Cryptocephalus (Asionus) ergenensis, Morawitz, 1863

Mikhailov, Yuri, Simanchuk, Elena, Yunussova, Gulnara & Kazkenova, Gulzhan, 2021, A new subspecies of Сryptocephalus ergenensis Morawitz, 1863 (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae) from Kazakhstan and significance of colour pattern polymorphism examination, Ecologica Montenegrina 49, pp. 79-87 : 81-82

Сryptocephalus (Asionus) ergenensis ergenensis Morawitz, 1863

Material: 1♀, Russia, Volgograd region, eastern bank of Bulukhta lake , 20.05.2021, R. Dudko leg. ( YMC) ; 2♀, Russia, Astrakhan region, env. of Baskunchak lake , 11.05.1994, Yu. Arzanov leg. ( YMC) ; 1♂, 2♀, West Kazakhstan, Gur’ev (now Atyrau ) region, Emba district , 150 km SW Kulsary, Deukara , 07.06.1983, F. Bidashko leg. ( BKRU) ; 1♂, South Kazakhstan, Kzyl-Orda (now Kyzylorda ), 10.07.1999, M. Danilevsky leg. ( YMC) .

Differential diagnosis. Pronotum and elytra with contrasting colouration ( Figs. 1–4 ): elytra pale yellow with sutural vitta and humeral macula, rarely one more macula in apical half brownish; pronotum blackish green with yellow margins and two oblique maculae diverging at angle from scutellum. Pronotum covered with small and sparse punctures, scutellum impunctate, elytra with sparse middle sized punctures. Aedeagus of simple shape, its apex truncated and bearing claw-like tooth above the base of apical orifice ( Fig.11 ).

In the Catalogue of Palaearctic Coleoptera ( Lopatin, Smetana & Schöller 2010) Сryptocephalus (Asionus) ergenensis was divided in two subspecies Сr. ergenensis ergenensis and Сr. ergenensis georgicus L. Medvedev & Seperteladze, 1962. Subsequently Lopatin (2011) in his review of Palaearctic species of the subgenus Asionus synonymised ssp. georgicus with nominotypical subspecies. Our examination of the holotype and paratype of Сr. ergenensis georgicus in ZIN demonstrated that their only difference is presence of a spot in the apical half of each elytron in addition to humeral spot of typical form ( Fig. 15 m ). The form found in Georgia proved to be an aberration rater than a real subspecies.

Figures

Figure 15. Colour pattern variability in Cryptocephalus apicalis species group. a–i – С. apicalis; j – С. lateralis; k–m – С. ergenensis ergenensis; n–o – С. ergenensis kalbensis ssp. n. (a–i from Warchałowski 1991, slightly modified, others – orig.).

Figures 1–10. Cryptocephalus (Asionus) spp., habitus. 1-4 – С. ergenensis ergenensis Morawitz: 1, 2 – female, SW Russia, Astrakhan region, env. of Baskunchak lake; 3 – male, West Kazakhstan, Atyrau region, Deukara; 4 – male, South Kazakhstan, Kyzylorda; 5 – C. lateralis Suffrian, female, NW Kazakhstan, Aktobe region, Martuk; 6-8 – С. ergenensis kalbensis ssp. n.: 6, 7 – female, paratype, East Kazakhstan, south spurs of Kalbinsky mt. range, 12 km SW Samarskoye; 8 – male, holotype, East Kazakhstan, 13 km SW Samarskoye; 9, 10 – С. apicalis Gebler, female, East Kazakhstan, west spurs of Narymsky mt. range, Kaiyndy. 2, 7 and 9 – lateral view, others – dorsal view. Scale bar – 1.0 mm.

Figures 11–14. Aedeagi of Cryptocephalus (Asionus) spp in lateral and dorsal view. 11 – С. ergenensis ergenensis, West Kazakhstan, Atyrau region, Deukara; 12 – С. ergenensis kalbensis ssp. n., type locality; 13 – С. apicalis, East Kazakhstan, Kalbinsky mt. range, near Nizhniy Tainty; 14 – С. lateralis. Scale bar – 1.0 mm.