Zoologie, 16 (2), Vol. ATAY E., N. JANSSON, T. GÜRKAN. 2012. XVI, Part. 2. Saproxylic beetles on old hollow oaks STEFANELLI S., F. DELLA ROCCA, G. (Quercus spp.) in a small isolated area in BOGLIANI. 2014. Saproxylic beetles of southern Turkey (Insecta: Coleoptera). the Po plain woodlands, Italy. Zoology in the Middle East, 57: 105-114. Biodiversity Data Journal 2: e1106. doi: 10.3897/BDJ.2.e1106. CÁLIX M., K. N. A. ALEXANDER., A. NIETON., B. TELNOV D., S. MAZUR., A. SKALE, A. WEIGEL. DODELIN., F. SOLDATI., D. TELNOV., X. 2016. New notes on faunistics of the VAZQUEZ-ALBALATE., O. Histeridae (Coleoptera) from the ALEKSANDROWICZ., P. AUDISIO., P. ISTRATE., N. JANSSON., A. LEGAKIS., A. Papuan region. Latvijas Entomologs, LIBERTO., C. MAKRIS., O. MERKL., R. 53: 14-32. MUGERWA PETTERSON., J. THIEREN Y., H. BRUSTEL, M. SECQ. 2014. SCHLAGHAMERSKY., M. A. BOLOGNA., H. Platylomalus gardineri (Scott, 1913), BRUSTEL., J. BUSE., V. NOVÁK, L. une espèce nouvelle pour la faune de

63 First Record of an Invasive Clown Beetle Species, Platylomalus gardineri (Scott, 1913) from Greece France (Coleoptera Histeridae). L'Entomologiste, 70 (5): 313-316. VIENNA P. 1980. Fauna d’Italia. XVI. Coleoptera Histeridae. Bologna: Edizioni Calderini. IX + 386 p. VIÑOLAS A., E. PIERA, J. MUÑOZ-BATET. 2019. Nuevas citas de coleópteros para Aragón, Península Ibérica (Coleoptera). Butlletí de la Institució Catalana d’Història Natural, 83: 215-217. YÉLAMOS T. 1991. New Data on the Histeridae from the Hawaiian Islands (Coleoptera). Accepted: 26.03.2021 The Coleopterists Bulletin, 45 (3): 201-205. Published: 28.05.2021

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