Mourgliana (Pseudomourgliana) mollina Holzschuh, 2006
[= Mourgliana (Pseudomourgliana) vanharteni Sama, 2006]

Subfamilia: CERAMBYCINAE  /  Tribus: PSEBIINI

Mourgliana mollina
[Photo © David Navrátil]

This interesting member of Psebiini tribe has been described from Oman by Carolus Holzschuh in 2006 [❖]. In the same month (December 2006) the description of this taxon was republished under the name Mourgliana vanharteni, this time from the UAE by Gianfranco Sama (who also included it in the newly estabilished subgenus Pseudomourgliana) [✧]. So, Mourgliana mollina Holzschuh, 2006 and Mourgliana vanharteni Sama, 2006 are synonyms. M. mollina was published on December 22 according to the journal, but the publication of M. vanharteni was not exactly dated in the journal. According to the Article 21.3.1. (ICZN, 1999), in the absence of the exact evidence on the day of the publication the last day of the month must be accepted and Mourgliana vanharteni should be accepted as a junior synonym [☆].

The bionomy of M. mollina is not yet known in detail, but it is a nocturnal species that is attracted by light. Czech entomologists found its larvae "en masse" in dead thin twigs of Juglans regia and successfully reared many adults of the species (personal info, Petr Kabátek et al.).

Body length:4.0 - 6.5 mm
Life cycle:1-2 years [?]
Adults in:January - May
Host plant:probably polyphagous in deciduous trees, but still found only in Juglans regia
Distribution:Oman, United Arab Emirates


The depicted beetle was reared from larva found in walnut (Juglans regia) twigs in Saiq Plateau (Ad Dakhiliyah Governorate, Oman) on January 23, 2017.


[❖]
Holzschuh C.:
Beschreibung von 51 neuen Bockkäfern aus der palaearktischen und orientalischen Region, vorwiegend aus Borneo und China (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae).
Entomologica Basiliensa et Collectionis Frey 28: 205-276, 2006. [download pdf icon]

[✧]
Sama G.:
Preliminary report on the Cerambycidae of the United Arab Emirates, with the description of a new species belonging to a new subgenus (Insecta Coleoptera Cerambycidae).
Quaderni di Studi e Notizie di Storia Naturale della Romagna 23: 173-178., 2006. [download pdf icon]

[☆]
Danilevsky M.L.:
Additions and corrections to the new Catalogue of palaearctic Cerambycidae (Coleoptera) edited by I. Löbl and A. Smetana, 2010. Part. III.
Munis Entomology & Zoology 7 (1): 109-173, 2012. [download pdf icon]



 
SubfamiliaCerambycinae Latreille, 1802
TribusPsebiini Lacordaire, 1869
GenusMourgliana Holzschuh, 1993
SubgenusPseudomourgliana Sama, 2006
SpeciesMourgliana (Pseudomourgliana) mollina Holzschuh, 2006