The subgenus Xanthochroa Schmidt, 1844 (type species: Oedemera carniolica Gistel, 1834, by monotypy) has a wide distribution throughout the Holarctic and Oriental regions, with the highest diversity in the Eastern Palaeartic region. The subgenus encompasses about 80 species, four of them occurring in Europe and the Mediterranean basin (Švihla, 1991, 2008; Kriska, 2002; Vázquez, 2002; Tian et al., 2014; Kubisz & Iwan, 2020). Among the latter, only one, Nacerdes (Xanthochroa) raymondi (Mulsant & Godart, 1860), is present in Northern Africa (Allemand, 1993; Kubisz & Iwan, 2020).
Nacerdes (X.) raymondi was described from “midi de la France” (as Xanthochroa raymondi) and also cited from Corsica (Mulsant & Godart, 1860: 161). Allemand (1993: 7) fixed a lectotype from Saint Raphäel (“St Raphaël”, Var, France), therefore, it becomes the type locality of the species according to the article 76.2 of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN, 1999). Nacerdes (X.) raymondi presents a relatively broad geographic range, subdivided in isolated populations grouped in three subspecies (Kubisz & Iwan, 2020): 1) N. (X.) raymondi raymondi, distributed in south-eastern France (departments of Bouches-du-Rhône, Var, Vauclause, Drôme and Alpes-Maritime; Allemand, 1993, 2003; Fadda, 2016), eastern Spain (provinces of Barcelona, Tarragona, Castellón, Valencia, Alicante, Murcia, Albacete, Guadalajara, Jaén and Málaga; Vázquez, 1989, 1993, 1995, 2004; Vázquez & Švihla, 1990; Lencina et al., 2008), and very localised in Northern Africa (Algeria and doubtfully Morocco) (Peyerimhoff, 1918; Allemand, 1993; Vázquez et al., 2017); according to Allemand (1993, 2003) the old records from Corsica are likely misidentifications; 2) N. (X.) r. ciliciensis Švihla, 1991, known from southern Anatolia (Taurus mountain range, Turkey) and the Island of Rhodes (Greece) (Švihla, 1991; Kubisz et al., 2007; Kubisz & Iwan, 2020), separated from the nominal subspecies by a gap of, at least, 2000 km by air; 3) N. (X.) r. canyellesi Vázquez, 2006, only known from from Mallorca (Tramuntana mountain range) (Balearic Islands, Spain) (Vázquez, 2006; Núñez et al., 2016; Vázquez et al., 2017; Kubisz & Iwan, 2020).
Allemand (1993) established the synonymy between N. (X.) raymondi and Xanthochroa barbara Peyerimhoff, 1918. Xanthochroa barbara was described based on a single male specimen from “Bois de Boulogne, près Alger” (Algeria) that emerged from a branch of Pinus halepensis Mill. (Peyerimhoff, 1918). Until Allemand's work (1993), who revised the holotype of Peyerimhoff’ species, the Iberian and central Maghreb (Algeria) populations were named as N. (X.) barbara (see Vázquez & Švihla, 1990; Vázquez, 1990, 1993, 1995). Kocher (1964: 85) recorded N. (X.) raymondi [sub Xanthochroa raymondi Muls. (s. lat.)], with doubts, from the Rif mountain range, specifically from “Talass-n-Tane, alt. 1800 m.” (= Talassemtane National Park, province of Chefchaouen, 35º07’N-5º06’W), pointing out that it was an uncertain identification on a single specimen, housed at the Institut Scientifique Cherifien (ISC, Rabat, Morocco); latter, added the locality of Tafechna (= Tatfechena, province of Khenifra, 32º55ʹ22ʺN-5º31ʹ34ʺW, 1400 m.a.s.l.) [Kocher, 1969 67; sub “Xanthochroa reymondi Muls. (s. lat.)” sic!], in the Middle Atlas, also on a single specimen (ISC). Both Moroccan records, unconfirmed to date, have been ignored by subsequent authors. Therefore, the only reliable locality of N. (X.) raymondi in Northern Africa, so far, is Algiers (north central Maghreb), since the “Bois de Boulogne” is now integrated into the urban centre of the Algerian capital, as a green area (36º45ʹ03ʺN-3º02ʹ40ʺE, 200 m.a.s.l.)
We recently detected an established population of N. (X.) raymondi raymondi in the Autonomous City of Ceuta (Spain, northeastern tip of the Tingitanian Peninsula). This is the first record of N. (X.) raymondi in Northern Africa after more than half a century, and confirms its presence in a large area, the western Maghreb (Moroccan geographic context). The presence of N. (X.) raymondi in Ceuta extends its North African known range to the northwest, supporting the veracity of the previous records provided by Kocher (1964, 1969), or at least the one referring to the western Rif (Talassemtane, about 100 km southeast of Ceuta) (Fig. 1). Specimens were identified according to Allemand (1993), Vázquez (1993, 2002) and Fadda (2016), including examination of the male genitalia. We have compared these specimens with four additional Iberian exemplars (see studied material paragraph). The examined material is preserved in the following collections: Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN-CSIC) (Madrid, Spain); Centro de Colecciones de Zoología (CZGR) (University of Granada, Granada, Spain); and Col. J.L. Ruiz (JLR) (Ceuta, Spain).
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Fig. 1.— Mapa con las localidades conocidas de Nacerdes (Xanthochroa) raymondi raymondi (Mulsant & Godart, 1860) en el norte de África: 1. Argel (Argelia), localidad tipo de Xanthochroa barbara Peyerimhoff, 1918; 2. Ciudad Autónoma de Ceuta (España); 3. Talassemtane (Rif, Marruecos); 4. Tafechna (Atlas Medio, Marruecos). |
STUDIED MATERIAL: Autonomous City of Ceuta (Spain): 35º54ʹ45ʺN-5º22ʹ23ʺW, 72 m, Parcela 114, Benzú, 25-VII-2018, J.L. Ruiz leg.: 1 ex., attracted to white actinic light (JLR); 35º54ʹ03ʺN-5º22ʹ01ʺW, 205 m, Pista de la Lastra, Arroyo Calamocarro basin, 31-VIII-2019, Zerynthia Association leg.: 1 ex., attracted to light trap (mercury tungsten blended lamp 250W) (JLR); 35º54ʹ47ʺN-5º22ʹ23ʺW, 62 m, Parcela 114, Benzú, 19-VII-2020, J.L. Ruiz leg.: 4 exx., attracted to light trap (mercury tungsten blended lamp 250W) (MNCN and JLR); Idem, 27-VII-2020: 6 exx. plus 3 exx. observed (MNCN and JLR). Andalusian Autonomous Community (Spain): Málaga: 36º51ʹ50ʺN-3º58ʹ14ʺW, 720 m, Río de la Llanada de Turvilla, Fábrica de la Luz, Canillas de Albaida, Sierras de Tejeda, Almijara y Alhama Natural Park, 28-VI-2015, C. Zamora leg.: 2 exx., attracted to light trap (CZGR and JLR); 36º34ʹ47ʺN-5º17ʹ56ʺW, 640 m, Camping Salitre, Algatocín, 4-VIII-2007, J.L. Ruiz leg.: 2 exx., attracted to white actinic light (JLR).
The specimens from Ceuta are chromatic and morphologically similar to the south Iberian specimens studied (Fig. 2). The variability observed is scarce, perceptibly involving body size (length: 8.6-11.7 mm; mean= 9.53 mm, s.d.= 0.98; n= 12, 9 females and 3 males), the extension of the diffuse dark frontal spot, and the width of the dark bands on the elytral margins. No differences in male genitalia have been observed between Iberian and North African specimens. The specimens located in Ceuta correspond morphologically to the nominal subspecies (see Vázquez, 1993, 2002, 2006). Nacerdes (X.) r. raymondi differs from the Balearic subspecies, N. (X.) r. canyellesi, by the following traits: eyes distinctly more globose and larger, with shorter interocular distance, in the first; pronotum entirely yellow in N. (X.) r. canyellesi, being pale yellow with darkened sides in the nominal subspecies; and elytra uniformly dark brown in N. (X.) r. canyellesi, yellowish with dark brown sides in N. (X.) r. raymondi (Vázquez, 2006).
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Fig. 2.— Individuo vivo de Nacerdes (Xanthochroa) raymondi raymondi (Mulsant & Godart, 1860) en Ceuta, atraído a una trampa de luz. |
From a bioclimatic viewpoint, the places where N. (X.) raymondi has been found in Ceuta are situated in the upper thermo-Mediterranean horizon, with a semi-humid ombroclimate (mean annual precipitation: 625 mm) (Chamorro, 1995). The habitat in this locations, very close to the coastline, is conformed mostly by cork oak (Quercus suber L.) patches with diverse undergrowth (Myrto communis-Quercetum suberis association), xeric scrublands mainly of Calicotome villosa (Poir.) Link in Schrad. (related to Asparago aphylli-Calicotometum villosae association) and scattered spots with pines (Pinus halepensis, Pinus pinea L., and Pinus pinaster Ait.) and non-native eucalypts (Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehnh) (see Chamorro, 1995; Ruiz, 1995; Ugarte et al., 2003). Both the pine and eucalyptus groves have their origin in reforestations carried out in the 50s-60s of the 20th century mainly (Navarro Capel, 1994; Chamorro, 1995). The observations of N. (X.) raymondi in Ceuta were made in the protected natural space “Calamocarro-Benzú” SCI-SPAs (surface area: 601.8 ha.), included within the Natura 2000 network (see Ciudad Autónoma de Ceuta & OBIMASA, 2020).
Nacerdes (X.) raymondi, a species with nocturnal habits, is apparently linked to Mediterranean pine forests (Vázquez, 1993; Lencina et al., 2008). It has been observed feeding at night in inflorescences of Bupleurum fruticosum L. (Lencina et al., 2008). The data available indicate that the imaginal period of activity is between the beginning of July and the end of September (Peyerimhoff, 1918; Vázquez, 1993; Lencina et al., 2008). Our observations were made within the known phenological range of the species, all of them on adults attracted to artificial light, as it is usual for this species (Vázquez, 1985, 1993, 2004; Lencina et al., 2008). Caillol (1914) and Allemand (1993) commented that adult specimens were collected beating holm oaks (Quercus ilex L.) and cork oaks. Echave & Trócoli (2018) captured adult specimens of N. (X.) raymondi with wine-baited traps and Lencina et al. (2008) with flight interception traps. Larvae are saproxylophagous developing on dead wood of Pinus L., usually on P. halepensis (Vázquez, 1993, 2004; Bouget et al., 2019).
The new records suggests the possibility that the apparent fragmentation of the North African populations of N. (X.) raymondi could be rather a result of lack of sampling in suitable areas (e.g. natural or reforested pine forest in mountain ranges; see Charco, 1999), than to a real absence of the species at the Mediterranean areas of Morocco and Algeria (gap between Algiers and the western Rif). This fact is likely a consequence of the nocturnal imaginal habits (which requires the use of light traps for sampling) and narrow adult phenology (strictly summer), that make the species difficult to detect, as Vázquez (2004) already pointed out for Spain.