Brachinus (s. str.) psophia Audinet-Serville, 1821

Pavlou, Christoforos, Bolanakis, Giannis, Kardaki, Ljubitsa & Trichas, Apostolos, 2025, Forty years of ground-beetle sampling in Crete. A major contribution to the Carabidae (Coleoptera, Adephaga) fauna of Crete (Greece), Contributions to Entomology 75 (2), pp. 269-288 : 269-288

5. Brachinus (s. str.) psophia Audinet-Serville, 1821

Figs 2 E , 5 B

Habitat and general distribution.

Brachinus psophia has a wide distribution over Europe, North Africa to the Far East ( Arndt et al. 2011). It is a hygrophilous, wetland species, that is also common in croplands ( Drmić et al. 2016; Lemic et al. 2017).

Material examined.

• Chania: Falassarna wetland , 35.479700°N, 23.575000°E, 2 m elev., 15.V.2015 – 9.VII.2015, pitfall traps, 20 spms, leg. Pavlou Chr. ( NHMC) ; • same location data, but: 9.VII.2015 – 2.XI.2015, 7 spms

Comments.

Brachinus psophia was recorded for the first time from Greece (Corfu, Aetoloakarnania, Peloponnese) by Apfelbeck (1904). Arndt et al. (2011) accept this species for Greece ( Ionian islands, Greek mainland and Peloponnese). The extant literature suggests that this is the first record of B. psophia in Crete. The species was only found in Falassarna Bay indicating a dispersal event from a western locality, perhaps Peloponnese. Dispersals from western areas confined in the west coastline of Crete are also recovered for other Carabidae species (e. g. Scarites procerus eurytus Fischer von Waldheim, 1828 ) and other taxa (e. g. Tentyria grossa Besser, 1832 , Tenebrionidae ( Trichas 1996)) . The species was found in a coastal salt-marsh.

Figures

Figure 2. A. Calosoma inquisitor; B. Calosoma maderae; C. Carabus graecus trojanus; D. Brachinus plagiatus; E. Brachinus psophia; F. Clivia ypsilon; G. Sirdenus grayii; H. Scarites eurytus; I. Scarites buparius. Scale bars: 5.5 mm (A); 7.75 mm (B); 5 mm (C); 3 mm (D); 2.5 mm (E); 1.75 mm (F); 1.1 mm (G); 6.4 mm (H); 6.8 mm (I).

Figure 5. Aedeagii. Α. Brachinus plagiatus; B. Brachinus psophia; C. Sirdenus grayii; D. Anaulacus ruficornis; E. Cymindis andrae; F. Ophonus puncticeps; G. Dicheirotrichus obsoletus; H. Parophonus hirsutulus; I. Pterostichus anthracinus; J. Calathus cinctus. Scale bars: 0.53 mm (A); 0.41 mm (B); 0.28 mm (C); 0.72 mm (D); 0.49 mm (E); 0.61 mm (F); 0.47 mm (G); 0.56 mm (H); 1.17 mm (I); 0.63 mm (J).