The SCARABAEIDAE Family
subfamily SERICINAE

The subfamily Sericinae is one of the largest among the Scarabaeidae as number of species.
In the Palaearctic region it comprises some 725 species grouped in 2 tribes (Sericini and Ablaberini) and 46 genera.

In the Levant only 16 species in 4 genera need to be considered: Maladera Mulsant and Rey, 1871 (7 species in 2 subgenera), Omaloplia Schoenherr, 1817 (3 species) Paratriodonta Baraud, 1962 (2 species) and Triodontella Reitter, 1919 (3 species).

**Genus Maladera Mulsant and Rey, 1871**

The genus Maladera in the Palaearctic region comprises about 162 species in 8 subgenera: Maladera (6 species), Amaladera Reitter, 1896 (5 species), Aserica Lewis, 1895 (4 species), Cephaloserica Brenske, 1900 (20 species), Cycloserica Reitter, 1896 (4 species), Eusericula Reitter, 1902 (5 species), Macroserica Medvedev, 1952 (24 species), Omaladera Reitter, 1896 (11 species) plus 83 species ungrouped (incertae sedis).

Maladera (Cephaloserica) insanabilis Brenske, 1894: 37
Maladera (Eusericula) modesta Fairmaire, 1881 (Serica)
Maladera (Eusericula) sinaica Ahrens, 2000
Maladera (Macroserica) fusconitens Fairmaire, 1892 (Serica)
Maladera (Macroserica) phoenicica Petrovitz, 1969
Maladera (Macroserica) punctatissima Faldermann, 1835 (Serica)
Maladera (Macroserica) syriaca ssp. syriaca Petrovitz, 1969
Maladera (Macroserica) syriaca ssp. jeraschiensis Baraud, 1990

**Genus Omaloplia Schoenherr, 1817**

The genus Omaloplia has been recently the object of a comprehensive revision by Rossner and Ahrens (2004). In this revision the morphology and distribution of the species was studied, with emphasis on morphological variability. The genus comprises 21 species in the subgenus Omaloplia and 4 species in the subgenus Acarina Baraud, 1965.

In the Levant only 3 species need to be considered.