New additions and further records of non-native Coleoptera in Romania
Author
Drăghici, Andreea-Cătălina
“ Grigore Antipa ” National Museum of Natural History, Kiseleff Road no. 1, 011341 Bucharest, Romania & University of Bucharest, Faculty of Biology, Splaiul Independenței 91 - 95, Bucharest, R- 050095, Romania
Author
Pintilioaie, Alexandru-Mihai
Laboratory of Interdisciplinary Research on the Marine Environment and Marine Terrestrial Atmosphere, Al. I. Cuza University of Iasi, Prof. Dr. Ioan Borcea Marine Biological Station, Nicolae Titulescu str. no. 163, Agigea, Constanţa, Romania & Doctoral School of Biology, Faculty of Biology, “ Alexandru Ioan Cuza ” University of IaȘi, Carol I Avenue, 20 A, 700505 IaȘi, Romania
Author
Murariu, Dumitru
Romanian Academy, Calea Victoriei no. 125, 010071 Bucharest, Romania
Author
Manci, Cosmin-Ovidiu
0000-0003-0267-2460
cosminom@gmail.com
Author
Ruzzier, Enrico
Department of Science, Roma Tre University, Viale G. Marconi 446, 00146 Rome, Italy
text
Zootaxa
2025
2025-01-24
5575
3
409
428
https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5575.3.4
journal article
10.11646/zootaxa.5575.3.4
1175-5326
14747112
4B1C253B-95F1-4F55-8EA1-F311AB52A6A2
Palorus subdepressus
(Wollaston, 1864)
Materials examined.
Costanța
County
,
Dumbrăveni
(near),
43.9355°N
/
27.9952°E
,
16.IX.2022
, pasture— at light,
Cosmin-Ovidiu Manci
leg. (
5 specimens
),
COMC
(
Fig. 2
,
Fig 3 C
)
;
IaȘi County
, Dobrovăț (near),
46.9978°N
/
27.6757°E
,
7.X.2022
, forest—dead wood related,
Cosmin-Ovidiu Manci
leg. (
1 specimen
),
COMC
.
Collecting conditions.
Specimens from Dumbrăveni were collected at the light in an area intensively grazed just at the edge of Dumbrăveni forest. The specimen collected near Dobrovăț was found under the bark of a dead common hornbeam (
Carpinus betulus
).
Distribution.
Species of Afrotropical origin, now cosmopolitan (
Rees 2007
;
Bousquet
et al
. 2018
). For a detailed distribution in Europe see
Iwan
et al
. (2020)
.
Romania
is a new country record.
Notes.
Palorini Matthews, 2003
includes one other
Palorus
species
known from
Romania
:
P. depressus
Fabricius, 1790
.
Despite many morphological differences,
P. subdepressus
can be confused with
Tribolium spp
., closely related taxa (
Buchelos 1980
;
Mravinac
et al
. 2005
) or, most commonly, with
P. depressus
(Fabricius, 1790) (
Halstead 1967
)
(
Fig. 3 C, D
). The main difference from the latter is the height of the genae (
Fig. 2
);
P. depressus
genae is slightly raised above the level of the clypeus, whereas
P
.
subdepressus
genae is more raised above the clypeus, with petaloid genae forming two small horns. The shape of the genae, i.e., forming an anterior part that is raised above and covers part of the eye, is continuous with the supraorbital carina.
FIGURE 2.
Comparative table of head and pronotum of
Palorus
species
:
Palorus subdepressu
s (left) and
P. depressus
(right) (
Palorus subdepressus
—
collected in Dumbrăveni (near), 43.9355°N/27.9952°E, 16.IX.2022 and
Palorus depressus
—
collected in Dobrovăț Forest, 46.9982°N/27.6776°E, 5.III.2023).
The
holotype
of
P. subdepressus
was collected under camel dung from the Canary Islands in 1859 (
Champion 1896
). The identification of this species in
Egypt
, in the storage rooms of Amarna, with
Sithophilus
granarius
(Linnaeus, 1758)
(
Dryophthoridae
) (
Panagiotakopulu 2001
), and in the
Spanish Sahara
in 1943 (
Louveaux
et al
. 2022
), supports its African origin. The species was probably introduced to Europe during the prehispanic period (
Henríquez-Valido
et al.
2020
). Excavations conducted at the Romano-British site of Alcester,
Warwickshire
, in 1964–1965 revealed the presence of
P. subdepressus
, indicating its introduction to
England
during the 3rd and 4th centuries AD (
Osborne 1971
). However,
Brendell (1975)
mentioned that the species is not established in the
UK
, not knowing whether populations have survived, or the species reintroduced, but it is widespread mainly in the tropics (
Rees 2007
).
Palorus subdepressus
is a minor or secondary pest of stored products, mainly cereals; mycophagous (
Denux & Zagatti 2010
). Consumes processed plant products (
Haines 1991
), and those consumed previously by primary pests such as
S. granarius
which are also prey. The species can be found under bark, frequently in large numbers (
Halstead 1967
).