Taurohelops triplehorni Keskin and Nabozhenko

Keskin, Bekir & Nabozhenko, Maxim, 2015, The New Genus Taurohelops Keskin and Nabozhenko (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) from Anatolia, Turkey, The Coleopterists Bulletin (mo 14) 69, pp. 83-92 : 88-91

Taurohelops triplehorni Keskin and Nabozhenko , new species

( Figs. 15–22 , 26, 27 )

Description. Male. Body length 13.5–14.8 mm, width 3.9–4.2 mm. Body slender, strongly elongate, brown, with dull shine. Head: Widest at eye level. Eyes large, convex. Head width 1.95 times width of interocular space. Genae strongly rounded. Outer margin of head between genae and clypeus with deep rectangular sinuation. Frontoclypeus strongly depressed. Punctation of head moderately coarse, sparse on frons (puncture diameter less than distance between punctures), dense on other surfaces (puncture diameter 1.5–2.0 times as long as distance between punctures). Antennae long, with 5 apical antennomeres extending beyond base of pronotum, reaching middle of elytra. Thorax: Pronotum weakly transverse (1.05–1.08 times as wide as long), widest before middle. Lateral margins weakly rounded at widest point and straight to base and anterior margin; anterior margin widely emarginate, base emarginate in middle. Anterior angles weakly obtuse, with rounded apex; posterior angles almost right, distinct on apex. All margins narrowly regularly beaded. Disc weakly convex, often with middle line. Punctation of disc fine and sparse, distance between punctures 2 or more times as long as puncture diameter. Prothoracic hypomera with fine microwrinkles and clear sparse punctation. Prosternal process moderately convex. Hind wings absent. Elytra: Strongly elongate (2.35 times as long as wide), 1.7 times as wide as head, 1.27–1.30 times as wide and 3.2 times as long as pronotum. Striae with round punctures not merged in entire furrows. Punctation of interstriae fine and sparse, with 2 punctures placed in transverse interval. Interstriae (except of middle of elytra) with granules with celoconic sensilla. Interstria 8 keel-shaped on apex, connected with elytral margin. Epipleura strongly narrowing apically, extending to elytral apex, where together with interstria 8 forms a mucro. Dorsal epipleural carina visible only near base and apex of elytra where it abutts interstria 8. Venter: Mesepimera with coarse,dense punctation. Metepisterna and metaventrite with sparse, fine punctation; metaventrite with depression in middle and convex intercoxal process. Abdominal ventrites with fine, sparse punctation and fine, longitudinal wrinkles on sides. Abdominal ventrites 3 and 4 depressed on sides, their posterior margin strongly elevated. Membranes between ventrites 3–5 very wide. Abdominal ventrite 5 strongly convex, inwardly curved, with bisinuate apical margin and tooth-shaped obtuse apex. Legs: Trochanters (all legs) with hair brush. Protibiae bent and flattened (viewed from flexion side), depressed and densely pubescent on inner side. Mesotibiae bent (in dorsal view). Metatibiae bent and thickened in basal third (in dorsal view) and weakly bent from flexion side, flattened and strongly pubescent on inner side of apical 2/3. Tarsi long, not widened, with dense brush on plantar surface.

Female. Body length 13.5–15.2 mm, width 4.5–5.7 mm. Head width 1.7 times width of interocular space. Body more robust. Antennae shorter, with only 3 apical antennomeres extending beyond base of pronotum, reaching basal quarter of elytra. Pronotum more transverse (1.25 times as wide as long), often widest in middle and weakly flattened sides. Elytra more wide (1.6 times as long as wide), 2.00–2.05 times as wide as head, 1.4 times as wide and 2.8–2.9 times as long as elytra. Protibiae simple, straight, not bent, not flattened; meso- and metatibiae weakly bent, with simple pubescence.

Etymology. The species is named in honor of the famous coleopterist and great specialist on Tenebrionidae, Charles A. Triplehorn.

Diagnosis. Differences with T. incultus are in the key.

Distribution. Turkey: eastern part of Central Taurus Mountains ( Fig. 28 ).

Bionomics. Adult specimens of this species were collected on trunks of C. libani from 21:00 to 23:00 hrs. Series of this species was also collected on Populus sp. near Yeşilgöz (Karamanmaraş Province, Turkey). The species feeds on lichens on the trunks of these trees.

Type Material. Holotype, ♂ ( ZDEU) and paratypes: 2♂♂, 4♀♀ ( ZIN, CN), 1♂, 3 ♀♀ ( ZDEU, ethanol): Kahramanmaraş Province, distr. Göksun, Yeşilgöz, 37°54′58″N / 36°37′08.1″E, 1020 m, 20.05.2010 Leg. M.V. and S.V. Nabozhenko, B. Keskin; Additional paratypes: 6♀♀ ( ZDEU, dry collection), 3♀♀ ( ZDEU, ethanol), 4♀♀ ( ZIN, CN): Kahramanmaraş Province, Göksun District , Püren Geçidi , N 37°57′16.5″, E 36°33′36.2″, 1404 m, 20.05.2010, leg. M.V. and S.V. Nabozhenko, B. Keskin; 3♂♂, 2♀♀ ( ZIN, CN): same place, 15.iv. 2014, leg. M.V. and S.V. Nabozhenko, B. Keskin; 1♂, 1♀ ( ZDEU, dry collection), 1♀ ( ZIN): Kayseri Province, Devili District , Çadıryeri , N 38°10′52.2″, E 35°56′42.8″, 1730 m, 15.04.2014, leg. M.V. and S.V. Nabozhenko, B. Keskin.

KEY TO THE SPECIES OF TAUROHELOPS

1. Elytra without mucro. Abdominal ventrite 5 weakly bisinuate apically, beaded apically, without tooth-shaped apex. Trochanters with single long seta. Gastral spicula with sclerotized teeth, without dense pubescence. Basal piece of aedeagus strongly elongate, without deep, wide depression. Female pronotal sides narrowed to apex ......................... T. incultus

1′. Elytra with mucro. Abdominal ventrite 5 strongly bisinuate apically, not beaded apically, with tooth-shaped obtuse apex. Trochanters with hair brush. Gastral spicula without teeth, lobes with dense pubescence. Basal piece of aedeagus moderately elongate, with deep, wide depression. Female pronotum subquadrate, not narrowed to apex, sides weakly rounded ....... ............................. T. triplehorni , new species

Figures

Figs. 15–22. Taurohelops triplehorni, male structures. 15) Abdominal ventrite 5, posterior view; 16) Abdominal ventrites 3–5, lateral view; 17) Sternite VIII, ventral view; 18) Sternite VIII, lateral view; 19) Aedeagus, ventral view; 20) Aedeagus, lateral view; 21) Gastral spicula, ventral view; 22) Gastral spicula, lateral view. Scale bars = 1 mm.

Figs. 23–27. Taurohelops species, habitus. 23) T. incultus, female, holotype; 24) T. incultus, male; 25) T. incultus, female; 26) T. triplehorni, male; 27) T. triplehorni, female.

Fig. 28. Distribution map of Taurohelops species. Circle = T. incultus; square = T. triplehorni.