New data to the knowledge of ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) fauna of Iran

Abstract

During 2007 and 2008, a faunistic survey of ground beetles inhabiting agricultural crops in different locations of the North-eastern region of Iran including provinces of Razavi and South Khorasan was carried out. In total, 69 specimens of family Carabidae were collected and examined. As a result of identification, 19 species and 6 subspecies belonging to 10 genera of 4 subfamilies were determined. 11 new species are added to the fauna of Khorasan provinces, including 3 species namely Dixus clypeatus P. Rossi, 1790, Poecilus (Poecilus) punctulatus Schaller, 1783 and Pterostichus (Melanius) elongatus Duftschmid, 1812 which are here recorded for the first time from Iran. 2 species previously reported in the literature were not encountered in the survey. With this paper, new faunistic data and some zoogeographical evaluations are presented on ground beetles fauna (Coleoptera, Carabidae) of Iran.