Anoplistes kaszabi Karpiński, 2020

Karpiński, Lech, Enkhnasan, Davaadorj, Boldgiv, Bazartseren, Kruszelnicki, Lech, Iderzorig, Badamnyambuu, Gantulga, Temerlen, Dorjsuren, Altanchimeg & Szczepański, Wojciech T., 2021, Longhorned beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) of southeastern Mongolia with particular emphasis on the genus Anoplistes Audinet-Serville, 1833 (Cerambycinae: Trachyderini), Zootaxa 5081 (4), pp. 451-482 : 462-463

* Anoplistes kaszabi Karpiński, 2020

Fig. 6G–I

New records. Khovd: Yolkhon valley , Bodonch 20 km SE of Altai sum [45.725, 92.543], 27.07.1970, 1 ex., leg. Namhaidorzh ( MAS collection, published as A. mongolicus in Namhaidorzh (1976a)) .

Bayankhongor: near Buutsagaan sum [46.146, 98.691], 15.06.1980, 1 ex., leg. Puntsagdulam ( MAS, misiden- tified with A. halodendri ) .

Literature data. Ömnögovi: 40 km E from spring Talyn Bilgech, between Tost and Tsagaan Bogd mountains [42.889, 99.689], 1100 m a.s.l., 23.06.1967, 1 ex., exp. Dr. Z. Kaszab ( Heyrovský 1970: as Asias mongolicus ; verified in Karpiński (2020)).

Remarks. Anoplistes kaszabi is a recently described species that is endemic to Mongolia ( Karpiński 2020). It is known from two localities in Dundgovi and Ömnögovi aimags. This species is closely related to Anoplistes mongolicus (Ganglbauer, 1889) but they are apparently ecologically associated with different host plants: Zygophyllum xanthoxylon (Bunge) Maxim. (Zygophyllaceae) or Caragana for A. kaszabi and Haloxylon ammodendron regarding A. mongolicus ( Karpiński 2020) . Unlike the latter species, despite the much smaller number of known specimens, melanistic forms were also uncovered ( Fig. 6I ).

It is believed that A. kaszabi occurs in canyons with dense shrub vegetation, including Zygophyllum ( Fig. 10A ), in semi-arid regions of Mongolia, although it has not yet been confirmed and the immature stages are not known ( Karpiński 2020).

Here, we also present two new localities for A. kaszabi from outside the region covered in this paper since additional specimens of this barely known species from localities not mentioned in the original publication has been found during our study in the MAS collection. The specimen from Bayankhongor aimag was misidentified with A. halodendri , while another one from Khovd aimag —with A. mongolicus . The former was most likely overlooked because it was collected as a single individual among a huge series of A. halodendri (unpublished), whose larvae feed on Caragana spp. This fact, combined with the mention in the original description that A. kaszabi may also be ecologically associated with Caragana (however, this was noted as less likely since another species-group of the genus is connected to peashrubs and, in general, to Fabaceae ), suggests closer association with this plant species than with Zygophyllum . However, it is also possible that larvae of A. kaszabi feed on both these plants or develop only in one but imagines visit flowering inflorescences of several semi-arid shrub species.

The depicted pair comes from the HNHM collection and was collected in the type locality in Dundgovi aimag.

Figures

FIGURE 6. Habitus of longhorned beetle taxa distributed in the region of SE Mongolia (genus Anoplistes). A, Anoplistes halodendri minutus (male, sand ecotype, Dornogovi aimag—steppe region); B, A. halodendri minutus (female, sand ecotype, ibid); C, A. halodendri minutus (male, sand ecotype, Dornogovi aimag—desert region); D, A. halodendri minutus (female, sand ecotype, ibid); E, A. halodendri minutus (male, sand ecotype, Bulgan aimag—sand dunes); F, A. halodendri minutus (female, sand ecotype, ibid); G, Anoplistes kaszabi (male, paratype); H, A. kaszabi (female, holotype); I, A. kaszabi (male, paratype, melanistic form); J, Anoplistes mongolicus (male); K, A. mongolicus (female); L, Anoplistes gobiensis (female). Scale bar: 5 mm.

FIGURE 10. Photographs of adults and larvae in situ and habitats of typical SE Mongolian cerambycid species. A, stony hills with dense shrub vegetation, including Zygophyllum, most likely habitat of Anoplistes kaszabi; B, saxaul and tamarisk shrubs in strongly desertified area in southern Mongolia, most likely typical habitat of Anoplistes mongolicus; C, male of Eodorcadion exaratum argali; D, female of E. exaratum argali under cow dung; E, melanistic female of E. exaratum argali; F, Achnatherum splendens enclave in semi-desert area, habitat of Eodorcadion gorbunovi; G, freshly digged larva of E. gorbunovi; H, male of E. gorbunovi climbing onto stems of grasses.