Gurjevelater catei, Nasserzadeh & Platia & Serri, 2023

Nasserzadeh, Hiva, Platia, Giuseppe & Serri, Sayeh, 2023, Click beetles (Coleoptera: Elateridae) of Khuzestan province (Iran): with three new species, Craspedostethus izehensis sp. n., Dicronychus khuzestanicus sp. n. and Gurjevelater catei sp. n., Zootaxa 5346 (2), pp. 101-130 : 110-112

Gurjevelater catei sp. n. Nasserzadeh & Platia

( Fig. 3 , Map 6 )

Type material. Holotype m ( HMIM): “ IRAN: Khuzestan prov. (L. T) / Andika, Shimbaar P.A., Chelo / to Taaraaz rd., Soosan- / Sorkhaab vill., N32°20’03.8” / E48°46’09.2”, 708 m., 07. VI. / 2019, leg. H. Nasserzadeh ”. Paratypes 2 mm ( HMIM), 1 m ( CGP): “ IRAN: Khuzestan prov. / Andimeshk, Chehelpa P. A. / Dokuhe to Dez dam rd. / ca. 25 km N Andimeshk, N32° / 40’18.4” E48°21’07.1”, 419 m / 9.VI.2019, leg. H. Nasserzadeh ” .

Diagnosis: The species is distinguished from G. iranicus by the smaller size and more slender body, paler coloration, eyes slightly wider than anterior margin of pronotum, by the second and third antennomere slightly longer than subsequent antennomeres ( Figs. 3‒4 ).

Description. Male. Entirely rufo-testaceous; covered with fine testaceous pubescence.

Head with eyes slightly wider than anterior margin of pronotum; frons slightly impressed before clypeus; punctures coarse, umbilicate with interspaces mainly smaller than puncture diameters. Antennae exceeding apices of posterior angles of pronotum by one to one and a half antennomeres; moderately serrate from fourth article on; second article subconical, nearly as long as wide, third subconical, slightly longer than wide, 1.2 × as long as the second article, second and third almost as long as or slightly longer than fourth; fourth to tenth rather triangular, on average slightly longer than wide, last antennomere 1.6 × longer than penultimate, subellipsoidal.

Pronotum 1.1–1.2 × longer than width, widest at middle, anterior margin arch-shape, slightly sinuated at middle, apices of posterior angles as wide as or slightly wider than widest part of pronotum, moderately convex toward sides, disk flattened on posterior half, sometimes with a moderate, small and longitudinal impression, sides arcuate from posterior fourth, narrowing regularly, slightly sinuate before posterior angles, latter short, acuminate, divergent to parallel at tips, with a carina as long as angles or slightly longer; lateral margin simple; punctuation uniformly distributed, punctures umbilicate, with intervals on average equal to half-length of puncture diameters.

Scutellum shield-shaped, almost 1.2 × longer than wide, flat, densely punctured.

Elytra 2.9–3.1 × longer than pronotum and 1.2–1.3 × wider than at its widest place, flat along the elytral suture, moderately convex toward lateral sides; sides parallel from base to after middle, from posterior quarter gradually narrowing to apices; striae obsolescent, rather regular and coarsely punctured; interstriae finely punctured.

Tarsomeres simple, apical tarsomere almost three times longer than penultimate, first to fourth gradually and slightly decreasing in length.

Aedeagus as in Fig. 3b ; length from apices of parameres to basal end of basal piece 0.5 mm.

Size: Length 4.8–5.3 mm; width 1.1–1.3 mm.

Female. unknown.

Etymology: Named in honor of Dr. Peter Cate (1948–2022), the Austrian entomologist and specialist on Elateridae . Dr. Cate published more than 30 valuable articles and described nearly 50 new species of Elateridae ( Barries 2018) . One of the comprehensive studies on the elaterids of Iran was published by Cate et al. in 2002.

Climate types. Semi-arid, with cool winters and very warm summers.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Gurjevelater catei sp. n., male: (a) Dorsal habitus; (b) aedeagus, dorsal view.

FIGURE 4. Gurjevelater iranicus: (a) Dorsal habitus; (b) aedeagus, dorsal view.

MAP 6. Distribution map of Gurjevelater and Heteroderes species in Khuzestan.