Brachypsectra kadleci Hájek, 2010

Petrzelkova, Ivana, Makris, Christodoulos & Kundrata, Robin, 2017, The genus Brachypsectra LeConte, 1874 (Coleoptera: Brachypsectridae) in the Palaearctic Region, European Journal of Taxonomy 276, pp. 1-14 : 3-6

Brachypsectra kadleci Hájek, 2010

Figs 1 A–D; 2A, D–E

Brachypsectra kadleci Hájek, 2010: 30 .

Diagnosis

Males

Body 4.8–5.9 mm long, 2.3–2.5 times as long as wide. Body surface testaceous, with elytra either darker, reddish-brown to dark brown (specimens from western Iran, including the holotype; Fig. 1 A–B) or yellowish-testaceous to testaceous (populations from southern Iran; Fig. 1 C–D), legs yellow to yellowish-testaceous. Eyes large, minimum interocular distance 0.95–1.05 times maximum eye diameter. Pronotum 1.8–1.9 times wider than long, subtrapezoidal, widest posteriorly, width between posterior angles 1.5–1.7 times width between anterior angles; lateral sides convex, strongly converging anteriorly and moderately strongly diverging posteriorly; posterior angles produced posteriorly and slightly to moderately laterally, apically truncated, with short distinct posterior carina, well separated from lateral carina in dorsal view ( Figs 1 A–D, 2A). Scutellum subtrapezoidal, with apex narrowly rounded. Aedeagus with median lobe more or less gradually converging apically, more distinctly attenuating subapically in specimens from Lorestan (including the holotype); parameres slightly constricted subapically, with distinct subapical, rounded lateral projection and projected rounded apex. Phallobase short, narrowed and slightly emarginated basally, almost sub-parallel apically ( Fig. 2 D–E). Female unknown. For the differences between B. kadleci and B. jaechi sp. nov. see the Diagnosis section under the latter species.

Material examined

Holotype

IRAN: ♂, W Iran, Lorestan Prov., 10 km SW of Dorud , 33°26' N, 49°00' E, alt. 1431 m, 9 Jul. 2004, S. Kadlec leg., ex coll. S. Kadlec ( NMPC).

Other material examined

IRAN: 2 ♂♂, W Iran, Lorestan Prov., 25 km NWW of Dorud, 33º33' N, 48º53' E, alt. 1874 m, 8 Jul. 2004, S. Kadlec leg. ( NMPC); 6 ♂♂, S Iran, Bezan, 15 km NW of Furk, alt. 1000–1400 m, 28–29 May 1973, Loc. no. 218, Exped. Nat. Mus. Praha [see Hoberlandt 1981] ( NMPC); 2 ♂♂, S Iran, alt. 400 m, 6 km W of Geno, 7–9 May 1977, Loc. no. 323, Exped. Nat. Mus. Praha [see Hoberlandt 1983] ( NMPC); ♂, S Iran, 25 km S of Minab, 4 May 1974, Lichtlang (27), Exped. Mus. Vindob, Pretzmann leg. ( NMPC); ♂, Iran, Hormozgán Prov., Mts. Zagros, Tezerj, alt. 280 m, 28°13.823' N, 55°48.744' E, by light, 1–2 May 2008, T. Hácz, K. Székely and K. Vig. leg., T. Németh det., 2013 ( HNHM).

Distribution

This species is known from western and southern Iran ( Fig. 3 ).

Remarks

There is intraspecific variability in populations of B. kadleci . Specimens from the type locality (Lorestan, western Iran; Fig. 3 ) are distinctly bicolored with darker elytra ( Fig. 1 A–B) and have the median lobe of the aedeagus almost sub-parallel, more distinctly attenuating subapically ( Fig. 2D ). Specimens collected in southern Iran ( Fig. 3 ) are almost uniformly yellowish-testaceous to testaceous ( Fig. 1 C–D), with the median lobe of the aedeagus more gradually narrowed towards the apex ( Fig. 2E ). Taking into consideration the gradation in elytral coloration (from yellowish-testaceous through testaceous and reddish-brown to dark brown; Fig. 1 A–D), slight differences in the shape of the median lobe and the rarity of the specimens available for study, we refrain here from making any taxonomic conclusions and consider all specimens from Iran conspecific. Brachypsectra fulva from North America and Brachypsectra sp. from Australia have even wider distribution ranges (ca 2000 km) than B. kadleci (ca 1000 km), and B. fulva exhibits much wider geographic variation in size and external morphology ( Costa et al. 2006). More material from the different localities in Iran, as well as DNA-based studies, might help to resolve the taxonomic status of the different Iranian populations considered here conservatively as B. kadleci .

Figures

Fig. 1. Habitus of Brachypsectra spp. in the Palaearctic Region. A–D. ♂♂ of B. kadleci Hájek, 2010, Iran. A. Holotype, Lorestan. B. Non-type specimen from Lorestan. C. Specimen from Bezan. D. Specimen from Minab. – E–F. ♂♂ of B. jaechi sp. nov., Turkey, Kemer. E. Holotype. F. Paratype. – G–H. ♀ of Brachypsectra sp. from Cyprus. G. Dorsal view. H. Ventral view. Scale bars = 2 mm.

Fig. 2. A–C. Pronotum of Brachypsectra spp. A. ♂ of B. kadleci Hájek, 2010, holotype. B. ♂ of B. jaechi sp. nov., paratype. C. ♀ of Brachypsectra sp. from Cyprus. – D–F. Aedeagus of Brachypsectra spp. D. B. kadleci, Iran, Lorestan. E. B. kadleci, Iran, Geno. F. B. jaechi sp. nov., Turkey, Kemer. – G. ♀, apical part of antenna of Brachypsectra sp. from Cyprus. – H. ♀, apparently underdeveloped metathoracic leg of Brachypsectra sp. from Cyprus. – I–J. Habitus of Brachypsectra sp. from Cyprus, larva. I. Dorsal view. J. Ventral view. – K–L. Head of Brachypsectra sp. from Cyprus, larva (antennae removed). K. Dorsal view. L. Ventral view. Scale bars: A–H, K–L = 0.5 mm; I–J = 2 mm.

Fig. 3. Distribution of Brachypsectra in the Palaearctic Region.A = B. kadleci Hájek, 2010; B = B. jaechi sp. nov.; C = Brachypsectra sp. from Cyprus.