Dicronychus kandaharensis, Németh, T. & Platia, G., 2014

Németh, T. & Platia, G., 2014, On some Palaearctic click beetles deposited in the Hungarian Natural History Museum, 2 (Coleoptera: Elateridae) *, Zootaxa 3841 (4), pp. 451-490 : 477-478

Dicronychus kandaharensis sp. n.

(Figs 55–56, 114–117)

Material examined. Holotype, male: Afghanistan: “ S. Afghan. 1953 J. Klapperich Kandahar 950 m, 18.II. ”. ( HNHM). 29 paratypes, 18 females and 11 males: same data as holotype (7 males, 9 females, HNHM, 3 males, 4 females, CPG): “S. Afghan.1953 J. Klapperich Scham-Schir-Bor. b.Kandahar, 950 m 14.I. ” (1 female, HNHM); “S. Afghan. 1953 J. Klapperich Kandahar 950 m, 19.II. ” (1 male, CPG); “O. Afghan. 1953 J. Klapperich Kunartal, 500 m Jalalabad, 30.III. ” (2 females, HNHM, 1 female, CPG); “O. Afghan. 1952 J. Klapperich Umg. Kabul 1740 m. 27.VI. ” ( Cardiophorus sp. det. Gurjeva) (1 female, HNHM).

Diagnosis. A species close to Dicronychus povolnyi sp. n. for the general shape, size and colour, but it can be separated by the shape of the pronotum, which is widest at middle, and by the apices of male genitalia.

Description. Male (Fig. 55). Head and pronotum darker, brownish with yellowish undefined areas at base of pronotum and anterior angles; antennae, elytra and legs lighter, yellowish, with not well delimited darker colour on elytra around suture or at sides; covered with dense, yellow-golden pubescence.

Frons moderately convex between eyes, flat near anterior margin, latter slightly thickened, moderately and regularly curved; punctures fine, of different sizes: very small punctures more or less regularly mixed with larger punctures.

Antennae ending before posterior angles of pronotum with length of about one antennomere, slightly serrate from third antennomere on; second subconical, 3× longer than wide, slightly shorter than third; third to tenth subtriangular, on average 3× longer than wide, last longer than penultimate, subellipsoidal.

Pronotum as long as wide, widest at middle, convex; sides regularly curved, slightly sinuate before posterior angles, latter slightly divergent, truncate, shortly carinate; lateral margin apparent, almost reaching anterior margin; punctures of different sizes, very fine with very narrow intervals; smaller punctures more or less regularly mixed with larger punctures (on average 3–5 smaller punctures falling to one larger).

Scutellum heart-shaped, as long as wide, emarginate at middle of base, slightly impressed, very finely punctured.

Elytra 2.5× longer than and as wide as pronotum, convex, oval, widest at middle; striae well marked and distinctly punctured; interstriae flat with dense and very fine punctures.

Claws dentate in first half.

Aedeagus as in Fig. 114 (length 0.90 mm).

Female: Fig. 56. Very similar to male, but antennae slightly shorter, not reaching posterior angles of pronotum, latter with more arcuate sides.

Bursa copulatrix sclerified as in Fig. 115, asymmetrical piece with circular base as in Fig. 116, furca as in Fig. 117.

Size. Length 5.6–5.8 mm; width 1.7–1.8 mm.

Etymology. The specific epithet refers to Kandahar, the second largest town of Afghanistan, where the types were collected.