Orthomus velocissimus (Waltl, 1835)

Serrano, J., 2021, The genus Orthomus Chaudoir, 1838 in the Iberian Peninsula and Morocco, Russian Entomological Journal 30 (4), pp. 430-447 : 437-438

Orthomus velocissimus (Waltl, 1835)

Figs 36–42.

The species is notably diversified in flat and mountain areas of Andalusia where three subspecies are currently considered. The description that follows corresponds to the most widespread, O. velocissimus akbensis Mateu, 1955 (= O. andalusiacus Mateu, 1957 ).

Dorsum brown dark with red hue, legs dark, the other appendages brown reddish; males and females shiny, microreticulation hardly visible. Large body size, 10.8–12.7 mm. Eye moderately protruding, tempora oblique and relatively long.

Pronotum with trapezoid shape, notably narrowed forward, almost straight backward, maximum width at middle (Fig. 36); posterior angle square, with traces of tooth in some individuals; posterior basis not emarginate; inner fovea deep and linear or curved, outer fovea diffuse; punctures of medium size and in moderate density; postangular field flat.

Elytra long and parallel, humerus with small tooth, striae smooth or with traces of punctures, intervals almost flat; 2nd dorsal pore on stria 3 or on the interval between striae 2 and 3; parascutellar stria normally developed, with proximal hairy pore.

Prosternal process rounded, punctures on ventral segments scarce and localized at sides, metepisterna smooth, long (L/ W 1.5 –1.6) and narrowed backward; male mesotibia somewhat dilated apically, metatibia only with traces of crenulation (Fig. 37).

Subspecies of O. velocissimus are mostly distinguished by the apical shaft of median lobe of aedeagus: it is symmetrically narrowed to tip and somewhat truncate in O. velocissimus akbensis (Fig. 39), is asymmetrical in O. velocissimus velocissimus (Fig. 40) and is truncate with apical tooth in O. velocissimus pardoi (Fig. 41). Likewise, O. v. akbensis has less punctures on posterior basis of pronotum and its outer fovea is less marked. The median lobe of O. v. akbensis is straight in lateral view although tip is shifted upward (Fig. 39). The female genitalia are of the O. barbarus type (Fig. 42).

The distribution of taxa is complex and needs the study of many more populations to ascertain precise limits. It seems that O. v. velocissimus is found from Tarifa (Cádiz) to the left side of River Guadalquivir near its opening to the Atlantic (Sanlúcar de Barrameda), including the plain area near Jerez, Barbate, Laguna de la Janda, Vejer de la Frontera, etc.

The area of O. velocissimus akbensis occupies the Guadalquivir basin, from the province of Jaén to the flooded «Marismas» west of Seville ; in the right side of the basin it extends towards the province of Huelva and the Algarve (Faro: Portimao) .

The area of O. velocissimus pardoi is small, a triangle between Algeciras and Fuengirola in the Mediterranean coast and Ronda to the north (i.e., the westernmost Betic mountains).

Iberian taxa: Group of Orthomus planidorsis The group is made up by O. balearicus and O. planidorsis . It is characterized by the peculiar female genitalia in which the spermathecal duct is relatively long but the spermatheca is short and notably widened distally [ Ortuño, 1996]. The medi-

Figs 36–50. Orthomus spp : 36–42 — O. velocissimus (36, 41–42 — O. v. pardoi ; 37–39 — O. v. akbensis ; 40 — O. v. velocissimus ); 43–46 — O. balearicus (43 — female); 47–50 — O. planidorsis ; 36, 43, 47 (in part) — habitus; 37 — hind tibia (showing weak crenulation in inner side); 38–41, 44–45, 48–49 — median lobe of aedeagus; 42, 46, 50 — genitalia of female; 36, 39–41, 43–44, 47–48 — dorsal view; 38, 45 — left lateral view; 49 — right lateral view;36, 38–39, 41 — Loja, Granada, Spain; 37 — Antequera, Málaga, Spain; 40 — Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain; 42 — Portimão, Faro, Portugal; 43 — Inca, Mallorca , Spain; 44–45 — Palma de Mallorca, Spain; 46 — Cabo Formentor, Mallorca, Spain; 48–49 — Vernet-Les Bains, Pyrenees, France; 50 — Mont Alario, Aude, France; 42, 46, 50 — after Ortuño [1996]. Scale bars: 0.9 mm (Fig. 43); 1.0 mm (Figs 36, 47).

Рис. 36–50. Orthomus spp : 36–42 — O. velocissimus (36, 41–42 — O. v. pardoi ; 37–39 — O. v. akbensis ; 40 — O. v. velocissimus ); 43– 46 — O. Balearicus (43 — самка); 47–50 — O. planidorsis ; 36, 43, 47 (частично) — внеШний вид; 37 — ЗаднЯЯ голень (видна слабаЯ Зубчатость по внутренней стороне); 38–47 — Эдеагус; 44–45, 48–49 — среднЯЯ долЯ Эдеагуса; 42, 46, 50 — гениталии самки; 36, 39– 41, 43–44, 47–48 — сверху; 38, 45 –сбоку слева; 49 –сбоку справа; 36, 38–39, 41 — Лоха, Гранада, ИспаниЯ; 37 — Антекера, Малага, ИспаниЯ; 40 — ПуЭрто- Реаль, Кадис, ИспаниЯ; 42 — Портиман, Фаро, ПортугалиЯ; 43 — Инка, Мальорка, ИспаниЯ; 44–45 — Пальма- де- Мальорка, ИспаниЯ; 46 — Кабо Форментор, Мальорка, ИспаниЯ; 48–49 — Верне- ле- Бен, Пиренеи, ФранциЯ; 50 — Мон- Аларио, Од, ФранциЯ; 42, 46, 50 — по Ortuño [1996]. МасШтаб: 09 мм (Рис. 43); 10 мм (Рис. 36, 47). an lobe of the aedeagus is characterized by a triangular apical shaft elongate or moderately developed, and almost evenly narrowed to tip. Geographic congruence between the two species is supported by the many faunistic connections between Catalonia and the northern Balearic Islands [Serrano et al., 2015]. Other shared characters as the presence of secondary sexual characters in legs of males are not particular of the group, as are also found in the O. barbarus and other groups.