Zonitoschema pallidissima
Creators: name: Batelka, Jan
name: Bologna, Marco A.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2014
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Meloidae
Zonitoschema
Zonitoschema pallidissima

description: Zonitoschema pallidissima (Reitter, 1908)
(Figs 19, 30–32, 40–42, 53)
Stenoderistella pallidissima Reitter, 1908: 50.
Zonitoschema pallidissima: PEYERIMHOFF (1929: 126); KASZAB (1957: 229).
Material examined. EGYPT: 1 ♂ 1 ♀ (NMPC), Mariout – El Ayami, 11.x.1974, V. Zouhar lgt., M. Dvořák det. 1976; 2 ♂♂ (NMPC), Heluán, 2.x.1959, Veselý lgt., V. Günther det.; 1 spec. (TAUC), Alexandrie, Z. Kaszab det.; 2 ♂♂ (MNHN, Peyerimhoff coll.), Mamoura Abou Kir, 21.ix.1924, ex coll. Min.Agric. (Egypt), A. Alfieri [lgt.], P. Peyerimhoff det. ISRAEL: 1 spec. (TAUC), Haifa checkpost, 2.iii.1997, T. Pavlicek; 10 spec. (TAUC), Tel Aviv, 1.x.1969, Bytinsky-Salz lgt.; 6 spec. (TAUC), same data, but 2.ix.1971 + 6.–12.ix.1971; 2 spec. (TAUC), same data, but 1.x.1969; 2 spec. (TAUC), same data, but 23.ix.1980; 4 spec. (TAUC), same data, but 10.ix.1969; 6 spec. (TAUC), same data, but 25.ix.1969; 4 spec. (TAUC), same data, but 15.ix.1969; 5 spec (TAUC), same data, but 20.ix.1969; 2 spec. (TAUC), same data, but 19.ix.1969; 1 spec. (TAUC), Ashdod, 14.ix.1996, R. Hoffman lgt.; 2 spec. (TAUC), Ramat Aviv, 10.vi.1995, V. Chikatunov lgt.; 1 spec. (TAUC), Gvulot, 1.ix.1983, E. Shney-Dor lgt.; 1 spec. (TAUC), idem 30.vi.1986, E. Shney-Dor lgt.; 1 spec. (TAUC), Nhal Tirza Res., zor Deir Shaman, Yordan Store, 15.iii.2005, V. Chikatunov lgt.; 2 spec. (TAUC), Rosh ha’Ayn, 15.x.1994, V.Chikatunov lgt.; 1 spec. (TAUC), Shalom, 19.vi.1997, R. Hoffman lgt.; 2 spec. (TAUC), Jordan Valley Udja 16.iii.2005, V. Chikatunov lgt.; 1 spec. (TAUC), Ein Hub, 12.x.1953, Fishelsohn lgt.; 1 spec. (TAUC), E. Gedi, 10.ix.1964, D. Furth, donated by En Gedi Field School; 3 spec. (TAUC), same data, but 10.vii.1969; 3 spec. (TAUC), same data, but 11.vii.1969; 2 spec. (TAUC), En-zin, 30°53.60′N, 35°09.17′E, 13.xii.1999, I. Yarom & V. Kravchenko lgt.; 2 spec. (TAUC), Nahal Peres, 1.vi.1998, A. Freidberg lgt., light trap; 1 spec. (UTA), Shizzafon, 7.viii.1995, V. Chikatunov lgt.; 1 spec. (UTA), Shezaf N.R., Nahal Shezaf, 30°44.96′N, 35°16.28′E, 6.xi.1999, I. Yarom & V. Kravchenko lgt., ligth trap. MOROCCO: 1 ♂ (MNHN, Peyerimhoff coll.), Maroc Saharien, Tissint [Anti Atlas, between Foum-Zguid and Tata], Ch. Rungs lgt.
Differential diagnosis. In this species, as in Z. chourriba sp. nov., sexual dimorphism is developed as follows: shortest distance between eyes dorsally in both species is equal to one third of total width of head in females, while it is almost one fourth in males. The male antennomere XI of Z. pallidissima is shorter than in female, while it is equal in both sexes of Z. chourriba sp. nov. Male genitalia (Fig. 53 for Z. pallidissima; Figs 58−59 for Z. chourriba sp. nov.). Elytra ca. 4.4 times as long as pronotum in both sexes, while in Z. chourriba sp. nov. the ratio is 4.1 in male, and 4.6 in female.
Distribution. Morocco (KOCHER 1956), Algeria (PEYERIMHOFF 1929), Tunisia (NORMAND 1949), Libya (BOLOGNA 2009), Egypt (REITTER 1908, ALFIERI 1976), Israel (KASZAB 1957). In Israel it is distributed not only in the desert of Negev, as recorded by KASZAB (1957), where it is syntopic with Z. iranica and Z. rubricolor, but also along the sand coastal plain north to Haifa.
The distribution of this species in Maghreb countries should be re-evaluated. The only known specimen from Morocco, mentioned by KOCHER (1956), was re-examined in the Peyerimhoff’s collection. This specimen has slightly different rugosity of elytra than it appears in Egyptian specimens, but this character could represent a clinal variability. We failed to find any specimen from Algeria in the Peyerimhoff’s collection; three specimens of uncertain identity from Djanet differing from Egyptian and Israeli populations of Z. pallidissima, are discussed below. Also the Tunisian specimen reported from Djerba by NORMAND (1949) should be re-examined, to evaluate whether or not it is conspecific with Z. chourriba sp. nov.
The citation from Saudi Arabia made by BOLOGNA & TURCO (2007) is uncertain and needs to be corroborated by voucher specimens.
description: Published as part of Batelka, Jan & Bologna, Marco A., 2014, A review of the Saharo-Sindian species of the genus Zonitoschema (Coleoptera: Meloidae), with description of new species from Tunisia, Yemen and Socotra Island, pp. 241-268 in Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 54 on pages 260-261, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.5314482