Malthodes Kiesenwetter, 1852

Kazantsev, S. V., 2021, New species of Malthodes Kiesenwetter, 1852 from the Caucasus, with taxonomic notes on Malthininae (Coleoptera: Cantharidae) of Russia, Caucasian Entomological Bulletin (Caucas. entomol. bull.) 17 (2), pp. 285-291 : 285

Новые виÁы Malthodes Kiesenwetter, 1852 с Кавказа с таксономическими замечаниями по Malthininae ( Coleoptera : Cantharidae ) России

© С.В. Казанцев

Инсект-центр, уΛ.Àонецкая, 13–326, Москва 109651 Россия. E-mail:[e-mail]

Резюме. С Кавказа описано три новых виÃа жуков-мягкотеΛок поÃсемейства Malthininae : Malthodes seregiusi sp. n., M. vikhrevi sp. n. (КрасноÃарский край, Россия) и M. vladimiri sp. n. (АÃжария, Грузия). УстановΛена синонимия: Malthinus flaveolus ( Herbst, 1786) = Malthinus robustus Motschulsky, 1853 , syn. n., Malthodes brevicollis ( Paykull, 1798) = Malthodes viridiventris ( Motschulsky, 1853) , syn. n. и Malthodes obscuricollis ( Motschulsky, 1853) = Malthodes moczarskii Ganglbauer, 1912 , syn. n. = Malthodes tauricus Pic, 1917 , syn. n. Обозначен неотип Malthodes obscuricollis ( Motschulsky, 1853) , который переÃан на хранение в Зоомузей МГУ (Москва, Россия).

Ключевые слова: Coleoptera , Cantharidae , Malthininae, новые виÃы, таксономия, ПаΛеарктическая обΛасть.

The soldier-beetles of the subfamily Malthininae are widespread around the globe [ Delkeskamp, 1977]. They are characterized by the small size, the smallest being just above 1 mm, pointed globular palpomeres and, unlike other cantharids, in most cases can be distinguished only by the shape of the ultimate abdominal segments and/ or male genitalia [ Brancucci, 1980]. Some of the taxa of malthinines from the territory of the Russian Federation were introduced in the middle of the 19 century by the famous Russian coleopterist Victor Motschulsky, but have remained unknown for specialists in the group and never included in any identification keys, although sometimes mentioned in lists of the regional or Palaearctic fauna [ Medvedev, 1965; Brancucci, 1980; Wittmer, 1992; Kazantsev, Brancucci, 2007; Kazantsev, 2011].

Unfortunately, no type specimens of soldier-beetles described by Motschulsky from the territory of the former Russian Empire have been found in the Zoological Museum of Moscow University (Moscow, Russia), where the Motschulsky collection is housed. Neither have they been found in the Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Saint Petersburg, Russia) where a smaller part of this collection is deposited. It seems to be the same case as with the Lampyridae collection, with almost all Motschulsky’s types available, but not the ones from Russia and adjacent countries [ Kazantsev, Nikitsky, 2008; Kazantsev, 2011]. This could have happened if all type ‘Cantharoidea’ material from this territory had been set aside for/by and sent to/taken by a specialist in this group. In Russia there was only one such person, Mr V.V. Barovskij of Leningrad, a specialist in Cantharidae and Lycidae . The material could then have disappeared after the arrest of Mr Barovskij in the 1930s and his deportation first to Totma in Vologda Region, then to Irkutsk Region, where he passed away in 1942 (http://zin.ru/Animalia/ Coleoptera / rus/barovsk.htm).

The present study is a further contribution to the knowledge of Malthininae of the European part of Russia. Examination of the Cantharidae material from the Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Zoological Museum of Moscow University and Insect Centre (Moscow) has led to the discovery of three new species of Malthodes Kiesenwetter, 1852 from the Caucasus, as well as to the possibility to address the problem of attribution of Motschulsky’s Malthininae taxa described from the mentioned territory.