Laemostenus (Antisphodrus) zakariyiensis Muilwijk, Tahami & Lohaj, 2017

Tahami, Mohadeseh Sadat, Muilwijk, Jan, Lohaj, Roman & Sadeghi, Saber, 2017, Study of Laemostenus species across Zagros and Central zone of Iran, with the description of seven new cavernicolous species and notes on subgenus Iranosphodrus (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Sphodrini), Zootaxa 4344 (1), pp. 115-136 : 119-121

Laemostenus (Antisphodrus) zakariyiensis Muilwijk, Tahami & Lohaj , sp. nov.

( Figs. 4–7 )

Type material. Holotype male, labelled: “Iran, Fars, Estahban, Zakariya Cave; 10.IX.2015; leg. M.S. Tahami, S. Sadeghi, Sh. Amrollahi, S. Shahabi”/ Laemostenus zakariyiensis sp. nov. Muilwijk, Tahami & Lohaj, 2016 (red label Holotype). Paratypes: one male and one female, the same data as Holotype ”/ Laemostenus zakariyiensis sp. nov. Muilwijk, Tahami & Lohaj, 2016 (red label Paratype). Holotype and female paratype are deposited in ZM– CBSU, male paratype in cMU.

Diagnosis. Small, brachypterous Laemostenus sg. Antisphodrus species of the aequalis species-group. Colour black or dark-brown, antennae and legs reddish-brown. Head and pronotum shiny, with very fine microsculpture, elytra dull, with distinct microsculpture ( Fig. 4 ).

Description. BL 11.3–11.5 mm. Head narrow, almost parallel-sided, as long as wide (HL/HW: 1.0), with only posterior pair of supraorbital setae; frontal furrows shallow, eyes reduced (0.5 mm), shorter than temples (0.8 mm). Clypeus with two long setae; labrum with six setae. Antennae slender, reaching the anterior 1/3 of elytral length, antennomere 3 without accessory setae except a few apical ones; antennomeres 4–11 pubescent.

Pronotum elongate, distinctly sinuate before hind angles (more in male HT, less in female PT), longer than wide, (PL/PW: 1.1), with maximum width in apical third, slightly wider than head. Basal impressions short, sparsely punctuated. Anterior angles obtuse, slightly protruding in HT, more rounded in female PT, posterior angles acute, sharp. Lateral margins with some shallow punctures and with two pairs of setae present in lateral furrow, pair of baso-lateral setae situated near posterior angles, pair of antero-lateral setae situated in anterior third of pronotal length.

Elytra elongate, nearly parallel-sided, ratio EL/EW 1.6–1.7, with maximum width in posterior third; disc flattened, with clear depression along suture. Base slightly wider than pronotal base. Humeri moderately rounded; with small tooth. Striae fine, with superficial punctures, intervals flat. Scutellar striae present; scutellar setiferous punctures situated in stria 1. Umbilicate series consists of 18 setiferous punctures, in interrupted in middle; 2 setae at apex of stria 7.

Mesosternum unarmed, without teeth before mesocoxae. Abdominal sternites smooth, brownish, with dense microsculpture.

Legs elongated, very slender. Protibiae with sparse, short pubescence at apex of internal anterior sides. Meso- and metatibiae not curved, metatibiae with brush of setae on ventral side of apical third, mesotibiae pubescent on ventral side of apical third. Tarsi dorsally with decumbent pubescence, claws smooth. Male protarsi not dilated.

Aedeagus ( Figs. 5–6 ): median lobe short (2.07 mm); basal bulb about one third of aedeagus length, ventral margin almost straight, dorsal margin curved in lateral view, apex elongated in lateral view, rounded in dorsal view.

Ovipositor: as on Fig. 7 .

Differential diagnosis. L. (A.) zakariyiensis sp. nov. differs from closely related L. (A.) aequalis Muilwijk & Malek Hosseini, 2016 by its smaller body size, less convex body, more parallel elytra, presence of only posterior pair of supraorbital setae and shape of pronotum and aedeagus. Shape of pronotum in L. aequalis is very variable and some specimens have a similar pronotum to L. (A.) zakariyiensis sp. nov.

Distribution and habitat. So far only known from the twilight and dark zones of the type locality, Zakariya cave, Fars province.

Etymology. Topotypic, referred to the type locality, Zakariya cave.

Figures

FIGURES 4 – 7. Habitus in dorsal view of Laemostenus zakariyiensis (paratype) (4). Aedeagus of Laemostenus zakariyiensis in lateral view (5), dorsal view (6). Ovipositor of Laemostenus zakariyiensis (7).