Litargus ( Litargus ) arabicus, Háva, 2025

Litargus ( Litargus) arabicus sp. nov.

( Fig. 1-2)

ZooBank:https://zoobank.org/ B2E79A65-17AA-47AA-9112-E6772E40F6A1

Holotype, ♀, Oman, Dhofar gov., Ain Ayun pools, at light., 657 m, 17°14.8´´ N 53°53.3 ´´E, 24.x.2019, J. Hájek & A. Reiter lgt., ( NMPC).

Paratype, 1 ♀, E Yemen, Jabal al Fatk, Hawf NE Al Ghaydah, N16°40´ E53°05´, 729 m, 12-13.x.2005, P. Kabátek lgt., ( JHAC) GoogleMaps .

Description

Body. – Measurements TL 2.7 mm, EW 1.2 mm; oblong-oval, subparallel-sided; weakly convex dorsally, weakly glossy; brown on dorsal and ventral surfaces, covered with short, brown recumbent setation.

Head. – Brown, finely punctate; covered by brown, recumbent setation; labrum brown; eyes prominent laterally in dorsal view, coarsely faceted and slightly emarginate near antennal insertions; antennae with 11 antennomeres, entirely brown with brown setation, antennal club with three antennomeres ( Fig. 2); palpomeres brown, apical maxillary palpomere large, cylindrical.

Pronotum. – Brown, flat, finely punctured, covered with brown recumbent setation; widest at base, gradually narrowed anteriad and posteriad; anterior margin slightly arcuate; sides roundly arcuate; basal margin sinuate, without short and circular grooves on subbasal parts.

Scutellum. – Transverse, apically rounded, with short recumbent brown setation.

Elytra. – Brown without colour patterns, finely punctate without striae, covered by brown recumbent setation, elongate, subparallel-sided, narrowed from apical 1/4 to apex. Epipleuron brown, covered with brown recumbent setation. Meta-meso ventrite brown, with brown recumbent setation. Prosternal process broad.

Legs. – Entirely brown with brown spines, covered with yellow recumbent setation. Tibiae with long brown spines apically.

Abdominal visible ventrites. – Brown, covered with brown recumbent setation.

Pygidium . – Brown, covered with brown recumbent setation.

Male. – Unknown.

Etymology. – Toponymic, named after the Arabian Peninsula.

Differential diagnosis. – The new species is externally similar to Litargus conradti Grouvelle, 1914 („German West Africa“; Ivory Coast), L. ater Grouvelle, 1914 ( Gabon; Ivory Coast) and L. unicolor Grouvelle, 1914 ( Cameroon; São Tome and Principe), but differs from them by the following characters:

- Pronotum and elytra brown, with brown setation; pronotal punctuation fine; scutellum transverse, apically rounded; elytra finely punctate without striae............................................................................................... arabicus

- Pronotum and elytra brown with yellow setation; pronotal punctuation fine; scutellum subtrapezoidal, apically broadly rounded; elytra finely punctate with striae from large punctures................................................................... unicolor

- Pronotum and elytra brownish-black with yellow setation; 3 rd antennomere length same as 4 th antennomere; pronotal punctuation coarse; scutellum transverse, apically rounded; yellow elytral setae forming striae............................................. condradti

- Pronotum and elytra black with black setation; 3 rd antennomere with same length as 4 th antennomere; scutellum transverse, apically rough; elytra with visible striae from small punctures................................................................... ater

Acknowledgements

I am very indebted to Larry G. Bezark ( California, U.S.A.) for comments and English revision to the manuscript.

References

Grouvelle A., 1914. – Descriptions de Coléoptéres Africains. Annales de la Société Entomologique de France, 83: 141-202 + 2 pls.

Háva J., 2022. – World Catalogue of Mycetophagidae View in CoL ( Coleoptera View in CoL : Tenebrionoidea). Studies and Reports, Taxonomical Series, 18(2): 287- 331.

Háva J., 2024. – A contribution to the genus Litargus Erichson, 1846 ( Coleoptera : Mycetophagidae ) from the Afrotropical Region. Euroasian Entomological Journal, 23(4): 222- 224.

Háva J., 2025. –Three new species of Litargus Erichson, 1846 ( Coleoptera : Mycetophagidae ) from southeastern Asia. Munis Entomology & Zoology, 20(1): 1788 - 1794.

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