TY - JOUR

T1 - The tiger beetles (Coleoptera, Cicindelidae) of the southern Levant and adjacent territories

T2 - From cybertaxonomy to conservation biology

AU - Assmann, Thorsten

AU - Boutaud, Estève

AU - Buse, Jörn

AU - Gebert, Jörg

AU - Drees, Claudia

AU - Friedman, Ariel Leib Leonid

AU - Khoury, Fares

AU - Marcus, Tamar

AU - Orbach, Eylon

AU - Renan, Ittai

AU - Schmidt, Constantin

AU - Zumstein, Pascale

PY - 2018/2/5

Y1 - 2018/2/5

N2 - The tiger beetles of the southern Levant (Egypt: Sinai, Israel, Jordan) and adjacent regions of the neighboring countries Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Egypt are reviewed in terms of species taxonomy, ecological and distributional traits and conservation biology. An illustrated dichotomous identification key from the species of this region is provided. Based on the classical identification key, we developed a digital identification application for smartphones and tablets. The species status of Calomera aulicoides (J.R. Sahlberg, 1913) is (re-) established (stat. rest.) as this taxon can be found sympatrically and para-patrically together with Calomera littoralis winkleri (Mandl, 1934). Morphological character states are discussed to identify Cicindela javetii Chaudoir, 1861 and C. herbacea Klug, 1832. Calomera aphrodisia (Baudi di Selve, 1864) is recorded for the first time from Israel. The presence of Calomera aulica (Dejean, 1831) and Grammognatha euphratica (Dejean, 1822) is confirmed by new records. At least five taxa are threatened or extinct in Israel. For one of these species, Israel has a national responsibility for the conservation as the main part of the distribution range is within this country. Availability: The application TIGER BEETLE ID for Android devices can be freely downloaded at https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.734.21989.suppl1. See also disclaimer of warranties.

AB - The tiger beetles of the southern Levant (Egypt: Sinai, Israel, Jordan) and adjacent regions of the neighboring countries Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Egypt are reviewed in terms of species taxonomy, ecological and distributional traits and conservation biology. An illustrated dichotomous identification key from the species of this region is provided. Based on the classical identification key, we developed a digital identification application for smartphones and tablets. The species status of Calomera aulicoides (J.R. Sahlberg, 1913) is (re-) established (stat. rest.) as this taxon can be found sympatrically and para-patrically together with Calomera littoralis winkleri (Mandl, 1934). Morphological character states are discussed to identify Cicindela javetii Chaudoir, 1861 and C. herbacea Klug, 1832. Calomera aphrodisia (Baudi di Selve, 1864) is recorded for the first time from Israel. The presence of Calomera aulica (Dejean, 1831) and Grammognatha euphratica (Dejean, 1822) is confirmed by new records. At least five taxa are threatened or extinct in Israel. For one of these species, Israel has a national responsibility for the conservation as the main part of the distribution range is within this country. Availability: The application TIGER BEETLE ID for Android devices can be freely downloaded at https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.734.21989.suppl1. See also disclaimer of warranties.

KW - Android

KW - Application for smartphones and tablets

KW - Geadephaga

KW - Identification key

KW - Life history traits

KW - Middle east

KW - Mobile devices

KW - Sibling species

KW - Species status

KW - Species traits

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85041999309&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.3897/zookeys.734.21989

DO - 10.3897/zookeys.734.21989

M3 - Journal articles

C2 - 29674855

AN - SCOPUS:85041999309

VL - 2018

SP - 43

EP - 103

JO - ZooKeys

JF - ZooKeys

SN - 1313-2989

IS - 734

ER -