Corresponding author: Tomáš Lackner (
Academic editor: M. Caterino
The occurrence of histerids in Lebanon has received little specific attention. Hence, an aim to enrich the knowledge of this coleopteran family through a survey across different Lebanese regions in this work. Seventeen species belonging to the genera
Shayya S, Lackner T (2020) Contribution to the knowledge of the clown beetle fauna of Lebanon, with a key to all species (Coleoptera, Histeridae). ZooKeys 960: 79–123.
The interesting biodiversity of Lebanon is due to its complex topography and altitudinal diversity and its location at the eastern rim of the Mediterranean Sea (
Regarding the
Within the
No representative of the subfamily
This study is aimed to investigate the diversity of the
The majority of specimens were collected in pitfall traps (28 cm height and 16 cm width) baited with rotting fish and pig dung. Specimens were collected after one week of placing the pitfall trap in each locality. The localities and their coordinates are mentioned in Table
Sampling localities coordinates and altitude.
District | Locality | Latitude / Longitude | Altitude (m a.s.l.) |
---|---|---|---|
|
Hasbaya |
|
750 |
Kfeir |
|
909 | |
Khalwat El Kfeir |
|
1000 | |
Mimes |
|
789 | |
|
Fanar |
|
250 |
Naas-Bikfaya |
|
1090 | |
|
Ain Harcha |
|
994 |
Tanoura |
|
985 | |
Bakifa |
|
994 | |
Rashaya |
|
1223 | |
Kfar Qouq |
|
1100 | |
|
Badghan |
|
1211 |
Baissour |
|
850 | |
Misherfeh |
|
950 | |
Nabaa Al Safa |
|
959 | |
Rechmaya |
|
450 | |
Sawfar |
|
1194 | |
|
Tyre |
|
0 |
General observations and dissections were carried out using stereomicroscope Nikon SMZ1500. Without genital extraction, males of
The maps of species distribution were made using Google maps and Microsoft Visual Studio Code (Version 1.37).
List of species recorded from Lebanon; their distribution in the Middle East and biology are mentioned. The list records are based on the Palaearctic catalogue (
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Abundance of
We should like to stress that our key contains only species recorded from the territory of Lebanon, with a single exception of
1(4) | Taxa of minute size, PEL = max 1.10 mm |
|
2(3) | Metaventrite densely punctate, basal pronotal stria medially not distinctly inwardly angulate (Figs |
|
3(2) | Metaventrite sparsely punctate (for fig. see Mazur, 1977 fig. 2); basal pronotal stria medially distinctly inwardly angulate (Figs |
|
4(1) | Larger taxa, PEL > 1.10 mm |
|
5(8) | Elytra and pronotum with costae |
|
6(7) | Large species, PEL = 4.20 mm; punctures of pronotum not forming elongate rugae; pronotum medially with two interrupted keels (Fig. |
|
7(6) | Smaller species, PEL = max 2.50 mm; punctures of pronotum forming elongate rugae; pronotum medially with four complete keels (Fig. |
|
8(5) | Elytra and pronotum without costae |
|
9(34) | Prosternum with prosternal lobe or “presternum” (for fig. see e.g. |
|
10(11) | Labrum with setae; protibia with numerous tiny denticles (Figs |
|
11(10) | Labrum asetose; protibia usually with several large teeth topped by denticles, never with numerous tiny denticles (Fig. |
|
12(15) | Mesoventrite produced into an anterior angle that fits into an angular emargination of the prosternum (for fig. see e.g. |
|
13(14) | Larger species, PEL > 3.00 mm; body strongly convex; elytral stria IV basally connected with complete sutural elytral stria; antennal club larger than antennal funicle (Fig. |
|
14(13) | Smaller species, PEL < 3.00 mm; body rather flattened; elytral stria IV basally shortened, not connected with shortened sutural elytral stria; antennal club smaller than antennal funicle (Fig. |
|
15(13) | Mesoventrite not produced into an anterior angle, usually rounded anteriorly (for fig. see e.g. |
|
16(21) | Protarsal groove deep, S-shaped (Fig. |
|
17(18) | Body cylindrical (Fig. |
|
18(17) | Body flattened (Fig. |
|
19(20) | Anterior angles of pronotum with dense punctures; pronotum on anterior third only slightly narrowed (Fig. |
|
20(19) | Anterior angles of pronotum with sparse punctures; pronotum on anterior third narrowed more strongly (Fig. |
|
21(16) | Prosternal groove usually shallow, not S-shaped (Fig. |
|
22(25) | Mesoventrite anteriorly outwardly arcuate, rounded (for fig. see e.g. |
|
23(24) | Apical pronotal angles with a single stria; roundly-oval species (Figs |
|
24(23) | Apical pronotal angles with double stria; a depressed taxon (Fig. |
|
25(22) | Mesoventrite deeply emarginate anteriorly (for fig. see e.g. |
|
26(29) | Inner subhumeral stria completely absent (Fig. |
|
27(28) | Elytra with red macula (Fig. |
|
28(27) | Elytra completely black (Figs |
|
29(26) | Inner subhumeral stria present at least as a short fragment, usually complete (Fig. |
|
30(31) | Body large, PEL>7.50 mm, sub-rectangular; elytra usually with only striae I–III complete (Fig. |
|
31(30) | Body smaller, PEL < 7.50 mm, roundly-oval; elytra with striae I–IV developed |
|
32(33) | Pronotum with two lateral striae; a larger species, PEL > 4.50–7.00 mm (Figs |
|
33(32) | Pronotum with a single lateral stria; a smaller species, PEL = 2.80–4.00 mm (Figs |
|
34(9) | Prosternum without prosternal lobe or “presternum” (for fig. see e.g. |
|
35(36) | Tiny (PEL < 2.20 mm), completely black, dorsoventrally flattened subcortical taxon; elytra without striae (Fig. |
|
36(35) | Usually larger (PEL > 2.20 mm), mostly metallic, occasionally with red macula, roundly-oval, not depressed taxa, never subcortical; elytra always striate (Fig. |
|
37(38) | Frontal and supraorbital striae completely absent, basally between elytral stria IV and sutural elytral stria a short hooked appendix present (Fig. |
|
38(37) | At least supraorbital stria always present, frontal stria often interrupted medially, occasionally prolonged onto clypeus; without basal short hooked appendix between elytral stria IV and sutural stria |
|
39(54) | Prosternal foveae present (Fig. |
|
40(41) | Carinal prosternal striae divergent anteriorly, “open”, lateral prosternal striae straight, terminating in deep prosternal foveae (Figs |
|
41(40) | Carinal prosternal striae usually convergent and united anteriorly; lateral prosternal striae usually convergent anteriorly, occasionally surpassing prosternal foveae, in most cases evading them (for fig. see |
|
42(43) | Underside of body setose, including elytral epipleuron; a very convex taxon; protibia with three large teeth topped by denticle, followed by five short denticles (Figs |
|
43(42) | Underside of body usually glabrous, rarely pronotal hypomeron with very short setae ( |
|
44(49) | Frontal stria usually interrupted medially, slightly prolonged onto clypeus; if complete ( |
|
45(46) | Pronotum with pronotal post-ocular depressions; cuticle metallic, with bronze or slightly greenish hue (Fig. |
|
46(45) | Pronotum without post-ocular pronotal depressions; cuticle not metallic, usually dark-brown or black (Fig. |
|
47(48) | Frontal stria weakened, but usually complete; elytral stria IV basally not connected with sutural elytral stria (Fig. |
|
48 (47) | Frontal stria widely interrupted medially and prolonged onto clypeus; elytral stria IV basally connected with sutural elytral stria (Fig. |
|
49(44) | Frontal stria usually complete; elytral stria IV usually basally united with sutural elytral stria |
|
50(53) | Frons with sparse minute punctures (Fig. |
|
51(52) | Frontal stria medially almost straight, forming an acute angle above eyes; supraorbital stria keel-like (Figs |
|
52(51) | Frontal stria medially outwardly arcuate, not forming an acute angle above eyes; supraorbital stria not keel-like (Figs |
|
53(50) | Frons densely and coarsely punctate, occasionally punctures forming coarse elongate rugae (Figs |
|
54(39) | Prosternal foveae absent (Fig. |
|
55(60) | Elytra bicolored (Fig. |
|
56(57) | At least the entire lateral elytral margin orange-red, usually most part of the elytral disk orange-red with only the short band along the elytral suture black (Fig. |
|
57(56) | Each elytron with a well-defined orange-red macula, never occupying the entire lateral elytral margin (Fig. |
|
58(59) | Black without bronze hue; macula reaching into fourth elytral interval (Fig. |
|
59(58) | Black with bronze hue; macula on elytron reaching into third elytral interval (Figs |
|
60(55) | Elytra unicolored, never with red macula (Fig. |
|
61(62) | Pronotal hypomeron setose, fourth dorsal elytral stria strongly reduced, often absent; a large, usually metallic species (PEL = 5.00–7.50 mm) (Fig. |
|
62(61) | Pronotal hypomeron asetose, fourth dorsal elytral stria usually not reduced, fully developed; smaller species (PEL = 2.50–6.50 mm) |
|
63(64) | Elytra, especially their apical halves with very dense punctation, punctures aciculate and striolate, elytral intervals punctured, third dorsal elytral stria well-developed (Figs |
|
64(63) | Elytra with variously dense punctation, but punctures usually not aciculate or striolate (some specimens of |
|
65(70) | Elytra with well-defined polished areas ‘mirrors’, punctation of elytral disk very dense, punctures separated by less than their own diameter, third dorsal elytral stria reduced to absent (Fig. |
|
66(67) | Dorsal elytral striae erased by very coarse and dense punctures; pronotum with a well-defined ‘mirror’ consisting of three interconnected ovals of which the middle one is conspicuously larger than other two (Figs |
|
67(66) | Dorsal elytral striae always visible; pronotum without a well-defined “mirror” (Fig. |
|
68(69) | Elytral ‘mirror’ with microscopic scattered punctation, light to dark brown species, without greenish or bronze metallic hue, third dorsal elytral stria reduced, but usually discernible; elytral punctation in fourth elytral interval reaches elytral half (Fig. |
|
69(68) | Elytral ‘mirror’ glabrous, third dorsal elytral stria usually strongly reduced to absent, dorsum with distinct greenish or bronze metallic hue; punctation in fourth elytral interval does not reach elytral half (Fig. |
|
70(65) | Elytra without well-defined polished areas (‘mirrors’), punctation of the elytral disk less dense, punctures usually separated by their own diameter or more (Fig. |
|
71(72) | Apices of carinal prosternal striae convergent anteriorly, rather approximate; large (PEL = 4.50–6.50 mm) entirely black species (Figs |
|
72(71) | Apices of carinal prosternal striae divergent anteriorly (Fig. |
|
73(76) | Apices of carinal prosternal striae strongly divergent, laying on lateral sides of the prosternal process (Fig. |
|
74(75) | Pronotal post-ocular depressions deep, third dorsal elytral stria usually not reduced, light to dark brown species with slight bronze metallic hue (Fig. |
|
75(74) | Pronotal post-ocular depressions shallow, third dorsal elytral stria usually strongly reduced, black species without metallic hue (Fig. |
|
76(73) | Apices of prosternal striae divergent, but never laying on lateral sides of the pronotal process (Fig. |
|
77(78) | Pronotal post-ocular depressions absent, pronotal disk medially with distinct punctation, humeral elytral stria confluent with inner subhumeral one creating a supplementary dorsal elytral stria parallel to first (Fig. |
|
78(77) | Pronotal post-ocular depressions present, pronotal disk medially with only scattered fine punctation (Fig. |
|
79(80) | Entire elytral disk with punctation, punctures separated by twice or more their diameter, dorsal elytral striae thin, impunctate (Fig. |
|
80(79) | At least the area between united sutural and fourth dorsal elytral striae without punctation (or punctures microscopic), punctures of elytral disk separated usually by less than twice their diameter (Fig. |
|
81(82) | Apical margin of metaventrite of male without tubercles. Male terminalia: 8th sternite with two rows of brush-like setae: one situated approximately medially and another apically, aedeagus constricted before apex; apex rounded (Figs |
|
82(81) | Apical margin of metaventrite of male with two distinct tubercles (Fig. |
|
83(84) | Tubercles on the apical margin of metaventrite of male slightly removed from metaventral margin (Fig. |
|
84(83) | Tubercles situated almost on the very apical metaventral margin (Fig. |
|
This checklist is based on
Checklist of the
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* – newly reported from Lebanon
In general, faunistic inventories are incomplete since the number of studied species continues to increase with the increase of sampling efforts (
According to
The subgenus
The genus
This is considered the first faunistic study of the
We should like to thank Prof. Dany Azar and Miss Julia Abboud (Lebanese University, Faculty of Sciences II, Fanar, Lebanon) for the help with collecting the specimens, as well as Mr. Mouayad Al Azem, the manager of the laboratory at the Faculty of Health Science at the AUST (Beirut, Lebanon). The wife of the corresponding author, Dr. Pepina Artimová has helped us with line drawings using Adobe Illustrator CS5 and we should like to thank her. F. Slamka (Bratislava, Slovakia) produced all photographs and is also responsible for the graphical layout of the figures used in this paper. The first author’s gratitude goes to the American University of Science and Technology (Lebanon) for their support. Three anonymous reviewers helped with their constructive criticisms and their input on this paper.
According to Y. Gomy (Nevers, France; personal communication, 2019) the two species of Platylister are possibly synonyms. This has already been discussed by Kanaar (2008); according to him “A comparison of the type-specimens of both species is needed to solve this question”.