ROVARTANI KÖZLEMÉNYEK

L 1989 p. 5-7

A new Psammodius species from Hungary

(Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea)
By

L , ÁDÁM
(Received January 31, 1989)

A b s t r a c t : A new P s a m m o d i u s species f r o m H u n g a r y (Coleoptera: Scara­

baeoidea) - P s a m m o d i u s danublalis sp. n. - is described f r o m Hungary and
d i s t i n g u i s h e d f r o m the c l o s e l y r e l a t e d E u r o p e a n species P s a m m o d i u s bulga-
r i c u s M e n c l . 1982.

D u r i n g the i d e n t i f i c a t i o n o f H u n g a r i a n m a t e r i a l o f S c a r a b a e o i d e a I have found the fol­

lowing new species.

Psammodius danubialis sp. n.

Small; strongly convex; male elongate oval, moderately broadening posteriorly

( F i g . 1), f e m a l e oblong o v a l , s t r o n g l y b r o a d e n i n g p o s t e r i o r l y ( F i g . 2); a p p a r e n t l y s m o o t h ,
very finely shagreened, moderately shining; mature specimens reddish brown (most typical­
ly light r e d d i s h brown) i n c o l o u r , antennae and legs p a l e r .
Head granulate a n t e r i o r l y (granules rather t r a n s v e r s a l and r e l a t i v e l y sparsely d i s ­
tributed*, p o s t e r i o r l y with two pairs of oblique, coarsely punctate f u r r o w s . Clypeus angular­
ly e m a r g i n a t e a n t e r i o r l y , w i t h rounded angle each side of e m a r g i n a t i o n : l a t e r a l m a r g i n s
s l i g h t l y convex. Genae p r o m i n e n t , e a r - s h a p e d , rounded. M a r g i n s of clypeus and genae h a i r ­
less.
P r o n o t u m with five t r a n s v e r s a l r i d g e s and four t r a n s v e r s a l , c o a r s e l y punctate fur­
r o w s . L a t e r a l and basal m a r g i n s crenelate, with relatively short, clavate setae.
E l y t r a with indistinct h u m e r a l teeth; w i t h ten striae and ten i n t e r v a l s . Striae deep,
with indistinct, rounded punctures. Intervals strongly convex, tenth interval flatter, e s s e m
tially not shortened p o s t e r i o r l y . S c u t e l l u m s m a l l , t r i a n g u l a r , s t r o n g l y shagreened, aluta-
ceous.
Hind tibiae relatively short, broadening apically (Fig. 4), with four rows of setiger-
o u s t u b e r c l e s on v e n t r a l s u r f a c e . H i n d t a r s i s h o r t , a l i t t l e l o n g e r t h a n b r e a d t h o f t i b i a :
b a s a l f o u r t a r s a l s e g m e n t s c o m b i n e d as l o n g as b r e a d t h o f t i b i a . F i r s t t o f o u r t h t a r s a l s e g ­
ments m o r e or less t r i a n g u l a r l y widened. Claws r u d i m e n t a r y , very s m a l l . Longer t e r m i n a l
spur of hind tibia r a t h e r slender, v e r y s l i g h t l y dilated a p i c a l l y , longer than f i r s t and second
tarsal segments combined.
V e n t r a l surface light reddish or y e l l o w i s h brown. ProBternum and m e t a s t e r n u m fine­
ly c o r i a c e o u s . M e t a s t e r n a l plate s h i n i n g , With deep (male) o r v e r y s h a l l o w (female) longitu­
dinal i m p r e s s i o n and w i t h m e d i a n l o n g i t u d i n a l f u r r o w s h o r t e n e d p o s t e r i o r l y . A b d o m i n a l
sternites v e r y finely shagreened. F e m o r a e s t r o n g l y dilated, coarsely, vaguely punctate,
s m o o t h o r v e r y f i n e l y s h a g r e e n e d , w i t h f e w f i n e , s h o r t h a i r s on s u r f a c e .
Length: 2.4-3.3 m m (males : 2 . 4 - 3 . 0 m m , females : 2.9-3.3 m m ) .
T y p e m a t e r i a l . H o l o t y p e (Ő): K é l e s h a l o m , 195"). V I . , l e g . L e n c i R . P a r a t y p e s ( 2 8 do",
78 o o ) : B r t c s a , h o m o k b u c k á s ( s a n d d u n e s ) , 1 9 5 6 . V I . 1 7 . , l e g . K a s z a b Z . e t S z é k e s s y V . ;
B u d a p e s t , L á g y m á n y o s , l e g . D i e n e r H . ; B u g a c , Ő s b o r ó k á s , hangyabolyból ífrom ant nest),
1 9 7 8 . V I I . 6 . , l e g . M a h u n k a S. ; E s z t e r g o m , l e g . B o k o r E . ; F ü l ö p h á z a , S t r á z s a - h e g y , 120 m ,
m o h a alól ( f r o m b e n e a t h m o s s ) , 1978. V . 2 5 . , sajtról ( f r o m c h e e s e ) . 1978. X . 2 5 . , kó alól
( f r o m beneath stone), 1979. I I I . 26., 1980. I X . 15., l e g . Á d á m L . ; K a l o c s a , l e g . S p e i s e r F . ;
K é l e s h a l o m , 1955. V I . , l e g . L e n c l R . ; Orgovány, 1956. V I I . 2 4 . , l e g . Tóth L . ; Őrbottyán,
Ő r s z e n t m i k l ó s , nyáras ( p o p l a r t r e e p l a n t a t i o n ) , 1879. I V . 15. , l e g . Sajó K . ; S o l t v a d k e r t ,
leg. L e n c i R. ; Y u g o s l a v i a , G r e b e n a c , 1874., l e g . F r i v a l d s z k y J. et P á v e l J. ; Y u g o s l a v i a ,
H o r g o s , ( I V . 2 5 . ) , l e g , B i r ó L . T h e t y p e s a r e d e p o s i t e d i n the Z o o l o g i c a l D e p a r t m e n t of the
Hungarian Natural History Museum, Budapest.

F i g s 1, 2, 4. P s a m m o d i u s d a n u b i a l i s s p . n . , 1= b o d y o u t l i n e o f m a l e , 2= b o d y o u t l i n e o f
female, 4= h i n d t i b i a a n d t a r s u s . - F i g s 3, 5 . P s a m m o d i u s b u l g a r i c u s M e n c l , 1 9 8 2 , 3=
b o d y o u t l i n e o f m a l e , 5= h i n d t i b i a a n d t a r s u s
 T h i s new s p e c i e s is e s p e c i a l l y s i m i l a r to P s a m m o d i u s b u l g a r i c u s M e n c l , 1982. ( F i g .
3, 5 ) . T h e d i s t i n c t i v e c h a r a c t e r s a r e t h e b o d y l e n g t h , t h e r e l a t i v e l y s h o r t , s t r o n g l y d i l a t e d
f e m o r a , the r e l a t i v e l y s h o r t h i n d t i b i a e and h i n d t a r s i , and r u d i m e n t a r y , v e r y s m a l l c l a w s .
B i o n o m y : P s a m m o d i u s danublalis sp. n. a t y p i c a l species of d r y sandy g r a s s l a n d s
d e v e l o p e d on l o o s e , w a r m , c a l c a r e o u s sand. I t i s f o u n d m a i n l y i n a n n u a l s a n d s w a r d s ( B r o -
m e t u m t e c t o r u m ) , i n open sandy g r a s s l a n d s (Festucetum vaginatae), r a r e l y in sandy pas­
tures (Potentillo a r e n a r i a e - F e s t u c e t u m pseudovinae), etc. The specimens excavate t h e m ­
s e l v e s i n t o the s a n d i n 2 - 5 c m d e e p , d e p e n d i n g on the h u m i d i t y , a m o n g g r a s s r o o t s , u n d e r
s t o n e s , often i n the v i c i n i t y o f D i a s t i c t u s v u l n e r a t u s ÍSturm, 1805) a n d L a s i u s a l i e n u s ( F ö r ­
s t e r , 1850) ( H y m e n o p t e r a : F o r m i c i d a e ) . T h e y feed o n d e c a y i n g p l a n t s u b s t a n c e s .

LITERATURE

M E N C L , L . ( 1 9 8 2 ) : E i n e neue A r t d e r G a t t u n g P s a m m o d i u s aus B u l g a r i e n ( C o l e o p t e r a , A p h o -
diidae). - A c t a ent. bohemoslov., 79:310-314.
R A K O V I C , M . (1981): A r e v i s i o n o f the P s a m m o d i u s F a l l e n s p e c i e s f r o m E u r o p e , A s i a and
A f r i c a . - R o z p r a v y C e s k o s l o v e n s k é A k a d e m i e V e d , 91 i l ) . A c a d e m i a P r a h a , 82 p p .

Authors address: L. ÁDÁM

Zoological Department
Hungarian Natural History Museum
B a r o s s u . 13.
H - 1088 B u d a p e s t
HUNGARY