Contribution to the knowledge of Saprinus Erichson, 1834 of forensic relevance from Lebanon (Coleoptera, Histeridae)

By

Shayya, Salman
Dégallier, Nicolas
Nel, André
Azar, Dany
Lackner, Tomáš

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2018

Original Publication

ZooKeys

Volume

738

Pages

117-152

Subjects

carrion , key to species , Lebanon , peak activity , Saprinus

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.738.21382

 

Abstract

Many histerid beetles are necrophilous on carrion during both active and advanced stages of decomposition. In this study, 13 species of Saprinus were recorded on carrion from Lebanon, containing eight that are new for the Lebanese fauna. The following Saprinus species are newly recorded from Lebanon: 1) Saprinus (S.) caerulescens caerulescens (Hoffmann, 1803); 2) S. (S.) calatravensis Fuente, 1899; 3) S. (S.) chalcites (Illiger, 1807); 4) S. (S.) godet (Brullé, 1832); 5) S. (S.) maculatus (P. Rossi, 1792); 6) S. (S.) strigil Marseul, 1855; 7) S. (S.) submarginatus J. Sahlberg, 1913; and 8) S. (S.) tenuistrius sparsutus Solsky, 1876. The peak activity was recorded, key for the species is provided, and habitus images and male genitalia are illustrated in order to facilitate their taxonomic identifications. Saprinus species are diverse and common on animal carcass; they were likewise collected from a human cadaver in Lebanon. Preliminary comments on biology and distribution of the studied species are given. Our paper represents the first faunistic study on Histeridae from Lebanon. A rigorous research program regarding the biology of Saprinus in Lebanon and the neighbouring countries would greatly improve the knowledge of the diversity, activity, and possible forensic value of Saprinus.