Dicronychus izehensis, Nasserzadeh & Platia & Serri, 2023

Nasserzadeh, Hiva, Platia, Giuseppe & Serri, Sayeh, 2023, Click beetles (Coleoptera: Elateridae) of Khuzestan province (Iran): with three new species, Craspedostethus izehensis sp. n., Dicronychus khuzestanicus sp. n. and Gurjevelater catei sp. n., Zootaxa 5346 (2), pp. 101-130 : 119-121

Dicronychus izehensis sp. n. Nasserzadeh & Platia

( Figs. 9‒10 , Map 5 )

Type material. Holotype m ( HMIM): “ IRAN: Khuzestan prov. / Izeh, Miangaran P.A. / Miangaran wetland / N31°52’16.9” E49°53’06.9” / 860 m, 04.VI.2019 / leg. H. Nasserzadeh (L. T.)” [aedeagus mounted in euparal on transparent card] . Paratypes: 2 mm 1 f ( HMIM), 1 m CGP): same data as holotype [aedeagus of a male and sclerite plate and median sclerite particle of bursa copulatrix of the only female mounted in euparal on transparent cards] .

Diagnosis. Close to D. houschkai Platia, 2011 and D. larseni Platia & Schimmel, 1997 (description based on female specimens). The species is distinguished from D. houschkai by average larger body size, rather convex sides and shorter antenna and from D. larseni by lighter pronotal punctuation, unicoloured elytra and no impressed Vshaped lines in posterior half of prosternum. The bursa copulatrix sclerites is similar in both species.

Description. Male ( Fig. 9 ). Moderately shiny; head, pronotum, area around scutellum, fusiform spot on elytra and ventral side of body rufous to piceous; antennae, greater part of elytra and legs yellowish; covered with dense, recumbent, yellowish pubescence.

Head with eyes slightly narrower than anterior margin of pronotum; frons flat, edged at anterior margin, subarcuate at middle, slightly protruding above clypeus, with or without sinuate emargination; punctation double, with fine, very dense and uniformly distributed punctures, larger punctures scattered separately. Antennae not reaching apices of posterior angles of pronotum by at least half-length of last antennomere; second antennomere subconical, approximately twice as long as wide; antennomeres three to ten subtriangular, approximately 1.5 × longer than second, seventh to tenth gradually less serrated, last antennomere subellipsoidal, as long as penultimate.

Pronotum as long as wide, widest at middle, strongly convex, sloping abruptly at sides and base; sides regularly arcuate, converging from mid-length to base and sinuate just before posterior angles, latter short, truncate, not divergent with short carina; punctation double, rather uniformly distributed, fine punctures densely distributed with short and shiny intervals as large as or approximately two times larger than their diameters, larger punctures separately distributed in between three to five fine punctures; posterior half of prosternum without impressed Vshaped lines laid sub-parallel to prosternal sutures.

Scutellum heart-shaped, clearly emarginate at middle of base, moderately impressed at posterior end of emargination to center, blunt at apex.

Elytra 2.0–2.2 x longer and as wide as or slightly wider than pronotum, sub-oval, widest at anterior third near middle; striae well-marked and punctured, becoming more superficial towards apices and obsolete at apical end; interstriae flat, very finely punctured.

Aedeagus as in figure 9b, length 1.1 mm.

Size. Length 6.8–8.0 mm, width 2.1–2.5 mm

Female ( Fig. 10 ). Body entirely rufous, slightly paler on anterior third of elytra, larger and rather convex than male, pronotum gradually dilated at anterior third, Bursa copulatrix with sclerified parts as in figure 10b.

Size. Length 8.3 mm; width 2.8 mm.

ETYMOLOGY. Refers to Izeh the capital city of Izeh County in eastern Khuzestan province. It is famous for its dam, ancient monuments and magnificent natural attractions (Wikipedia). The collecting locality of the new species is next to the Miangaran wetland.

Climate types. Semi-arid, with cool winters and very warm summers.

Figures

MAP 5. Distribution map of Dicronychus species in Khuzestan.

FIGURE 9. Dicronychus izehensis sp. n., male: (a) Dorsal habitus; (b) aedeagus, dorsal view.

FIGURE 10. Dicronychus izehensis sp. n., female: (a) Dorsal habitus; (b) sclerite plates of bursa copulatrix.