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9

B . M . Al - Chalabi 
Bull. Iraq nat. Hist. Mus. 
(2000) 9 (2): 9-12 
 
A NEW SPECIES OF CARABIDAE (NSECTA: COLEOPTERA) FROM 

IRAQ 
H. A. Au 

Iraq Natural History Museum 
ABSTRACT 

Aniera desert/cola was found new to science and to the Iraqi fauna. The description was 
mainly based on external features and male genit 

 
INTRODUCTION 

The Carabidae of Iraq were very poorly studied and were only known from faunastic. The 
first list made by Heyden(1888), comprised only six specie one of which determined only to 
genus. Holdhaus (1919) identified 18 species in a collection of Iraqi carabids. 5 of these were 
described as new. Raubal (1932) recorded seven species from Baghdad and described one as 
new. Andrewes (1927) identified 18 species in a collection from Arabian Gulf Ali (1966) 
made an extensive work on Iraqi carabidae identified and Keyed in the Department of 
Entomology of British Museum (N.H.). Fauna of Iraq still need further investigation which 
may introduce more records and new species. 

 
MATERIALS AND METHODS 

Small collection of carabids containing 12 specimens were taken by the author to the Dept. of 
Entomology of the British Museum (N. H.) in 1990. Where this species was isolated. 
compared and named. 
The genitalia were described by pulling the aedeagus through the opening between the last 
abdominal plates. The genitalia were then softened in warm 10% in solution of KOH. To 
evert the interval sac of the aedeagus, pressure was applied to the banal part of the median 
lobe while pulling the internal sac through the median orifice. The genitalia were preserved in 
glycerin in a microvial and pinned with the type specimen which have been Kept in the 
British Museum 
(N.H.). 

 
Arnara desert/cola sp. n. 

Male-length 11.5 mm. width 4.5mm. 
Head length 2.4mm. Width 2.2mm. 
Pronotum 2mm. Width 2.5mm. 
Body uniformly pale yellow. Head convex, smooth with small but prominent eyes. front 
foveae short and fairly deep. Pronotum with convex disk, apex slightly emarginate. base 
truncate sides rounded in front and strongly contracted behind forming with basal margin 
right angles, median line fine and distinct. Both pronotal apex and base punctate. sides with 
two marginal setae. 
 
Elytra oval, with fine distinct setae. Punctuations of striae slightly separated and marked by 
black dots. Lateral border of elytra angulate at shoulders. Scutellary striole present. Striae 6 
and 7 not reaching the basal margin of elytra. Intervals flat and smooth. 
The whole ventral side of abdomen smooth and glabrous except the presence of a transverse 
row of setae a long the hind margin of the last abdominal sterna. The anal margin of the last 
abdominal sterna has 3 fixed setae on each side. 

 



 

 

10

Inheritance of dark head 
Distrihution —Holotype from a mud desert south of Baghdad March 1935. (Brihish Museum) 
Comparative notes- Ainasa deserticola sp. n. is closest to A. rut/iena Tsch. from Arabia can be 
distinguished by having flat elytre with shallow striae A. deserticola can also de differentialed 
by its yellowish white color while A. ruthena being yellowish red. A. deserticola has 
distinctive male genitalia (Fig.l). 
Holotye> 
Paratype 11 specimens > & ♀ 
 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 
I am very grateful to the authority of the British Museum (N. H.) for giving space to do this 
study in the Dept. of Entomology. Indeed I wish to express my thanks to Mr. P. M. Hammand 
for providing me the materials and his valuable suggestions. 
 

LITERATURE CITED 
Ali H. A. 1966 A key to the Carabidae (Imsecta, Coleoptera) of Iraq. Iraq. nat. Hist.Mus. 

PubI. No.23. 
Andrews. H. E. 1927 Zur efraschung des peosischen golfis .caraleidae (Col.) Ent.Mitt.l6:142- 
              148. 
Holdhous, K. 1919 Koleopteren aus Mesopotamian. Ann.Nat.Mus. wien..XXX11 :40-49. 
Heyden, L. Von. 1888 Neue and insteressante Coleoperen aus Malatia in Mesopotamian 

Dtsch.ent.Z.XXX1 1:72-78. 
Roubal, J.(1932) sur quelques Coleopteres des environs de Baghdad. Bull. Soc. ent. Fr.37:59- 
64. 
List of Abbreviations 
B.M.=Basal membrane 
B.P.=Basal piece 
E.D.=ejaculatory duct 
I.S.lnternal sac 
L. P.=Lateral Paramere 
M.L.=Median lobe 
M.O.=Median orifice 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 



 

 

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B . M . Al - Chalabi 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Bull. Iraq nat. Hist. Mus. 
(2001) 9 (3):1-6 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

 

List of Ablreviation 
B.M. = Basal meulrane 
B.P. = Basal piece 
E.D. = ejaculatary duct 
I.S. = Internal sae 
L.P. = Lateral paranera 
M.L. = median Labe 
M.O. = Median Orifice 



 

 

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Inheritance of dark head 
Bull. Iraq nat. Hist. Mus. 
(2000) 9 (2): 9-12