ZOBODAT - www.zobodat.at Zoologisch-Botanische Datenbank/Zoological-Botanical Database Digitale Literatur/Digital Literature Zeitschrift/Journal: Spixiana, Zeitschrift für Zoologie Jahr/Year: 2015 Band/Volume: 038 Autor(en)/Author(s): Aßmann [Assmann] Thorsten, Austin Kevin, Boutaud Esteve, Buse Jörn, Chikatunov Vladimir, Drees Claudia, Felix Ron F. F. L., Friedman Ariel- Leib-Leonid, Khoury Fares, Marcus Tamar, Renan Ittai, Schmidt Constantin, Wrase David W. Artikel/Article: The ground beetle supertribe Zuphiitae in the southern Levant 237-262 ©Zoologische Staatssammlung München/Verlag Friedrich Pfeil; download www.pfeil-verlag.de SPIXIANA 38 2 237-262 München, Dezember 2015 ISSN 0341-8391 The ground beetle supertribe Zuphiitae in the southern Levant (Coleoptera, Carabidae) Thorsten Assmann, Kevin Austin, Estève Boutaud, Jörn Buse, Vladimir Chikatunov, Claudia Drees, Ron F. F. L. Felix, Ariel-Leib-Leonid Friedman, Fares Khoury, Tamar Marcus, Ittai Renan, Constantin Schmidt & David W. Wrase Assmann, T., Austin, K., Boutaud, E., Buse, J., Chikatunov, V., Drees, C., Felix, R. F. F. L., Friedman, A.-L.-L., Khoury, F., Marcus, T., Renan, I., Schmidt, C. & Wrase, D. W. 2015. The ground beetle supertribe Zuphiitae in the southern Levant (Coleoptera, Carabidae). Spixiana 38 (2): 237-262. Based on the study of approximately 400 specimens, we give an overview of the systematics and taxonomy, distribution, dispersal power, and habitat preferences of the carabids belonging to the tribes Anthiini, Helluonini, Dryptini, and Zuphiini in the southern Levant (Egypt: Sinai, Israel and Jordan). We provide identification keys for the members of the given taxa in this region. Eleven species of the Zuphi- itae sensu Ober & Maddison (2008) have previously been published from the southern Levant. Our study with rigorous examinations of verifiable records up- dated the known distribution ranges of six species, though the total number of species which occur in the given region remains eleven. – The following two new species are described: Zuphium orbachi spec. nov., which is similar to Zuphium nu- midicum Lucas, 1846, but differs in its elongate body shape, specific form of aedea- gus and further characters. Parazuphium salmoni spec. nov., a microphthalmic spe- cies from the superficial underground compartment or in deep soil horizons in the Upper Galilee, has robust antennae and legs, but has an aedeagus similar to that of P. chevrolatii Castelnau de Laporte, 1833. – We compiled a list of the 24 known subterranean Zuphiini species (including Parazuphium salmoni spec. nov.), all are restricted to the subtropical and tropical zones. – The following taxonomic acts are proposed: Anthia (Thermophilum) sexmaculata marginata Latreille, 1823, stat. rest.; Zuphium axaridis Iablokoff-Khnzorian, 1972, syn. nov. of Zuphium cilicium Peyron, 1858; Zuphium olens kochi Schatzmayr, 1936, syn. nov. of Zuphium olens (P. Rossi, 1790) (colour variation). – We present first records of: Macrocheilus saulcyi Chevro- lat, 1854 for Jordan; Zuphium olens (P. Rossi, 1790) for Jordan; Zuphium cilicium Peyron, 1858 for Iran; Zuphium fuscum Gory, 1931 for Yemen; Parazuphium chevrolatii (Castelnau de Laporte, 1833) for Greece; Parazuphium damascenum (Fairmaire, 1897) for Cyprus, Greece and Syria; Polistichus fasciolatus (P. Rossi, 1790) for Israel. Thorsten Assmann (corresponding author), Estève Boutaud & Tamar Marcus, Institute of Ecology, Leuphana University Lüneburg, Scharnhorststr. 1, 21314 Lüneburg, Germany; e-mail: [email protected] Kevin Austin, Cwmbychan, Llandre SY24 5BS, Ceredigion, Wales, UK Jörn Buse, Ecosystem Analysis, Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Koblenz-Landau, Fortstr. 7, 76829 Landau, Germany Vladimir Chikatunov, Claudia Drees, Ariel-Leib-Leonid Friedman & Ittai Renan, Tel Aviv University, Department of Zoology, The National Collections of Natural History, Ramat-Aviv, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel 237 ©Zoologische Staatssammlung München/Verlag Friedrich Pfeil; download www.pfeil-verlag.de Claudia Drees, Biocentre Grindel and Zoological Museum, University of Ham- burg, Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3, 20146 Hamburg, Germany Ron F. F. L. Felix, Hazelaarlaan 51, 5056 XP Berkel Enschot, The Netherlands Fares Khoury, Department of Biology and Biotechnology, American University of Madaba, P.O. Box 2882, Amman, 11821, Jordan Constantin Schmidt, Deichstr. 13, 21354 Bleckede, Germany David W. Wrase, Dunckerstr. 78, 10437 Berlin, Germany Introduction subterranean Zuphiini species from the Levant, led us to compile a brief review and comparison of the The Levant, a biogeographic region in the East Medi- world distribution ranges of subterranean Zuphiini, terranean, is characterized by a remarkable richness and to compare it with that of other subterranean of habitats as well as floral and faunal elements. ground beetles. Euro-Siberian, Central Asian, Oriental, Ethiopian, and Mediterranean species are mixed with Saharan and Arabian desert elements, giving this region a Material and methods unique biotic composition (Furth 1975, Yom-Tov & Tchernov 1988, Waitzbauer & Petutschnig 2004). This Delineation of the study area fascinating biodiversity has long attracted biologists, There are several biogeographical definitions of the including coleopterologists (e. g. Reiche & Saulcy Levant (e. g. Por 1975). As material from Lebanon and 1855, Bodenheimer 1937), however, the undertak- Syria is hardly accessible for carabidological studies, we ing of taxonomic studies in the Levant, especially focus on the southern Levant which we define as the of species-rich groups, is not an easy task due to eastern part of Egypt (Sinai Peninsula), Israel (including the biogeographic diversity. Moreover, yet many areas under Palestinian control), and Jordan. Any infor- species remain unknown to science, as can be seen mation we have about species from Cyprus, Lebanon or by the numerous species descriptions which have Syria is also given. We also add important records from been published in recent years. This is also true for outside the study area if they enlarge the known distri- one of the most species-rich families of insects, the bution range. ground beetles (Schuldt et al. 2009). The ground beetle supertribe Zuphiitae sensu Collections, distribution records Ober & Maddison (2008) is comprised of six tribes, This study is based on the examination of specimens of which four occur in the Levant: Anthiini, Zuphiini, collected during the authors’ field trips to Cyprus, Helluonini, and Dryptini (Löbl & Smetana 2003, own Israel, Jordan and Egypt (Sinai), as well as specimens observations). Although some of these tribes are spe- stored in entomological collections (including material cies rich, and species belonging to these tribes have from Europe, Africa, and other parts of Asia for com- been described as early as the 18th century, they have parisons). We studied approximately 400 specimens not undergone taxonomic revision for the Palaearctic from this group but material from Lebanon and Syria is very limited. region. Several Levantine species are known from these tribes (Bodenheimer 1932 and 1937, Baehr 2003a The material is stored in the following collections: and 2003b, Bousquet 2003, Hurka 2003, Chikatunov CAB Working collection Assmann, Bleckede (part et al. 2006, Timm et al. 2008). Over the last decade of ZSM, Germany) we analysed several hundred individuals from the CFB Working collection Felix, Berkel Enschot, The given tribes. This material provides the basis for our Netherlands ’ systematic-taxonomic analysis. Field work and a COQ Working collection Orbach, Qiryat Tiv on, (will be transferred to TAU, Israel) literature survey provide the basis for the ecological CSS Working collection Schüle, Stuttgart, Germany characterization, as already given for other ground CSW Working collection Starke, Warendorf (will be beetle groups (Assmann et al. 2008a and 2012). transferred to Westfälisches Landesmuseum The analyses of the material revealed two new Münster, Germany) taxa, one of them with strongly reduced eyes and CWB Working collection Wrase, Berlin (part of ZSM, a subterranean habitat. While, endogeic and cave- Germany) dwelling ground beetles are known from some TAU National Collections of Natural History, Tel regions of the western Palaearctic realm, there are Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel apparently few such species in the Middle East. AUB Natural History Museum, American Univer- Our surprising record of a previously undescribed sity of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon 238 ©Zoologische Staatssammlung München/Verlag Friedrich Pfeil; download www.pfeil-verlag.de NHMB Natural History Museum, Entomological Col- (Lompe 1989) or in Euparal on acetate labels, and pinned lection, Budapest, Hungary beneath the specimens from which they were removed. NHMPr Natural History Museum, Entomological Col- The photographs were taken with an Olympus E-330 lection (Kunratic), Prague, Czech Republic digital camera in combination with a Leica MZ 95 ste- NHMP Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Ento- reobinocular microscope. Postprocessing was done in mology Department, Paris, France Adobe Acrobat Professional 7.0. To achieve sufficient ZSM Zoological State Collection Munich (Zoologi- depth of focus, up to 40 planes were captured. These sche Staatssammlung München), München, were then copied to separate layers, and the out-of-focus Germany planes were masked using a stacking program (Com- bine ZP). We reviewed the available literature to collect data on Data on power of dispersal, phenology,