Pygopleurus viridisuturatus species-group

This group is defined by the peculiar shape of everted endophallus and paramera (Figs. 72–73, 82–83, 90–91, 103–104, 106–114), with a dorsal diverticulum similar to a Phrygian cap. Other non-exclusive characters (useful to distinguish the females of the group from those of Pygopleurus vulpes whose geographical distribution partly overlaps) are: elytral apex rounded in both sexes, and more or less elongated in females; pronotum with punctures from sparse to rather dense only in two para-median areas of pronotum, not in shape of dense cells resembling a bee-hive (cfr. P. vulpes); vermiculated wrinkles readily visible on most or all the pronotum, medial line not or barely distinct from the rest of the surface; scutellum with scarce to rather dense shallow punctures, mostly occupied by transversal or vermiculated wrinkles in its distal part; polygonal microsculpture not recognisable. Most taxa with broadly twocolored elytra, with the exception of P. brullei taygetanus new subspecies and P. ottomanus .

The group includes four taxa from mainland Greece ( P. viridisuturatus, P. bulgaricus, P. brullei brullei new species and P. brullei taygetanus new subspecies), and two from Anatolia, P. ottomanus (Baraud, 1989) and P. isikdagensis (Petrovitz, 1963), the latter previously treated as synonym of P. humeralis according to Baraud, 1989.

Following our reassessment of the taxonomy and nomenclature of P. humeralis sensu auctorum nec Brullé, P. isikdagensis emerged as a distinct taxon, which is here re-established as valid species, based on external features and shape of the everted endophallus.