Blaps pterosticha Fischer von Waldheim, 1844

Chigray, Ivan & Ivanov, Alexander, 2020, A Review Of The Genus Blaps (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) Of Central And South Kazakhstan With Description Of Two New Species, Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 66 (2), pp. 111-162 : 138-140

Blaps pterosticha Fischer von Waldheim, 1844

( Figs 26 , 27C )

Fischer von Waldheim, 1844: 93; Seidlitz, 1893: 286 (“Turkestan”); Skopin, 1960: 55 (larva); Skopin, 1961: 191 ; Skopin, 1968: 86 ; Ren et al., 2016: 153.

Material examined (ZIN) . 1 m, 1 f, ‘ Southeast Kazakhstan / Alma-Ata Region / Konyrolen village / 16.vii.1957 / leg. N.G. Skopin’ [in Cyrillics] [44°16’36.38”N, 79°18’5.33”E] ; 1 m, 1 f, ‘ Southeast Kazakhstan / Alma-Ata Region / 40 km south-west of Zharket village / 26.iv.1965 / leg. N.G. Skopin’ [in Cyrillics] [43°59’24.43”N, 79°34’3.92”E] ; 1 m, ‘ Southeast Kazakhstan / Alma-Ata Region / 30 km north of Taldykorgan city / 07.ix.1962 / leg. N.G. Skopin’ [in Cyrillics] [45°18’9.84”N, 78°21’9.40”E] ; 1 m, ‘ Southeast Kazakhstan / Alma-Ata Region / Kurtogay natural boundary / 15.vii.1959 / leg. N.G. Skopin’ [in Cyrillics] [43°15’52.20”N, 78°58’25.09”E]; 2 f, ‘Southeast Kazakhstan / Alma-Ata Region / 30 km south of Dubun village / 10.vi.1969 / leg. N.G. Skopin’ [in Cyrillics] [43°26’5.87”N, 80°11’13.00”E]; 1 f, ‘Southeast Kazakhstan / Alma-Ata Region / Kurtogay natural boundary / 12.v.1961 / leg. N.G. Skopin’ [in Cyrillics] [43°15’52.20”N, 78°58’25.09”E] ; 1 m, 1 f, ‘ Southeast Kazakhstan / Alma-Ata Region / 40 km north of Zharkent village / 14.v.1961 / leg. N.G. Skopin’ [in Cyrillics] [44°31’44.58”N, 79°59’36.85”E] ; 1 m, 1 f, ‘ Southeast Kazakhstan / Alma-Ata Region / Saryzhaz village / 25.vi.1966 / leg. N.G. Skopin’ [in Cyrillics] [42°54’31.02”N, 79°35’49.30”E]; 1 f, ‘Southeast Kazakhstan / Alma-Ata Region / Kapchagay city / 29.iii.1962 / leg. N.G. Skopin’ [in Cyrillics] [43°51’40”N, 77° 2’45.73”E] ; 1 m, 1 f, ‘ Southeast Kazakhstan / Alma-Ata Region / Zharkent village / 12.v.1961 / leg. N.G. Skopin’ [in Cyrillics] [44° 9’24.73”N, 79°59’53.04”E] .

Comments. SKOPIN (1961) showed that Blaps pterosticha and B. tenuicauda

Seidlitz, 1893 are morphologically similar species and their lifestyles are the same; he suggested that B. tenuicauda is only a form of B. pterosticha . Recent studies confirmed this opinion based on the absence of any significant external and internal structural differences between the specimens formerly considered as these two “taxa”, including those provided by Skopin with the label “Homotypus”. The validity of these taxa needs a confirmation by reexamination of the type specimens of both “species”. In the subsequent key B. pterosticha and B. tenuicauda are given in the same couplet.

Distribution. Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China (Xizang province), Mongolia ( LÖBL et al. 2008, REN et al. 2016), Afghanistan ( KASZAB 1970)

Regional distribution. North of the Muyunkum Desert, Middle Irtysh region, Balkhash Lake region ( SKOPIN 1961 ).

Figures

Fig. 26. B. pterosticha, habitus. A, B – m; C = f; A, C = dorsal view; B = ventral view

Fig. 27. Apical piece of aedeagus (parameres). A = B. granulipennis; B = B. granulata granulata; C = B. pterosticha; D = B. evanida; E = B. faustii; F = B. turcomanorum