Protaetia (Potosia) hajastanica Ghrejyan & Kalashian

Ghrejyan, Tigran & Kalashian, Mark, 2017, A new species of Protaetia Burmeister, 1842 from Armenia with taxonomic notes on Cetonia floricola fausti Kraatz, 1891 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae), Zootaxa 4231 (1), pp. 100-106 : 102-105

Protaetia (Potosia) hajastanica Ghrejyan & Kalashian , new species

( Figs 1–2 , 10, 14, 18 )

Potosia fausti: Medvedev 1964 (misidentified, nec Kraatz, 1891)

Potosia fausti: Rataj 1986, 1998 (misidentified, nec Kraatz, 1891)

Protaetia (Potosia) fausti: Smetana 2006 ; Bezděk 2016 (misidentified, nec Kraatz, 1891)

Type material. Holotype: ♂, Armenia, Kotayk prov., S env. Geghadir , N40.1470° E44.6556°, 1620 m, 24.06.2015, T. Ghrejyan leg. ( IZAY) . Allotype: ♀, same data as holotype ( TGCY) . Paratypes: 5 ♂, 5 ♀, same data as holotype ( TGCY, 1 ♂ in JACH) ; 1 ♂, Armenia, Yerevan, 25.07.1993, Kalashian leg. ; 2 ♂, 1 specimen with sex not determined, Armenia, Kotayk prov., env. Geghadir , 25.07.1997, Malkhasian leg. ( MKCY) ; 3 specimens with sex not determined, Armenia, Kotayk prov., env. Geghadir , 0 9.07.2003, Malkhasian leg. ( MKCY) ; 1 ♂, Armenia, Kotayk prov., env. Jrvezh , 15.07.1999, Kalashian leg. ( MKCY) ; 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Armenia, Gegharkunik Prov., env. Martuni , 20- 30.07.2012, Ghrejyan leg. ( TGCY) ; 1 ♀, Armenia, Leninakan [now Gyumri ], 20.VI. [1]934, Ter- Minassian [leg.] (in Russian) ( ZIN, studied using photographs) ; 1 ♀, [ Georgia] env. Borzhomi, Tiflissk. gub. [Tbilisi province], V.[1]910, Kapitonov [leg.] (in Russian ) ( ZIN, studied using photographs) ; 8 ♂, 1 ♀, [ Armenia] Erivansk. gub. [Erivan Prov.], Amamly [= Spitak], Maljuzhenko ( IZAY) ; 1 ♂, 2 ♀, Armenia, Leninakan [= Gyumri ], Keti. 17.08.1938. Leg. Avagyan, ( IZAY) ; 1 ♀, Armenia, pr. Eriwan, 9.[19]21, A. Schelkovnikov [leg.] ( IZAY) ; 1 ♀, Armenia, Arzakend [= Arzakan ], 25.07.1930. A.Schelkovnikov [leg] ( IZAY) ; 1♂, Armenia, pr. Talin , 12.vii. [19]28, O. Amirdjanian [leg.] ( IZAY) ; 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Armenia, Yerevan-Arinj , 40.2171° 44.6004°, 1400 m, 19.06. 2016, I. Shokhin leg. ( ISCR) ; 1 ♂, 1 ♀, ARMENIA, Aragatsotn prov., NW env. Mastara , N40.4628 E43.8604, 1910 m, 0 8.08.2016, Ghrejyan leg. ( TGCY) .

Description. Body ( Figs. 1–2 ) robust and convex, slightly narrowed caudally, moderately shiny, in holotype and majority of paratypes golden-green sometimes with red reflections, rarely body darkened to olive-green with cupreous reflections. Body length 15.0– 25.1 mm (holotype 22.6 mm), width 8.4–11.2 mm (holotype 12.3 mm).

Head moderately large and wide; clypeus with keel-shaped anterior and lateral margins, anteriorly with distinct incision, slightly convex medially; convexity evenly continuous on frons. Clypeus with small, sparse punctures; slightly condensed anteriorolaterally; medially punctation more condensed and becoming rougher; dorsally with rough punctures partly touching each other.

Pronotum strongly convex; disc rarely with slight, small, rounded foveae. Pronotum widest near basal angles; anterior margin nearly straight; pronotal sides slightly, irregularly arcuate; posterior margin trisinuate with feeble lateral and rather deep medial (prescutellar) emarginations. Pronotal disc with small, irregular, sparse punctures; lateral surface with rather dense and large, flat, partly rasp-shaped punctures in places; punctures near anterior angles fused into irregular sinuous, transverse, oblique wrinkles. Sides approximately at middle with short strip of short, yellow setae and white spot. Scutellum large; dorsally convex; apically flattened or slightly depressed; with narrow strip of small, dense punctures and short, yellow setae along anterior margin.

Elytra moderately elongate, slightly narrowed apically; convex, flattened or slightly depressed (in holotype) near scutellum and along suture in posterior 1/3; suture anteriorly nearly flat, postriorly slightly convex; sutural angles slightly produced. Presutural depression bordered laterally with slightly separated costae smoothly continued towards humeral tubercles. Prescutellar portion, costae, apical tubercles of elytra with sparse, small punctures; presutural depression with 3 doubled longitudinal striae and longitudinal rows of distinct, flat, circular and semi-circular wrinkles; remaining surface of elytra with dense, partly fused, arc-shaped wrinkles bearing small, rounded punctures. Elytral pattern absent or slightly developed, when developed (in holotype and some paratypes) consists from few small spots including short, arc-shaped spots near middle and apical areas of elytral sides and with a few rounded spots behind apical tubercles.

Photography by: 1, 2, 5-8—J.-L. Alpanseque; 3, 4—J. Hayek; 9—S. Blank & L. Behne.

Pygidium moderately convex, slightly depressed near anterior angles; with rather rough, twisted transversal and oblique wrinkles and few short setae. Pygidium with few white spots forming two longitudinal rows along middle, sometimes (including in holotype) several spots present laterally of the rows. Frequently pattern absent.

Mesosternal process ( Fig. 10 ) small, rather narrow; with anterior margin more-or-less arcuate, glabrous anteriorly; disc with moderately dense small punctures. Metasternum medially glabrous with a few small punctures, along middle with entire sulcus depressed and widened medially and narrowed and smoothed anteriorly and posteriorly. Laterally metasternum with dense, irregular, twisted wrinkles and with dense and long, yellowishbrown setae. Abdominal sternites along anterior margin with a strip of dense and rough, arc-shaped punctures and short, yellow setae; terminal sternite with similar structure on almost the entire surface. Sternites 2–4 with transverse white spots near anterior margin laterally, sometimes (including in holotype) also with rounded spots near posterior angles.

Protibiae on outer margin with 3 teeth of which the medial tooth is closer to the anterior tooth. Mesotibiae and metatibiae with short, transverse, tooth-shaped keel behind middle of outer margin, apically with 3 teeth. Metacoxae with the same sculpture and pubescence as metasternum but laterally glabrous and with few rough punctures, with posterior angles protruding into a distinct tooth.

Sexual dimorphism slightly pronounced, terminal sternite in female a bit longer than in male and superficially depressed medially.

Aedeagus as in Figs. 14, 18 .

Differential diagnosis. The new species belongs to the P. cuprea (Fabricius, 1775) species group (sensu Mikšić 1966a, 1966b) and differs from the majority of species included in the group except P. jelineki (Petrovitz, 1981) in the rather wide and massive body, the slightly convex elytral suture, and the slightly pronounced presutural depressions, which is more distinct in other species. The closest species, P. jelineki (known to us from the photograph of the male holotype from NMPC labeled: Türkei. Ost-Anatolien, Kandilli, 1720m, 18.VI.1970, Leg. J. Jelinek, ( Figs. 3–4 ) and from a series of specimens from Erzurum, close to the type locality) differs from the new species by the body slightly narrower and shinier ( Fig. 3 ), by the dorsal structure being thinner, by larger and wider mesosternal process being nearly straight and truncate anteriorly ( Fig. 11 ), by the absence of depressions and white patterns on the pygidium, and by the structure of the aedeagus (see Figs. 15–16 ). The new species is also similar to P. caucasica (Kolenati, 1845) ( Figs. 5–6 ) and P. splendidula (Faldermann, 1835) ( Figs. 7–8 ). Protaetia splendidula is generally similar to the new species in coloration and slightly developed white pattern, but differs in the body being narrower caudally and by the less convex pronotum ( Fig. 7 ). Protaetia caucasica differs by having a distinct and more developed pattern on the dorsal surface with the elytra bearing bright, transverse stripes and numerous spots. The pronotum also has a more developed pattern and usually has a more-or-less pronounced, white lateral edge. Protaetia caucasica is characterized by a wide range of color variation. Both species distinctly differ in the structure of aedeagus (see Figs. 16–17, 20–21 ).

Distribution. The new species is distributed in northwestern and central Armenia (Shirak plateau, Pambak range, slopes of mountains surrounding Ararat valley) and southwestern Georgia (Borzhomi).

Life history. Protaetia haiastanica inhabits southern mountain slopes from 1500–1900 m. It occurs in dry mountain steppe and phrygana habitats with thistles ( Onopordum sp.), on which the beetles are found. Sometimes this species is found on on Crambe sp. Flight is from the end of May until mid-July. This rare species co-occurrs in low numbers with the much more abundant species P. caucasica , P. funebris (Gory & Percheron, 1833) , and P. hungarica armeniaca (Menetries, 1832) .

Etymology. Named after original name of Armenia—“Haiastan”, the country from where the majority of the types originated.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 9. Protaetia (Potosia) species. 1, 2 — Protaetia haiastanica new species (paratype, male); 3, 4 — Protaetia jelineki (Petrovitz, 1981) (holotype, male); 5, 6 — Protaetia caucasica (Kolenati, 1845), Armenia, Gyumri; 7, 8 — Protaetia splendidula (Faldermann, 1835), Turkey, Agri; 9 — Protaetia fausti (Kraatz, 1891) (junior synonym of P. splendidula) (holotype, female). 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 — habitus, dorsal view; 2, 4, 6, 8 — habitus, ventral view.

FIGURES 10 – 21. Protaetia (Potosia) species. 10, 14, 18 — Protaetia haiastanica new species (paratype, male 11, 15, 19 — Protaetia jelineki (Petrovitz, 1981) (Erzurum, male); 12, 16, 20 — Protaetia splendidula (Faldermann, 1835), Turkey, Agri; 13, 17, 21 — Protaetia caucasica (Kolenati, 1845), Armenia, Gyumri. 10 – 13 — Mesosternal process and medial portion of metasternum; 14 – 17 — distal portion of aedeagus, dorsally; 18 – 21 — apical portion of aedeagus laterodorsally. Photograph by J. - L. Alpanseque.