Trichodes audouini­dubreuili Reymond, 1956

Trichodes audouini­dubreuili Reymond, 1956

( Figs. 1–6 View Fig View Figs )

Body length 9.0 mm. Body compact to elongate; with dense, light pilosity.

Head including eyes broader than apex of pronotum; black, glossy, diffusely and finely punctate; with dense, long erect, light brown to whitish pilosity. Mandibles large, blackish brown, glossy. Antennae, labrum, and palpi light yellowish brown. Labrum long, glossy, broadly V­shaped emarginate. Terminal segments of labial palpi large securiform; terminal segments of maxillary palpi spatulate, slightly dilated apically. Antennae short, reaching more or less to middle of pronotum when laid alongside; with thick, compact, three­segmented club.

Pronotum only slightly longer than broad (length 1.99 mm, width 1.90 mm); constricted in front and at base, more strongly constricted posteriorly; black, glossy anterior to the transverse impression, glossy to dull behind the transverse impression; anterior to the transverse impression diffusely and finely punctate, posteriorly coarsely and densely punctate; diameter of punctures larger than intervals, intervals with fine microsculpture; surface with very dense, long and erect pilosity, light yellowish brown to whitish.

Scutellum black, broadly tongue­shaped.

Elytra almost 2.5 times as long as broad (length 5.88 mm; width 2.43 mm), subparallel, only constricted at apex. Elytral ground color bright orange brown, interrupted by dark blue glossy fasciae in three areas as follows: a broad area on the shoulder; a narrow, almost straight transverse fascia medially and a narrow, oblique transverse fascia at posterior third, not reaching the lateral margin nor the (similarly dark blue) suture ( Fig. 1 View Fig ). Anterior elytral dark band not reaching the lateral margin, the two posterior bands reaching the lateral margin. Terminal part of elytra dehiscent; sutural angle slightly but conspicuously emarginate and pointed. Punctures within the area of the ground color shallow, diameter of punctures slightly larger than intervals. The area of the dark blue bands deeply, coarsely and more or less irregularly punctate, diameter of punctures mostly conspicuously larger than intervals; intervals with a very fine microsculpture. The elytra, especially at the lateral margin, are covered with dense, erect, light brown to whitish pilosity.

Legs dark orange brown, hind tibiae slightly curved, with two short, straight spurs distally; with a light yellowish brown to whitish pilosity.

Ventral surface black, with very long, dense, whitish pubescence. Metasternum distally rounded, smooth, glossy, with only occasional fine punctures. Abdominal sterna bordered laterally with orange, terminal abdominal sternum and pygidium ( Figs. 2–3 View Figs ) entirely orange; tergites orange brown; sternum VII slightly emarginate distally. Aedeagus as shown in Figs. 4–6 View Figs .

Diagnosis/Key

As with some other Trichodes species , it is not yet possible to assign T. audouini­dubreuili to any species group; in all probability the species is related to the ammios group. Characteristics of the ammios ­group are: Antennal club yellow, pronotum with distinctly engraved puncturation, elytra anteriorly with yellow lateral margin and with pale dorsal spot near base ( Gerstmeier 1985). The key to species in Gerstmeier (1998), p. 122–123, should be amended as follows:

17 Elytra anteriorly with broad orange brown transverse fascia ----------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Trichodes audouini­dubreuili

– Elytra anteriorly not with broad orange brown transverse fascia; either with pale dorsal spot near base or without it ----------------------------------------------------------- 18

18 (formerly 17) etc.

Distribution

Jean­Michel Maldès collected this specimen on a flowering plant in the Moroccan Anti­Atlas on route 7085, between Tagmoute and Tisgui­Ida­ou­Ballou, on 4 April 2000. This location is about 45 km east of Tafraoute, the nearest village. The specimens collected by Reymond were found in the vicinity of d’Hassi­Zguilma (end of April 1952) and around the summits of Djebel Mra, both located nearby Oued Mird (ca. 73 km southeast of Zagora).

These two specimens are also recorded in Joly et al. (1954), where one can find the citation of location as ‘‘Zguilma’’ and ‘‘Ikhf­n’Ouzreg.’’ For locations see Figure 7 View Fig .

Techtonically the Anti­Atlas belongs to the African plate and is one of the oldest mountains in the world; its folds were raised at the beginning of the Palaeozoic. Numerous wadis (Oueds) divide the semiarid landscape, which is characterized by a typical vegetation consisting of occasional copse ( Argania, Pistacia ), as well as Rhamnus, Kleinia, Euphorbia and savanna ( Stipa ), with transition to desert vegetation. It is the typical floral region of the Hamadas, lowlands whose surfaces are composed of sharp­edged boulders and coarse pieces of rock ( Fig. 8 View Fig ).