Zonitoschema iranica Kaszab 1959
Creators: name: Batelka, Jan
name: Bologna, Marco A.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2014
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Meloidae
Zonitoschema
Zonitoschema iranica

description: Zonitoschema iranica Kaszab, 1959
(Figs 21–23, 28, 35–36, 52)
Zonitoschema iranica Kaszab, 1959: 4.
Zonitoschema gibdoana: KASZAB (1983: 187, partim); BOLOGNA & TURCO (2007: 30, partim).
Zonitoschema rubricolor (misidentification): BATELKA & GEISTHARDT (2009: 201).
Material examined. CHAD: 1 spec. (MRAC), N’Gouri, distr. de Kanem, ix.1958, P. Renaud lgt., Z. Kaszab det. as Z. gibdoana; 1 ex. (MRAC), same data, but viii.1958. IRAN: 3 spec. (NMPC), Hormozgan prov., 10 km E of Tujak, 10 m, 26°04ʹN, 57°18ʹE, 14.−15.iv.2000, J. Hájek & M. Mikát lgt.; 1 spec. (MNHN), Hormozgan prov., Minab, 30.iii.1965, Mission Franco-Iranienne, Z. Kaszab det., 1967. ISRAEL: 4 spec. (TAUC), Nahal Shezaf, 30°43ʹN, 35°16ʹE, 29.v.1998, I. Yarom lgt., light trap; 4 spec. (TAUC), Shezaf N.R., 30°43ʹN, 35°16ʹE, 12.ix.1999, I. Yarom & V. Kravchenko lgt., light trap BL; 3 spec. (TAUC), same data, but 18.v.1999, 1 spec. (TAUC), same data, but 17.v.1999, 1 spec. (TAUC), same data, but 8.vi.1999, 3 spec. (TAUC), same data, but 2.vi.2000, I. Yarom lgt., light trap; 2 spec. (TAUC), Shezaf N.R., Nahal Shezaf, 2.vi.2000, E. & B. Orbach lgt., light trap; 4 spec. (TAUC), Hazeva, Field School, 30°46.70N, 35°14.25E, 21.v.1999, I.Yarom & V.Kravchenko lgt., light trap BL; 3 spec. (TAUC), Hazeva 6.vi.2000, I. Yarom & V. Kravchenko lgt., light trap; 2 spec. (TAUC), Arava, Hazeva, 10.vi.2001, V. Kravchenko lgt.; 1 spec. (TAUC), Ne-ot Hakikkar, 15.v.1999, I. Yarom & V. Kravchenko lgt., light trap; 1 spec. (TAUC), ‘Ein Zin, 5.vi.2000, I. Yarom & V. Kravchenko lgt., light trap; 3 spec. (TAUC), Nahal Peres, 1.vi.1998, A. Freidberg, light trap; 1 spec. (TAUC), Ein Gedi, 21.v.1966, Bytinsky-Salz; 1 spec. (TAUC), idem, 22.vi.19, Bytinsky-Salz. OMAN: 5 spec. (NHMB), Wahiba Sands, 21°38ʹN, 59°18ʹE [= possible Qarhat Mu’ammar?, identical coordinates as below], 23.−26.iii.1986, M. Gallagher lgt.; 2 spec. (NHMB), Qarhat Mu’ammar, camp 130 m, 21°38ʹN, 59°18ʹE, 28.iii.1986, M. Gallagher lgt.; 10 spec. (NHMB), N Sama il 400 m, Qaylah, 23°21ʹN, 58°03ʹE, 22.iv.1985, C. Holzschuh lgt.; 1 spec. (NHMB), same data, but 21.iv.1985; 1 spec. (NMPC), Al Dakhiliyah prov., Uwayfiyah oasis, 210 m, 22°15ʹN, 56°59ʹE, 3.iv.2012, A. Reiter lgt.; 1 spec. (JBCP), Dhofar prov., Jabal al Qamar, Wadi Al Mughsayl, 25.viii.2012, P.Kučera lgt.; 15 spec. (MBCR), Dhofar prov., Wadi Al Mughsayl, 8/ 23.ix.2010, 16°52ʹN− 53°44ʹE, M. Snížek lgt. SAUDI ARABIA: 2 spec. (NHMB), Wadi Mizbil [Riyadh district, BÜTTIKER (1979: 19)], 13.iv.1977, W.Büttiker lgt. [1 spec. was misidentified as Z. gibdoana by Z. Kaszab, 1978]; 1 spec. (NHMB), Wadi Sheib Luha [Riyadh district, BÜTTIKER (1979: 19)], 27.v.1976, W. Büttiker lgt.; 1 spec. (NHMB), same data but 27.vi.1976; 1 spec. (NHMB), J. [mount] Lebaba, 24.iii.1985, M. Gallagher lgt.; 1 spec. (NHMB), Muhayel, 4.iii.1986, coll. RAWRC [collected syntopically with Z. rubricolor, see below]; 1 spec. (NHMB), Fifa, 23.x.1983 [misidentified as Z. gibdoana by Z. Kaszab, 1985]. SUDAN: 2 spec. (MBCR), Ed Damer Hudeiba, 1 and 25.iv.1962 R. Remane lgt. UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: 3 spec. (JBCP), Near Ras al-Khaymah Airport, Ghaf forest, 22.xi.2006, J. Batelka & H. Pinda lgt. [misidentified by BATELKA & GEISTHARDT (2009) as Z. rubricolor Pic, 1924]; 3 spec. (JBCP), 12749 [only the code number related to the locality is available], A. van Harten lgt.
Host association. All three specimens from Ras al-Khaymah (U.A.E.) were reared from nest of the carpenter bee Pseudoheriades grandiceps Peters, 1988 (Megachilidae) (J. Batelka det. 2010, identification confirmed by H. Dathe (Germany) in April 2013). For details on this record see BATELKA & GEISTHARDT (2009).
Differential diagnosis. Zonitoschema iranica is very close to Z. oculatissima, and distinguishable only by the pronotum less parallel. The real distinction of these two species needs confirmation in a revision of the entire genus. Probably they form a group of species together with Z. paolii, Z. gibdoana (if distinct from Z. paolii), and Z. spp. cf. gibdoana from the Arabian Peninsula.
The populations of Z. iranica from eastern Sahel, Israel, and the Arabian Peninsula, have been confused in the literature and in the collections with Z. gibdoana (see above in the discussion concerning Z. spp. cf. gibdoana), described from Tanzania. Zonitoschema iranica is well distinct from Z. gibdoana and the unidentified taxa from the Arabian Peninsula (see above as Z. spp. cf. gibdoana), because of the shorter anterior part of the head, a character particularly evident in lateral view in both sexes and especially in male as concerns Z. spp. cf. gibdoana.
BATELKA & GEISTHARDT (2009) erroneously cited this species from the U.A.E. as Z. rubricolor Pic, 1924. Actually, Z. rubricolor is very different at least because of the body colour and punctures on head and pronotal disc (for details see key below).
Male genitalia (Fig. 52) are figured for the first time and differ from those of Z. gibdoana from Kenya (Fig. 54) because of the slender apex of both aedeagus and gonoforceps.
Distribution. Distributed along the coast of southern Iran (Sistan & Baluchestan (KASZAB 1959) and Hormozgan), Arabian Peninsula, Israel (Negev), and central and eastern Sahel (Chad, Sudan).
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 257-258, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.5314482