A New Record of Opossum Beetle, Mesostena Puncticollis Solier,1835 (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae: Pimeliinae) from Kurdistan Region- Iraq

The present study provides a morphological description of Mesostena puncticollis Solier, 1835 (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), which is recorded for the first time in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Specimens were collected from sheep and goat dung pads between January and July 2024. Diagnostic morphological characters of the species are; The head nearly glubolar, black with thin spotting. Clypeus black and slightly concave. Mandibles triangular, heavily sclerotized with tridentate apices; molar area with a tuft of yellow setae. Labrum nearly goblet-shaped. The terminal segment of maxillary palp is funnel-shaped, and about three times the length of the second segment. Antennae are clavate, with 11 segments; 11th segment triangular, equal in length to the 10th. Pronotum cup-shaped, shiny black, and smooth. Elytra black, elongate-oval, with seven rows of minute punctures. The basal part of protibia bearing a small spines. Protibia tubular in shape, the basal part bearing a small spines. Fore tarsus five-segmented, 1st to 3rd tarsomeres are cup-shaped and nearly equal in length. Hind tarsus four segmented, 4th tarsomere 2.1 times as long as the 2nd . Abdomen shining black, elongated oval, bare, consisting of five segments. Eighth abdominal sternite pale to dark yellow, posterior parts pincer-like. Eight abdominal tergite cup shaped, anterior margin striat, posterior margin slightly concave. Anterior and posterior margin of ninth abdominal sternite moderately concave. Spiculum gastrale inverted V -shaped, apical part clavate shaped. Aedeagus elongate-oval; parameres sword-like, and median lobe tubular and slightly shorter than parameres. The habitat, date of collection and the important parts were photographed.