First survey of darkling beetles ( Coleoptera , Tenebrionidae ) of Talassemtane National Park , Western Rif , Morocco

To contribute to the knowledge of beetles (Coleoptera) of the mountainous region of Morocco, Talassemtane National Park (Western Rif, Chefchaouen district, Morocco) was surveyed. +is is an exceptional protected area of the Mediterranean Intercontinental Biosphere Reserve (RIBM). +e inventory was made using di/erent traps combined with active searching periodically during 2013 and 2014. Among numerous species belonging to various families, the darkling beetles (Tenebrionidae) represent one of the major groups, in terms of diversity and heritage value. +irty Gve species were identiGed, two species are new records to Morocco, and two other species, which were hitherto only known by the type specimens, have been rediscovered


INTRODUCTION
Created in October, , Talassemtane National Park (PNTLS) is located in the western portion of the calcareous ridge of the Rif's mountain range.e park constitutes a unique territory containing natural landscapes that are nationally of signi cant heritage value.Its position at the crossroads of Europe and Africa, its climatic characteristics, its geological characteristics, and its paleogeographic antecedents, have given rise of a unique fauna and ora.As such, the national park is includes it at the Mediterranean Intercontinental Biosphere Reserve (RBIM), intended for the conservation of the most emblematic natural areas of northern Morocco and southern Spain.
Talassemtane National Park harbors more than plant species ( are endemic) belonging to families (Meda ).It also lodges about species of mammals, more than species of birds; reptiles and amphibians are represented by about species with an endemism rate reaching (Meda ).Aquatic macro-invertebrates count species of which are endemic.Obviously, the invertebrates of PNTLS remain less studied than plants and vertebrates, with only a few of studies to date on Diptera, Simuliidae (Belqat et al.
), and water beetles (Benamar et al. ).To address the lack of information on invertebrates of Moroccan protected areas and to enrich the list of the Ri an entomofauna and especially that of PNTLS, a study of the Coleoptera was carried out. is study was within the framework of an Agronomic Research Program for Development (PRAD).In addition to inventory, the objective of this study is to detect species related to the forest stands in order to establish a management policy that aims to improve their conservation.
In this paper, we treat only the family of Tenebrionidae. is is one of the largest Beetle families in the world, with about , known species in more than , genera (Aalbu et al. ). eir large biodiversity is in particular due to the lack of wings of most of their representatives (Soldati ).Tenebrionidae are found in all latitudes, from coastal zones to over , meters (a.s. l.) in South American mountains but they especially abound in all warm regions of the world with important endemism in arid areas (Soldati ). is choice is justi ed by the fact that this group is rather well-known in Morocco (Kocher , , , ; Español e climate of PNTLS is characterized by being the wettest zone of North Africa.e park is characterized by two climax forest stands, formed by an endemic and relict r species, Abies maroccana Trab.e Talassemtane r forest is the largest and extends over , ha.Our survey was carried out in pure r forests (in the highest zones), as well as in r-oak (Quercus ilex) forests.

Data collection
e records of trap contents were performed once every days, for months (April-October), during and .Window ight traps, and in particular the multidirectional Polytrap TM , were used because are probably best suited for inventorying saproxylophagous beetles in temperate forest.
ese traps output and their selective power, in term of capture of Coleoptera, compared to the other arthropods, are rather eloquent (Bouget and Brustel ). e multidirectional window ight traps were primed with ethanol, which serves as ), that one in seven beetle species belongs to this family in Morocco ( Kocher), and that this family has the highest endemism rate in Morocco (Chavanon ).Today, nearly species of Tenebrionidae are known in Morocco (Löbl and Smetana ).us, in relation to its area, Morocco is one of the most biodiverse areas in the world for darkling beetles (Tenebrionidae, Coleoptera) and the greatest rate of endemism in the entire Mediterranean basin.Only Spain, in Europe, can show a comparable diversity and a higher endemism rate reaching (Soldati ).

MATERIALS AND METHODS Study site
PNTLS covers an area of , ha.Two-thirds of the park is within the province of Chefchaouen and one-third belongs to the province of Tetouan (Figure ).It is mainly formed by the southern portion of the Ri an calcareous ridge and includes the highest summits of western Rif.an attractant for numerous saproxylophagous beetles (Bouget and Brustel ).Two other type of traps were used in the inventory, pitfall traps installed at ground level, to intercept ground fauna, and yellow colored traps used in open environments, to attract the ower-dwelling species.All traps were installed in unsystematic plots in the r grove.
Active searching were made during April , August , October , June and September , most often during the installation of the protocol or the statements of traps.Many active methods were then used such as barking dead trees, raising stones, beating or sifting.

Identi cation
Most of specimens were identi ed in comparison with the large collection of Fabien Soldati, one of the Western Palaearctic tenebrionid specialists.Other specimens were identi ed with the help of the following works, keys or original descriptions: Antoine ( , a, b, ), Español ( ), Pérez Vera and Avila ( ), and Pardo-Alcaide ( ).Voucher specimens were deposited in the institutional collections of the Centre de Recherche Forestière (Rabat, Morocco), École d'Ingénieurs de Purpan (Toulouse, France), and in private collections of Fabien Soldati (Limoux, France) and Olivier Courtin (Castres, France).

List of species (* taxa considered saproxylophagous; [E] strictly endemic to Morocco) Subfamily Alleculinae
Gastrhaema ru ventris (Waltl, ) Examined material: Talassemtane, r grove, . ., Polytrap traps, specimens, Yousra Benyahia leg.Distribution: Betico-Ri an species, presents in the extreme south of Spain, in Morocco and in North East of Algeria.In Morocco, the species is cited from Tangier to the Middle and High Atlas (Kocher ).    ).New record for Morocco.
Distribution: Betico-Ri an species: Spain, Portugal, Morocco and Algeria (Löbl et al. ); North and central Morocco, from Tangier to the buttresses of the High Atlas (Kocher ).
Distribution: Western Palearctic area; cited by Kocher ( ) from various scattered localities of Morocco.
Distribution: Betico-Ri an species, in Morocco only in the Tangier's area and in the Rif mountain range (Kocher ).
Distribution: Ibero-Mauritanian species, largely abundant and widespread in Morocco from Tangier to the middle Moulouya, the High Atlas and Souss (Kocher ).
, specimens under stones, Fabien Soldati leg.Distribution: Endemic to Morocco, where it only occurs in the Rif mountain range (Löbl et al. ).
Distribution: Endemic to Morocco, where it only occurs in the Rif mountain range (Löbl et al. ).
Distribution: Endemic to Morocco, where it only occurs in the Rif mountain range and the Middle-Atlas (Kocher ).
Distribution: Endemic to Morocco, where it only occurs in the Rif mountain range (Löbl et al. ).

DISCUSSION
Tenebrionidae constitute one of the families with the highest rate of endemism in Morocco (Chavanon ) and, as previously indicated, one of most diversi ed.Kocher ( ) mentioned already that Tenebrionidae (without Alleculinae and Lagriinae) alone constituted approximately the seventh of all Coleoptera fauna of Morocco.In Europe, only Spain can show a comparable diversity and a rate of endemism about the (Soldati ).Two species has been recorded for the rst time in Morocco (Pentaphyllus chrysomeloides and Clamoris crenatus).Seven species are newly recorded for the Rif's area and especially for the Chefchaouen district (Asida septemsis, Corticeus pini, Heliotaurus maroccanus, Isomira hispanica, Lagria rugosula, L. theryi and Palorus depressus).Moreover, the validity of a very rare species (Hymenophorus candeli), initially known of a single specimen, is con rmed by the discovery of several specimens of the two sexes, and its membership of the saproxylic community characterizing the cedar and r groves of Rif was evidenced.
is work highlights the exceptional heritage value of the Talassemtane National Park (PNTLS) and more particularly the forests of Abies maroccana Trab.e protection of this valuable climax forest is reinforced by the speci c richness of species recorded for Tenebrionidae (Coleoptera) and darkling beetles endemic of Rif.ese remarkable biodiversity will be able to be maintained only with speci c conservative measures adapted to the maintenance of the pastoralism and the forest.

Figure1.
Figure1.Map of Morocco, showing the location of Talassemtane National Park.The green cropped area indicates limits of the Park.
material: Talassemtane, r grove, . ., specimens, Noureddin Maatouf leg.Distribution: Most of Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia; in North Africa, only known of Tunisia (Löbl et al.
, specimens with the sifting of Bupleurum spinosum, Hervé Brustel, Lionel Valladares and Olivier Courtin leg.Distribution: Southwest Europe and Morocco; apparently very rare in Morocco and only recorded from Ifrane, in the Middle Atlas by Kocher ( ); rst mention for Rif mountain range.