The first records of Amorphocephala coronata (Germar, 1817) and Amorphocephala piochardi (Bedel, 1878) (Coleoptera: Curculionoidea: Brentidae) in Iraq

Based on this record, Rye (1880), Heyden (1889) and Semenov-Tian-Schanskij (1892) cited this species as occurring in Iraq. Nearly 40 years later, a second species— Symmorphocerus consequens Kleine, 1926 —was described from Iraq. Shalaby et al. (1968) recorded this latter species, without mentioning the first one.

W. Schedl (1970), in his work on the West Palaearctic Brentidae, quoted only S. beloni as occurring in Iraq, overlooking the works of Kleine (1926) and Shalaby et al. (1968), but later he corrected his mistake listing both species from this country (W. Schedl 1975). Damoiseau (1989), while recording geographical areas for all Symmorphocerus Schoenherr, 1847 species known to him, listed only S. beloni from Iraq. Subsequent works (Sforzi & Bartolozzi 2004; Sforzi 2011; Alonso-Zarazaga et al. 2023) listed both Symmorphocerus species in Iraq.

Among three brentid specimens obtained from the Erbil Museum Insect Collection (Erbil, Iraq), Amorphocephala coronata (Germar, 1817) and A. piochardi (Bedel, 1878), two species never recorded before from this country, were identified. The label data are transcribed verbatim with a slash denoting a line break. Under the male of A. coronata, the following data are reported in handwriting: “ Iraq, A.M. Shkafta / 30.7.2003, L.T. / mountain meadow / A.S. Belbas”.

Under the female of A. piochardi, the handwritten data read: “ Iraq, A.M. Erwan / 27.7.2003, L.T. / mountain meadow / R.T. Khoshnaw”. Both specimens were collected using a light trap, in the Erbil (= Arbil, Irbil) Governorate, Mergesor District. The two species, like the other two which are already known from Iraq, belong to the tribe Eremoxenini Semenov-Tian-Schanskij, 1892, most members of which are known to be associated with ants (K.E. Schedl 1961).

Figs 1–4. Brentidae in Iraq, habitus: (1) Amorphocephala coronata male, head and pronotum, dorsal view; (2) Amorphocephala piochardi female, head and pronotum, dorsal view; (3) Symmorphocerus beloni male, head and pronotum, dorsal view; (4) Symmorphocerus consequens male, habitus, lateral view. Photos courtesy A.-L.-L. Friedman (1–3) and M. Barclay and K. Matsumoto (4).

The third examined specimen, with the same collecting data as the A. piochardi above, was identified by us as Symmorphocerus beloni, a species recorded so far only from Mosul, in the Nineveh Governorate (Power, 1879). Therefore, the new location widens the distribution of S. beloni to the Erbil Governorate. The three specimens are temporarily deposited in the collection of the first author.

The existence of Amorphocephala coronata and A. piochardi in Iraq is unsurprising, since both are recorded also from countries adjacent to Iraq. The former is known from Turkey, Lebanon, Israel, Syria and Iran, and the latter is recorded from Turkey, Lebanon, Israel, Jordan and Syria (Orbach 2020; Alonso-Zarazaga et al. 2023). Thus, the following brentid species are currently known to occur in Iraq: