Platyderus (Eremoderus) ledouxi Morvan, 1974

Gueorguiev, Borislav, Wrase, David W., Assmann, Thorsten, Muilwijk, Jan & Machard, Patrice, 2022, Taxonomic revision of the African and Southwest Asian species of Platyderus Stephens, subg. Eremoderus Jeanne (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Sphodrini), Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift 69 (1), pp. 71-122 : 71

10. Platyderus (Eremoderus) ledouxi Morvan, 1974

Figs 2D , 7F , 8H , 10H , 12G , 14B , 17

Platyderus ledouxi Morvan, 1974: 149 (type locality: “l’Elburz, province du Mazandaran, massif du Soleyman, Roudbarak, alt: 1800 m, en forêt de Fagus ").

Notes on type locality.

The Takht-e Soleyman Massif, a subrange of the Central Alborz Range, is located in the Province of Mazandaran (Chalus County, Keraldasht District). For the type locality Morvan indicated as biotope a beech forest in the vicinity of Rudbarak village, situated at ca. 1800 m altitude. This site lies in the upper valley of the Sardabrud River, northeast of the Takht-e Suleyman Massif.

References.

Platyderus davatchii : Morvan 1970: Lohaj and Mlejnek 2007: 12. P. ledouxi : Lorenz 1998: 375; Hovorka and Sciaky 2003: 522; Lorenz 2005: 396; Azadbakhsh and Nozari 2015: 84; Hovorka 2017: 758.

Type material.

Holotype ♂ in MNHN, not examined; paratype ♀ in private collection Pierre Morvan (Carentoir, France), not examined.

Other material examined.

Iran: Mazandaran Province: 1♂, ' N Iran p . Mazandarán / 10 km S Hasan Keif / 2300m 3625N 5102E [36°25'N, 51°02'E] / 17.VI.2000 lgt. Hajdaj E. P. // Collectio / Hajdaj // Platyderus / cf. / Platyderus davatchii Morv. / D.W. Wrase det. 01' (cHAJ); 1♂, 1♀, 'IR Mazandaran 10km SW / Rudbarak 36°24'00.1"N, 51°2'07.5"E 2500m / 16.06.17 Seiedy / Muilwijk’ (cMUI) .

TME: 3 specimens. TGE: 2♂♂, 1♀.

Diagnosis.

Similar to P. taghizadehi , but differs from it in pronotum much wider than head (PW/HW>1.40), with apex more constricted compared with widest point (PW/PA>1.40), elytra in relation to pronotum narrower (EW/PW <1.38), and anterior side of mesofemur ventrally with four setiferous punctures. Male specimens of P. ledouxi can be additionally distinguished from males of P. taghizadehi by median lobe at lateral view larger (1.2-1.3 mm, vs. 1.1-1.2 mm, with a longer shaft (Fig. 8H ).

Redescription

(based on non-type material). Habitus. Specimens of moderate size for Platyderus species (BL: 7.35-7.90 mm; BW: 2.45-2.55 mm), with elongate and subconvex body (Fig. 2D ). Measurements and ratios. See Table 2 . Color and lustre. Integument uniformly dark brown, appendages barely lighter than body. Surface moderately shiny. Microsculpture and punctation. Pronotum with regular isodiametric sculpticells posterolaterally and slightly transverse ones anterolaterally, microsculpture faint to absent in middle. Ventral surface (excluding gula) microsculptured, mentum, submentum and proepisternum with regular isodiametric microsculpture, abdominal ventrites and femora with slightly stretched isodiametric sculpticells. Head. Significantly narrower than pronotum (mean PW/HW= 1.48). Antennae long, with last three antennomeres exceeding base of pronotum. Eyes long, subconvex. Labrum subrectangular, with anterior margin slightly concave. Frontal furrows small, shallow, subfoveoulate. Paraorbital sulci moderately deep, ending at level of posterior supraorbital pore or lightly before. Thorax. Pronotum slightly wider than long (mean PW/PL= 1.15), widest at second quarter. Anterior and posterior transverse impressions indistinct. Sides rather convex anteriorly, fairly concave posteriorly; mean PW/PA= 1.46, mean PW/PB= 1.25; bead of anterior margin present laterally, reduced in medial 1/8 to 1/10; bead of posterior margin reduced to absent in medial 1/8. Metepisternum slightly longer than wide, MA/MI about 0.9. Elytra. Long, cylindrical, about one and two thirds as long as wide (mean EL/EW= 1.67), one time and a third as wide as pronotum (mean EW/PW= 1.33; mean EL/PL= 2.55). Stria 7 reaching basal margin. Three elytral discal setiferous punctures in interval 3 (one specimen with four punctures on one elytron, as an additional puncture exists at fourth sixth, between second and third normal punctures), anterior puncture usually adjoining stria 3 (in two specimens adjoining stria 2 on one elytron), remaining two punctures adjoining stria 2 (in specimens from Rudbarak env., right elytron with medial pore adjoining stria 3). Umbilicate setiferous series of 16-17 punctures on each elytron (one specimen with 18 punctures on one elytron). Legs. Posterior side of profemur with one seta in basal third and one seta in medial third. Anterior side of mesofemur ventrally with four setiferous punctures. Anterior side of metafemur ventrally with two long setae, one in basal third and one in medial third. Male genitalia. Urite IX elongate, suboval, with proximal margin rather pointed (Fig. 7F ). Median lobe of aedeagus in lateral view with shaft longer than in P. taghizadehi , and significantly more curved than in P. lassallei , and with apex turned up; median lobe in ventral view straight, ca. 3.85 times longer than wide, with apical lamella nearly symmetrical. Internal sac in lateral view (Fig. 8H ) with ventral sclerite elongate, widened medially and distally; same in ventral view (Fig. 10H ) with dorsal sclerite forming two left-sided protuberances and a large right-sided curve, and ventral sclerite narrow, straight, with distal end curved to left. Right paramere thin, concave ventrally (Fig. 12G ). Female genitalia (Fig. 14B ). Apical gonocoxite with blunt apex and two dorsolateral ensiform setae. Spermathecal canal connected in medial third of receptaculum.

Habitat.

All specimens above examined were collected in open places at high altitudes between 2300 m and 2700 m a.s.l. The specimens collected by JM in June 2017 have been caught under stones in a high-mountain meadow covered with lots of flowers, without bushes or trees. The place was definitely not dry during the time of visiting and perhaps covered with snow a few weeks before.

The type series of P. (Eremoderus) ledouxi and P. (Platyderus) chodjaii Morvan, 1974 were collected together (cfr. Morvan 1974), demonstrating that the two species occur sympatrically.

Distribution.

North Iran: the Central Alborz Range, in area of the upper valley of Sardabrud River, northeast of the Takht-e Suleyman Subrange (Fig. 17 ).

Notes.

Although not able to study the holotype, based on the original description of P. ledouxi and the illustrations of the median lobe of aedeagus and internal sac ( Morvan 1974: 148-149, figs 17-24), we have no doubt that the material examined belongs to this species.

See also “Notes” under P. davatchii Morvan.

Figures

Figure 2. Dorsal habitus. A. Platyderus (Eremoderus) sp., female specimen, Karabet Pass, Turkey; B. P. (E.) lassallei, sp. nov., female paratype, E Qolqol, Mazandaran Province, Iran; C. P. (E.) klapperichi, sp. nov., holotype; D. P. (E.) ledouxi Morvan, 1974, male specimen, 10 km S Hasan Keif, Mazandaran Province, Iran; E. P. (E.) taghizadehi Morvan, 1974, male specimen, Tochal, Tehran Province, Iran. Scale bars: 1 mm.

Figure 7. Urite, ventral view. A. Platyderus (Eremoderus) chatzakiae, sp. nov., holotype; B. P. (E.) weiratheri Maran, 1940, E: topotype male specimen; C. P. (E.) felixi, sp. nov., holotype; D. P. (E.) vrabeci, sp. nov., holotype; E. P. (E.) lassallei, sp. nov., holotype; F. P. (E.) ledouxi Morvan, 1974, male specimen, 10 km S Hasan Keif, Mazandaran Province, Iran; G. P. (E.) taghizadehi Morvan, 1974, male specimen, Tochal, Tehran Province, Iran; H. P. (E.) afghanistanicus, sp. nov., holotype; I. P. (E.) brunneus brunneus Karsch, 1881, male specimen, 50 km W of Ben Gardane, Medenine Governorate, Tunisia; J. P. (E.) brunneus ferrantei Reitter, 1909, male specimen, Holot Haluza, Southern District, Israel; K. P. (E.) jordanensis, sp. nov., holotype; L. P. (E.) languidus (Reiche & Saulcy, 1855), lectotype; M. P. (E.) languidus (Reiche & Saulcy, 1855), male specimen, Na ẖal Prat, Judea and Samaria Area, Israel; N. P. (Platyderus) sp., male specimen, Boz Daglar Mtn., Turkey; O. P. (P.) reticulatus (Chaudoir), male specimen, Tashehzeh, Nowshahr County, Mazandaran Province, Iran. Scale bars: 0.5 mm.

Figure 8. Median lobe of aedeagus, left lateral view. A. Platyderus (Eremoderus) chatzakiae, sp. nov., holotype; B. P. (E.) weiratheri Maran, 1940, lectotype; C. P. (E.) felixi, sp. nov., holotype; D. P. (E.) iranicus, sp. nov., holotype; E. P. (E.) vanensis, sp. nov., holotype; F. P. (E.) vrabeci, sp. nov., holotype; G. P. (E.) lassallei, sp. nov., holotype; H. P. (E.) ledouxi Morvan, 1974, male specimen, 10 km S Hasan Keif, Mazandaran Province, Iran; I. P. (E.) taghizadehi Morvan, 1974, male specimen, Tochal, Tehran Province, Iran; J. P. (Platyderus) sp., male specimen, vicinity of Izmir City, Turkey. Scale bars: 0.2 mm.

Figure 10. Median lobe of aedeagus, ventral view. A. Platyderus (Eremoderus) chatzakiae, sp. nov., holotype; B. P. (E.) weiratheri Maran, 1940, lectotype; C. P. (E.) felixi, sp. nov., holotype; D. P. (E.) iranicus, sp. nov., holotype; E. P. (E.) vanensis, sp. nov., holotype; F. P. (E.) vrabeci, sp. nov., holotype; G. P. (E.) lassallei, sp. nov., holotype; H. P. (E.) ledouxi Morvan, 1974, male specimen, 10 km S Hasan Keif, Mazandaran Province, Iran; I. P. (E.) taghizadehi Morvan, 1974, male specimen, Tochal, Tehran Province, Iran; J. P. (Platyderus) sp., male specimen, vicinity of Izmir City, Turkey; K. P. (P.) sp., male specimen, Boz Daglar Mtn., Turkey. Scale bars: 0.2 mm.

Figure 12. Right paramere, external face. A. Platyderus (Eremoderus) chatzakiae, sp. nov., holotype; B. P. (E.) weiratheri Maran, 1940, lectotype; C. P. (E.) felixi, sp. nov., holotype; D. P. (E.) iranicus, sp. nov., holotype; E. P. (E.) vrabeci, sp. nov., holotype; F. P. (E.) lassallei, sp. nov., holotype; G. P. (E.) ledouxi Morvan, 1974, male specimen, 10 km S Hasan Keif, Mazandaran Province, Iran; H. P. (E.) taghizadehi Morvan, 1974, male specimen, Tochal, Tehran Province, Iran; I. P. (E.) afghanistanicus, sp. nov., holotype; J. P. (E.) brunneus brunneus Karsch, 1881, male specimen, 50 km W of Ben Gardane, Medenine Governorate, Tunisia; K. P. (E.) brunneus ferrantei Reitter, 1909, male specimen, Holot Haluza, Southern District, Israel; L. P. (E.) jordanensis, sp. nov., holotype; M. P. (E.) languidus (Reiche & Saulcy, 1855), lectotype; N. P. (E.) languidus (Reiche & Saulcy, 1855), male paralectotype, " Syria ". Scale bars: 0.5 mm.

Figure 14. Spermathecal complex and gonocoxites, ventral view. A. Platyderus (Eremoderus) lassallei, sp. nov., female paratype, Iran, Mazandaran Province, E Qolqol; B. P. (E.) ledouxi Morvan, 1974, female specimen, 10 km SW Rudbarak, Mazandaran Province, Iran; C. P. (E.) taghizadehi Morvan, 1974, female specimen, Alburz Dizin, Tehran Province, Iran; D. P. (Platyderus) umbratus (Menetries), female specimen, Iran, Kohgiluyeh va Boyer-Ahmad Province, Sisakht; E. P. (E.) arabicus, sp. nov., holotype; F. P. (E.) brunki, sp. nov., holotype. Scale bars: 0.5 mm. For abbreviations see captions on Fig. 13.

Figure 17. Distribution of species from subgenus Platyderus Eremoderus in Iran and Afghanistan: Platyderus felixi sp. nov. (red circle), P. iranicus sp. nov. (blue circles), P. lassallei sp. nov. (yellow circles), P. davatchii (green triangle), P. ledouxi (red triangle), P. taghizadehi (blue triangle), P. klapperichi sp. nov. (black triangle), and P. afghanistanicus sp. nov. (red question mark).