Microcosmodes arabicus Häckel & Azadbakhsh, 2016, sp. nov.

Microcosmodes arabicus sp. nov. (Fig. 1) Type material. Holotype ♂: “SW Asia, Oman, Dhofar Province Jabal al Qamar W Al Mughsayl—Wádí, N 16.84497 °, E 53.68615 ° 20.– 31. 8. 2012 lgt. P. Kučera” (NMPC). Paratypes, 2 ♂: (same data as holotype) (MNBL, cMH); 1 ♂: “SW Asia Oman Dhofar prov Wadi Mughsayl IX– 2007 lgt. J. Horák” (cSA); 1 ♀: “Sultanate Oman, 250 m, Wadi Nashib, Nashib env. 25–26. 9. 2003 lgt. S. Jákl” (cSJ); 1 ♀: “SW Asia, Oman, Dhofar Prov. Jabal al Qamar, 5 km N Dhalqut, 22. 11. 2011, N 16.72291 °, E 53.27424 °, 300m lgt. W. Grosser” (cMH); 1 ♀: same data except “ 22. 9. 2011, lgt. P. Kučera” (cDW); 1 ♂: “Sultanate Oman, Dzhophar prov. 0–50 m Takwa env., 8. 1999 lgt. S. Jákl” (cMH); 1 ♂: “SW Asia, W Yemen, Hammam Ali (NW Dhawran) 14 ° 41 ' N 44 °07' E, ca 1570m, lgt. D. Král” (cMH); 5 ♂, 5 ♀: “Baha Province, Al Makhwa, Shada Al Ala (Nature Preserve), 825 – 392 m (KSMA). Description of holotype. Length 8.2 mm (PT 7.9), width 3.5 mm. Proportions: Pronotum 1.59 x wider than long, 2.06 x wider than head, elytra 1.37 x wider than pronotum (Fig. 1 a–c). Color: head, pronotum and elytra black, glossy; palps yellowish; mandibles and labrum reddish, legs and antennae ferrugineous. Each elytron with two yellow to orangish-yellow maculae; humeral macula reaches from 2 nd interval to margin and to epipleura, preapical macula reaches from 3 rd interval to margin. Dorsal and ventral parts of body black, covered by yellow setae. Head: large, wide, about twice narrower than pronotum; eyes strongly convex; temples short; labrum weakly excavated at anterior side; clypeus smooth; vertex flat, coarsely punctured; anterior part of frons smooth, posteriorly and laterally depressed, rugate, lateral margin with sulcus rimming it from antennal base to midlength of eyes; lateral pits shallow, rugate and coarsely punctured. Neck short, wide, smooth. Pronotum: transverse (length to width ratio 1.59), almost semicircular, widest at posterior third of length; lateral angles widely rounded, arcuate and narrowing anteriorly; anterior angles weakly indicated, open and rounded, not extended forward; anterior margin distinctly narrower than base; lateral margins widening posteriorly, in last quarter narrowing toward base, hind angles preceded by an excision creating a small dent; base straight except curvature near angle; lateral rims weakly developed, punctured, narrowing anteriorly; disc densely rugate and punctured; sagittal line indistinct; basal pits ahallow, indistinct, coarsely punctured. Elytra: ovoid, widest at midlength; humeri weakly rounded; margins rounded, widening posterolaterally; basal rim indistinct, striae deeply impressed and evenly, deeply punctured; intervals strongly convex, sparsely and shallowly punctured, spaces between punctures without microsculpture. Venter: black, metepisternum anteroposteriorly longer than wide, trapeziform, punctured, narrowing posteriorly (Fig. 3 a). Ventrites laterally rugate, finely rugate at middle, sparsely covered by long yellowish setae. Aedeagus: more slender than in following species, with apical part prolonged, at apex with indication of a hook pointing toward curvature (Figs 1 b, c). Differential diagnosis. Based on similar habitus and elytral pattern, Microcosmodes arabicus sp. nov. belongs to the cruciatus species group. It differs from the west African M. cruciatus (Dejean, 1831) in having the pronotum less curved, with less rounded and therefore recognizable front angles, more posteriorly widened lateral margins resulting in maximum width attained in the basal quarter of length (not in the basal third as in M. cruciatus), and the posterolateral excision and resulting tooth before the hind angle smaller than in M. cruciatus. From the very similar M. persicus sp. nov. it differs in the elytral color pattern: in M. arabicus both orangish maculae are present, clearly defined and extensive, not only reduced traces but always cover the entire interval so that the black reminder of the elytra forms a characteristic pattern of Maltese cross (Fig. 1 a, Fig. 4). Etymology. Named for the Arabian peninsula. Distribution. Oman, Dhofar Province; West Yemen; Southwestern Saudi Arabia: Al-Bahah.Published as part of Häckel, Martin & Azadbakhsh, Saeed, 2016, Two new species of Microcosmodes Strand (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Panagaenini) from Oman and Iran, pp. 553-560 in Zootaxa 4137 (4) on pages 554-555, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4137.4.7, http://zenodo.org/record/27195