12.

Fig. 3 C

Habitat and general distribution.

Masoreus aegyptiacus is an East-Mediterranean species (Bousquet 2017 a). The species occurs in sand-dune habitats (Assmann et al. 2015).

Material examined.

• Lasithi: Chrysi isl., north beach salt-lake, 34.878045°N, 25.697966°E, 1 m elev., 15.VI.1992, handpicking, 2 spms, leg. Lymberakis P. (NHMC); • Chrysi isl., Vages Beach, salt-lake, 34.874799°N, 25.728071°E, 1 m elev., 23.III.2023 – 13.VII.2023, pitfall traps, 39 spms, leg. Bolanakis G. (NHMC); • Koufonisi isl., near salt-marsh, 34.935084°N, 26.140310°E, 60 m elev., 16.XI.1997, handpicking, 2 spms, leg. Trichas, A. (NHMC); • Xerokampos sand dunes, 35.049891°N, 26.239803°E, 1 m elev., 1.IV.2015 – 31.V.2015, pitfall traps, 4 spms, leg. Kyriakouli Chr. (NHMC); • same data, but 31. V. 205– 5.VIII.2015.

Comments.

The genus Masoreus Dejean, 1821 has been known from Greece since the 19 th century (von Oertzen 1886) by the species M. wetterhallii (Gyllenhal, 1813). Masoreus aegyptiacus has only recently been reported from Greece (Wrase 2009) by some specimens from Peloponnese. Arndt et al. (2011) include only Peloponnese in the species’ distribution for Greece; thus, this is the first time the species is recorded from Crete. Till now, the species has been spotted in three localities, one in the eastern-most part of the island (Xerokampos) and two in a couple of south-eastern satellite islands of Crete (Chrysi and Koufonisi). This may indicate an eastern origin, which is to be expected given the species east-Mediterranean distribution (Bousquet 2017 a). Assmann et al. (2015) report that this species prefers sand-dune habitats. In Crete, we observed a clear preference for coastal salt lakes / marshes, like those of Xerokampos and Chrysi.