Aphodius (Liothorax) rusakovi Gusakov, 2004

Angus, Robert B., Maté, Jason F., Angus, Elizabeth M. & Král, David, 2024, Towards a revision of the Palaearctic species of Aphodius Hellwig, 1798, subgenus Liothorax Motschulsky, 1860 (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Aphodiinae), ZooKeys 1207, pp. 205-299 : 205-299

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.3897/zookeys.1207.117225
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:94F18819-5AF5-4100-AB35-AA3C3976EE80
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.12796893
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/21737574-B261-5B2F-A919-858AE9561D34
treatment provided by	ZooKeys by Pensoft
scientific name	Aphodius (Liothorax) rusakovi Gusakov, 2004
status

Treatment

Aphodius (Liothorax) rusakovi Gusakov, 2004 View in CoL

Figs 2 i View Figure 2 , 5 m View Figure 5 , 14 c View Figure 14 , 17 f View Figure 17 , 20 m, n View Figure 20 , 18 h, v View Figure 18 , 22 p, p ’, 26 m, n View Figure 22

Aphodius (Liothorax) rusakovi Gusakov, 2004: 6. View in CoL

Type material examined.

2 paratypes from the Orenburg oblast’, Russia ( NHMUK).

Additional material examined.

RU: 1 ♀, Ulyanovsk, 54.056 ° N, 48.519 ° E ( ZIN); 1 ♂, Volgograd oblast’, 48.7 ° N, 44.5 ° E, Fastov. leg. Grebennikov. ( ZIN).

KZ or UZ 1 ♀ “ Syr-Darja. / B. v. Bodemeyer. ” ( NMP).

Differential diagnosis.

A conspicuously narrow parallel-sided species, comparable with A. kraatzi but larger, length 4.5–6.5 mm and base of pronotum completely bordered by a fine impressed line, this sometimes weaker medially (Fig. 14 c View Figure 14 ). Protibial spur of male strongly incurved apically (Fig. 18 v View Figure 18 ). ♀ with spermatheca larger (Fig. 26 m, n View Figure 26 ).

Redescription.

General appearance (Fig. 2 i View Figure 2 ). Glossy black, length 4.7–5.5 mm, width 1.9–2.2 mm. Head fairly closely punctate, sometimes slightly rugose on the frons and anterolateral parts of the clypeus, and occasionally rugose over all except the central part of the clypeal bulge. Double punctation scarcely apparent except when the punctation is sparser on the clypeal bulge. Clypeus emarginated anteriorly, edges of this emargination bluntly rounded (head and pronotum: Fig. 5 m View Figure 5 ). Frontoclypeal suture interrupted medially in ♀, in ♂ sometimes with a very weak tubercle, viewed with suitable lighting (Fig. 2 i View Figure 2 ). Epipharynx (Fig. 7 i View Figure 7 ) with anterior margin of clithra almost straight either side of the median tylus and the mesoepitorma scarcely darkened. Prophobae rather strong, grouped towards the margins of the mesoepitorma. Chaetopedia three or four each side. Pronotum highly arched transversely, weakly so longitudinally. Entire lateral margins visible from above (Figs 2 i View Figure 2 , 5 m View Figure 5 ). Surface with double punctation, this often close though sometimes sparser on the disc. In some specimens the punctures are deeply impressed, so the pronotal surface does not appear smooth. Basal margin entirely bordered, the border rather heavy (Fig. 14 c View Figure 14 ). Elytra noticeably elongate, parallel-sided. Striae narrow but rather deep, strial punctures separated by ca 4 × their diameters. Interstices 6–8 × the width of the striae, with distinct sparse fine punctation and fine reticulation (Fig. 17 f View Figure 17 ). Apex bluntly rounded. Metaventrite (Fig. 20 m, n View Figure 20 ) with median diamond- shaped plate fairly strongly punctate and no obvious sexual dimorphism. Legs with longer spur of mid tibiae slightly longer than the basal segment (Fig. 18 h View Figure 18 ), and in males the spur of the anterior tibiae is distinctly hooked (Fig. 18 v View Figure 18 ).

Aedeagus (Fig. 22 p, p View Figure 22 ’) length ca 1.1 mm, parameres relatively short and blunt-ended, somewhat downturned apically. Endophallus with scales but no hairs or bristles.

Remarks.

Distributed mainly in southern Russia, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan (Fig. 29 b, c View Figure 29 ). Gusakov (2004) lists the holotype and 14 paratypes as having been collected in a dried-out rivulet at Ilek, 120 km SSW of Orenburg on the southern Urals, with two further paratypes from the Rostov and Kharkov districts of Ukraine and four more from the Temirsky region and Uralsk oblast’ in Kazakhstan The Ulyanovsk specimen ( ZIN) is labelled as having been taken in a damp saline area (solonchak).