Boletín de la Sociedad Entomológica Aragonesa (S.E.A.), nº 50 (30/06/2012): 285‒294. SOFT WINGED FLOWER BEETLES (COLEOPTERA: MALACHIIDAE) IN EGYPT Ashraf M. El-Torkey1, Alaa Din A. Oshaibah2, Magdi M. H. Salem3, Mohamad T. Hossni2 & Abd Allah A. El-Zouk3 1 Plant Protection Department, College of Food and Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia ‒ [email protected] 2 Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science (Boys), Al-Azhar University. 3 Plant Protection Research Institute, Agriculture Research Center. Abstract: The distribution of the known species of the Egyptian malachiid fauna is analysed and their recent taxonomic status is as- sessed. Various sources indicated the existence in Egypt of 43 malachiid species belonging to 17 genera in one subfamily. Repre- sentatives of 23 species were collected in the course of the current project. The remaining 20 species have been included in our list on the basis of their presence in Egyptian insect collections. Key words: Coleoptera, Malachiidae, faunistics, Egypt. Maláquidos de Egipto (Coleoptera: Malachiidae) Resumen: Se analiza la distribución de las especies de maláquidos (Coleoptera: Malachiidae) conocidas de la fauna de Egipto, y se evalúa su estatus taxonómico. Diversas fuentes han señalado la existencia en Egipto de 43 especies, pertenecientes a 17 géne- ros y una subfamilia. Se obtuvieron representantes de 23 especies durante la realización del presente proyecto. Las restantes 20 especies se han incluído en la lista en base a su presencia en colecciones entomológicas egipcias. Palabras clave: Coleoptera, Malachiidae, faunística, Egipto. Introduction The members of family Mallachiidae are small, elongate- other small arthropods. In general, they are carnivorous or oval, soft-bodied beetles, 1.5-7 mm in length or less; rather scavengers on dead animal material. brightly colored, black blue or green and often with brown Classification, distribution and economic important of or yellow, red or orange markings and covered with mo- malachiid beetles were treated by many investigators (Jacque- derately dense, erect, stiff hairs; they have peculiar orange- lin du Val, 1849; Lacordaire, 1857; Peyron, 1877; Abeille de colored structures along the sides of abdomen, which may Perrin, 1885 a , b; Pic, 1911, 1919 a, b, 1921 a, b, 1929, 1931 be averted and saclike or withdrawn into the body and in- a, b; Alfieri, 1920, 1976; Peyerimhoff, 1929; Portevin, 1931; conspicuous, these are believed to be scent organs used in Wittmer, 1934, 1935, 1936 , 1937, 1979, 1989, 1995a, b; defense. Head more or less concealed from above and in Greiner, 1937; Shalaby, 1958; Matthes, 1962; Farrow, 1974; some cases the two basal segments of the antennae are Shurovenkov, 1977, 1980; Svihla, 1980, 1990; Evers, 1985; greatly enlarged. Family Malachiidae, commonly known as Booth et al., 1990; Dix, 1990; Voicu, 1991; Buchelos & Pa- soft winged flower beetles, has a worldwide distribution padoulis, 1994; Mayor, 2002; Arefnia & Tshernyshev, 2004; with a marked preference for desert and arid biotopes. This Mayor, 2007; Svihla & Hajek, 2009; Bahillo & Lopez, 2009; family appears to have originated in the Mediterranean area, Mirutenko, 2010 & Plata-Negrache, 2010). since it is the richest in its species. Literature on the so-called soft winged flower beetles Material and methods indicate that they are of minor harm to agriculture. Mean- while, certain malachiids are considered pollinators, while The present taxonomic work started by examination of the others are beneficial for acting as predators attacking some Egyptian Reference Insect Collections for materials re- insect pests. Adults are commonly found on flowers and fo- garded as malachiid beetles. These collections are: Collec- liage of herbaceous plants and feed on pollen or fungi and tion of Ministry of Agriculture, Plant Protection Research evidently feed on flower visiting insects during the course of Institute (MAC); Coll. of Alfieri, Al-Azhar University, normal adult feeding. They are also known to pollinate flo- Faculty of Agriculture (ALFC); Coll. of Egyptian Entomo- wering plants, because of the dense setae and pubescence of logical Society (EESC); Coll. of Faculty of Science, Cairo the adults which often trap pollen grains, which are trans- University (CUC); Coll. of Faculty of Science, Ain Shams ported to other flowers. University (ASUC) and Coll. of the author (AUC). Exami- Larvae occur in various habitats, but most commonly in nation of the external features of the mounted specimens soil, leaf litter or under bark as well as dead wood and in were achieved using a stereo-binocular microscope MБC–9 stems of plants, where they are predatory on larvae of xylo- (USSR) in the Plant Protection Department, College of phagous insects. Some known to be predatory on larvae of Food and Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University. The some nest-making Hymenoptera, others on small insects and distribution of the species in the main Egyptian biogeo- 285 Table I. Distribution of the species of Family Malachiidae in the main Egyptian geographical. Zones as indicated in Egyption collections: I: Agr. Coll.; A: Alfieri Coll.; S: Society Coll.; C: Cairo Coll.; E: Ain Shams Coll.; U: Authar Coll. Coastal Lower Upper Western Eastern Gabal Species of Malachiidae Sinai Strip Nile Nile Destert Destert Elba Attalus aegyptiacus ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ IAU ‒ Attalus lutatus ‒ IASU S I A ‒ ‒ Attalus mitlaensis ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ A AU ‒ Attalus mokattamensis A ‒ ‒ ‒ IAE IE ‒ Attalus mozabita S ‒ ‒ ‒ C IAU ‒ Attalus schatzmayri ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ Attalusinus alfierii ‒ IAS IS ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ Brachyattalus anastasei ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ Callotroglops atrithorax ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ A ‒ ‒ Callotroglops convexicollis ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ Cephaloncus aegyptiacus ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ I ‒ Cephaloncus bispinus ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ Clanoptilus abdominalis IAS U ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ Clanoptilus aegyptiacus ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ Clanoptilus insignis ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ Clanoptilus sexplagiatus ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ IA IU ‒ Colotes (Heterodipnis) cinctus cinctus IAS IASEU ‒ ‒ IS ‒ A Colotes (Heterodipnis) cinctus suturellus ‒ E ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ Colotes (Colotes) dollfusi ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ Colotes (Colotes) longior I ISU ‒ ‒ S ‒ ‒ Colotes (Homoeodipnis) javeti S IASU S ‒ I ‒ ‒ Colotes (Allodipnis) ogieri ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ Colotes (Antidipnis) punctatus ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ Colotes (Antidipnis) scutellaris IAS U ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ Ebaeus laterinodosus ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ Hypebaeina torretassoi ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ I ‒ Hypebaeus (Hybebaeus) elongaticornis ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ Hypebaeus (Allogynes) nodipennis S ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ Hypebaeus (Hybebaeus) peyerimhoffi ‒ U ‒ ‒ IAS IA ‒ Laius venustus SU IASCU IS IACU ISC I ‒ Malachiomimus sinaitus ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ I U ‒ Malachius alfierii ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ S U ‒ Malachius coccineus ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ Nudopectinus flabellicornis S IASEU ‒ E AC ‒ ‒ Protapalochrus flavolimbatus IS IASEU ‒ ‒ IA ‒ ‒ Psiloderes diabolicus S ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ Psiloderes sinaiticus ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ Psiloderes viridiceps ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ Troglops alfierianus ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ Troglops apterus IAS ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ Troglops atricps ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ Troglops orientalis ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ Troglops rabinocitchi ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ graphical zones is plotted in maps using DIVA-GIS (Ver. MATERIAL EXAMINED: Talbieh N 29.99743 E 31.17384 (Giza), 28-4- 7.1.7). 1925; Abu Rawash N 30.05385 E 31.07669 (Giza), 8-9-1911; Shou- A field survey of malachiid beetles was under taken bra N 30.08034 E 31.25528 (Cairo), 2-8-1913; Massara N 30.0709 E over a great area of the Egyptian territories and covered the 31.2451 (Cairo), 1-12-1935; Mansouriah N 30.1383 E 31.0712 main geographical zones (Table I). (Giza), 1-11-1935. {14, ALFC}; Nahia N 30.0465 E 31.12563 (Giza), on Sugar Cane, 3-8-2008; Kirdasa N 30.03226 E 31.10908 (Giza), on Halfa, 10-1-2008; Kirdasa N 30.03226 E 31.10908 (Gi- Results za), on Sugar Cane, 30-7-2008; Kirdasa N 30.03226 E 31.10908 (Giza), on Cotton, 11-7-2010; Kirdasa N 30.03226 E 31.10908 Family Malachiidae Fleming, 1821 (Giza), 11-7-2010; Helwan N 29.960289 E 31.2577285, on Halfa, 10-12-2008; Helwan N 29.960289 E 31.2577285, 30-9-2009; Hel- Tribe Apalochrini Mulsant & Rey, 1867 wan N 29.960289 E 31.2577285, 2-8-2010; El-Warrak N 30.09948 Laius venustus Erichson, 1840 E 31.21308 (Giza), on Halfa 11-8-2009; Nahia N 30.0465 E Laius venustus Erichson, 1840: 63 31.12563 (Giza), on Sugar Cane, 3-8-2009; Imbaba N 30.08333 E Laius abyssinicus Pic, 1917: 5. 31.21667 (Giza), 21-11-2008; Tokh N 30.3502 E 31.2013 (Qalyu- Laius bedforti Pic, 1928: 5. biya), on Manderina, 13-12-2008; Kafr Hakim N 30.08169 E Laius bifasciatus Laporte, 1840a: 280. 31.1152 (Giza), on Cotton, 13-9-2009; Abu Rawash N 30.05385 E Laius letourneuxi Pic: 5. 31.07669 (Giza), 25-7-2008; Tanta N 30.7795 E 31.0257 (Ghar- Laius rugosiceps Pic, 1922: 159. biya), on Manderina, 5-11-2009; Mansouriah N 30.1383 E 31.0712 TYPE LOCALITY: Pyramides [Giza, Egypt]. (Giza), 26-11-2010; Saft el laban N 30.0291 E 31.1678 (Giza), 31-8- LOCAL DISTRIBUTION: This species is distributed in Lower & Upper 2010. {20, AUC}; Abu Rawash N 30.05385 E 31.07669 (Giza), 26- Nile Valley, Eastern & Western Desert and Sinai. 8-1925; Borgash N 30.16569 E 31.03274 (Giza), 16-9-1925; Helwan WORLD DISTRIBUTION: Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Afrotropical N 29.960289 E 31.2577285, 15-10-1935; Ghobbt El-Bous N Region. 29.63975 E 32.34494 (Suez), 26-6-1929. {4, CUC}; Seila N 286 29.30267 E 30.83599 (Fayium), 27-10-1912; Cairo N 30.05041 E N 30.05041 E 31.2538, 22-9-1905; Cairo N 30.05041 E 31.2538, 31.2538, 10-7-1907; Abu Rawash N 30.05385 E 31.07669 (Giza), 1- 1908; Mataria N 30.12989 E 31.32053 (Cairo), 13-5-1912; Alexan- 1-1912; Abu Rawash N 30.05385 E 31.07669 (Giza), 7-1909; Luxor dria N 29.88235 E 31.17794, 1913; Mazghuna N 29.73763 E N 25.68889 E 32.65404, 7-1910; Fayium N 29.30267 E 30.83599, 31.25821 (Giza), 23-9-1905; Giza N 30.00135 E 31.19738, 7-1907; 1-7-1907; Talbieh N 29.99743 E 31.17384 (Giza), 29-11-1908; Beni Giza N 30.00135 E 31.19738, 7-1913; Pyramids N 29.97633 E Mazar N 28.49838 E 30.79803 (El-Minya), 22-1-1915; Beni Mazar 31.11251 (Giza), 24-5-1915; Pyramids N 29.97633 E 31.11251 N 28.49838 E 30.79803 (El-Minya), 17-11-1916; Barrage N 30.2 E (Giza), 3-8-1913; Alag N 30.1739 E 31.3437 (Qaliuobiya), 23-8- 31.13333 (Giza), 21-8-1912; Pyramids N 29.97633 E 31.11251 1913; Dahshor N 29.75458 E 31.23541 (Giza), 9-1927.