1Daugavpils University, Institute of Life Sciences and Technology,
Department of Biosystematics, Vienības Str. 13, Daugavpils, LV - 5401, Latvia
2Private Entomological Laboratory and Collection,
Rýznerova 37, CZ - 252 62 Únětice u Prahy, Praha-západ, Czechia
e-mail: jh.dermestidae@volny.cz
3Na Pískovně 651, CZ - 460 14 Liberec 14, Ruprechtice, Czechia

Abstract. The following three species are newly recorded from Iran: Thorictus irakensis John, 1963, Thorictus orientalis orientalis Peyron, 1857 and Thorictus lederi Reitter, 1881.

Key words: faunistics, new records, Coleoptera, Dermestidae, Thorictinae, Thorictus, Iran.

INTRODUCTION

     The myrmecophilous dermestid genus Thorictus Germar, 1834 currently includes 171 species and subspecies known from the Palaearctic, Oriental and Afrotropical Regions (Háva 2015, 2020). Eight species are known from Iran (Ghahari & Háva 2015). In the present article, the authors mentioned new records of three species recently collected in Iran.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

     The two Thorictus species groups were stated by John (1963). The following abbreviations refer to the depositories of the material studied:
JHAC   Jiří Háva, Private Entomological Laboratory & Collection, Únětice u Prahy, Prague-West, Czechia;
MSPC   Martin Švarc, private collection, Liberec, Czechia.

RESULTS

Genus Thorictus Germar, 1834
Thorictus orientalis species group

Thorictus lederi Reitter, 1881
(Fig. 1)

Material examined: Iran, West Azerbaijan prov., 11 km SE of Serow, 2000 m, N37°38´30´´E44°44´04´´, 25.v.2019, Martin Švarc lgt., 70 spec., J. Háva det., (62 MSPC, 8 JHAC); Iran, Kordestan prov., 3 km E of Morvarid, 2250 m, N34°52´29´´ E47°00´04´´, 21.v.2019, Martin Švarc lgt., 21 spec., J. Háva det., (17 MCPC, 4 JHAC); Iran, Qazvin prov., 3.5 km W of Kouhin, 1500 m, N36°22´17´´ E49°37´21´´, 28.v.2019, Martin Švarc lgt., 2 spec., J. Háva det., (1 MCPC, 1 JHAC).

Host ant: Pheidole sp.

Distribution. A species known from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran: Azerbaijan province and Uzbekistan, new locality data from Kordstan and Qazvin provinces.

Thorictus irakensis John, 1963
(Fig. 2)

Material examined: Iran, Kordestan prov., 3 km E of Morvarid, 2250 m, N34°52´29´´ E47°00´04´´, 21.v.2019, Martin Švarc lgt., 10 spec., J. Háva det., (8 MCPC, 2 JHAC); Iran, West Azerbaijan prov., 11 km SE of Serow, 2000 m, N37°38´30´´E44°44´04´´, 25.v.2019, Martin Švarc lgt., 1 spec., J. Háva det., (MSPC).

The host ant: Cataglyphis sp.

Distribution. A species described by John (1963) from Iraq: Baghdad, new to Iran: Kordestan and Azerbaijan provinces

Thorictus orientalis orientalis Peyron, 1857
(Fig. 3)

Material examined: Iran, Kerman prov., 20 km NE of Jiroft, 1734 m, N28°49´15´´E57°51´47´´, 18.v.2019, Martin Švarc lgt., 1 spec., J. Háva det., (MSPC); Iran, Chaharmahal & Bakhtiari prov., 9 km W of Aluni, 1870 m, N31°33´05´´ E50°56´41´´, 12-13.v.2019, Martin Švarc lgt., 1 spec., J. Háva det., (MSPC).

The host ant: Cataglyphis sp.

Distribution. A species known from Greece, Iraq, Israel, Syria and Turkey, new to Iran: Chaharmahal & Bakhtiari and Kerman provinces.
 

Figs. 1-3. Habitus: 1- Thorictus lederi Reitter, 1881, 2- Thorictus irakensis John, 1963, 3- Thorictus orientalis orientalis Peyron, 1857

REMARKS ON LOCALITIES

Fig. 4. The location Aluni: a sparse oak forest on a slope, 1 specimen of Thorictus orientalis dug from the depth of a Cataglyphis sp. ant colony together with an individual of a rare histerid species Sternocoelis grandis (Histeridae: Hetaeriinae).

Fig. 5. The location Jiroft: a gravel lake shore, 1 specimen of Thorictus orientalis dug out of the depth of a Cataglyphis sp. ant colony together with 2 specimens of a staphylinid species Piochardia sp. (Staphylinidae).

Fig. 6. The location Morvarid: a steppe hillside high in the mountains, 10 specimens Thorictus irakensis found under stones with small rusty ants Pheidole sp. together with more numerous specimens of Thorictus lederi.

Fig. 7. The location Serow: a valley of a stream, pastures with many stones, 1 specimen Thorictus irakensis under a larger stone in an ant colony of Cataglyphis sp. In the same pasture, under smaller stones, more numerous specimens of Thorictus lederi found in ant Pheidole sp. colonies, together with 3 specimens of Paussus turcicus (Carabidae: Paussinae) and 1 specimen of a very rare histerid species Satrapes talyschensis (Histeridae: Hetaeriinae).

Fig. 8. The location Kouhin: an erosion valley between fields, 2 specimens of Thorictus lederi under a stone in an ant colony of Pheidole sp.

LIST OF THORICTUS SPECIES RECORDED FROM IRAN

Thorictus doriae Escalera, 1942
Thorictus irakensis John, 1963
Thorictus kamil Háva, 2015
Thorictus kurdistanus John, 1965
Thorictus lederi Reitter, 1881
Thorictus myrmecophilus Reitter, 1881
Thorictus orientalis orientalis Peyron, 1857
Thorictus petranus John, 1965
Thorictus taftanus Háva, 2008
Thorictus yazdensis Háva, 2015

Acknowledgements. We grateful to Miloslav Rakovič (Czechia) for the revision of the English manuscript.

REFERENCES
 

GHAHARI H. & HÁVA J. 2015: An annotated checklist of the Iranian carrion beetles (Coleoptera: Staphylinoidea: Silphidae). – The Coleopterists Bulletin 71(3): 612-626.

HÁVA J. 2015: World Catalogue of Insects. Volume 13. Dermestidae (Coleoptera). – Leiden/Boston: Brill, xxvi + 419 pp.

HÁVA J. 2020: Dermestidae World (Coleoptera). – World Wide Web electronic publication (open in 2004):

http://www.dermestidae.wz.cz (version 2018, update January 2020).

JOHN H. 1963: Revision der Gattung Thorictus Germar (Thorictidae, Clavicornia Col.). Eine Bestandaufnahme, Kritik und Neubeschreibungen. – Entomologische Abhandlungen und Berichte aus dem Staatlichen Museum für Tierkunde in Dresden 28:177-255.