G. it. Ent., 1 (3): 91-122
January 31, 1983
Psammodiini nuovi o interessanti di Europa, Asia e Africa
(Coleoptera Aphodiidae)
(XXII contributo alla conoscenza dei Coleoptera Scarabaeoidea)
di
RICCARDO PITTINO
Abstract - The Author hereby deals with 24 species of Aphodiidae of the tribe Psammodiini from Europe, Asia and Africa, 8 among them being new for science. Taxonomic considerations and new records for 15 interesting species, some of which were till now known only from their typical localities, are given. Together with the new species R. spiniger n. sp., R. sculptilipennis Schm. (= R. reitteri Cl.) is found to have a peculiar sexual dimorphism on hind tibiae, till now incredibly unknown for the genus Rhyssemus Muls. Through the examination of the types, the following new synonymies are pointed out: R. sculptilipennis Schm. (= R. nigeriensis Petr. n. syn. = R. ignobilis Endr. n. syn.); R. archambaulti Bén. (= R. claviger Petr. n. syn.). R. falsus Balth. is here considered to have the taxonomic value of a subspecies of R. sculptilipennis Schm.: R. sculptilipennis ssp. falsus Balth. (n. comb.). The following new species are also described: 1) Psammodius (s. str.) ovatus n. sp. (India, Assam), allied to P. tesari Rak. and P. nepalensis Balth., and being the first known Psammodius s. str. from the Oriental region with apically acuminate setae on the lateral margins of the pronotum; 2) Rhyssemus spiniger n. sp. (Congo), closely related to R. sculptilipennis Schm.; 3) R. meruensis n. sp. (Kenya), a very interesting species which can't be compared with any other known from Ethiopian region; 4) R. perissinottoi n. sp. (Iran), allied to R. granosus Kl.; 5) R. xerxes n. sp. (Iran), closely allied to R. macedonicus Bén., and being the first species till now known from the Palaearctic region having apical spurs of anterior tibiae hooked medially in the male and the first of the genus having lower apical spurs of meso- and metatibiae hooked downward in the male; 6) R. helenae n. sp. (W-Pakistan), closely allied to R. falcatus Petr.; 7) R. (Trichiorhyssemus) adhabaricus n. sp. and 8) R. (T.) nepalensis n. sp. (Nepal), both of them having apical spurs of anterior tibiae hooked medially in the male, this character never being recorded before in the subgenus. To complete this work, original drawings of morphological details of taxonomic importance are also provided.
