Longitarsus afghanicus Lopatin

Konstantinov, Alexander S. & Lopatin, Igor K., 2000, Review Of The Longitarsus Asperifoliarum Group Of Species (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Alticinae), The Coleopterists Bulletin 54 (2), pp. 200-220 : 201-204

Longitarsus afghanicus Lopatin , new status

Figs. 31–32

Longitarsus asperifoliarum afghanicus Lopatin 1963:366 (Type locality: NE Afghanistan, Nuristan, Bashgultal valley . Holotype in HNHM).

Distribution. Afghanistan ( Lopatin 1963).

Description. Body slightly convex. Length 1.74 mm, width 0.88 mm. Color dark brown with dark bronze reflection. Base of antennomere 1 and antennomeres 6–11 light brown, antennomeres 2–5 yellow. Metafemora dark brown with bronze reflection. Pro­ and mesofemora reddish brown. Tibiae yellow. Vertex strongly covered with transverse wrinkles, with well­developed supraorbital puncture above orbital sulcus surrounded by few deep punctures. Antennal callus poorly developed, not higher than vertex, delineated from vertex by shallow, extremely fine groove. Surface of antennal callus moderately shiny, lacking sculpture. Midfrontal and suprafrontal sulci absent. Frontal ridge high, convex in lateral view, narrow, much wider dorsally (forming sharp edge in front of anterofrontal ridge). Anterofrontal ridge thick, much thicker than but as high as frontal ridge, attached to end of frontal ridge. Second antennomere slightly longer than third, as long as fourth. Pronotum length/width ratio 1.26– 1.27, slightly wider basally. Lateral side convex, without denticle in front of middle, maximum width nearly in middle. Anterolateral callosity well developed, slightly lower anteriorly. Lateral margin narrowly explanated, explanations wider apically. Posterolateral callosity poorly developed, low, wide. Punctures round, deep, well defined, 2.0–2.5 times as large as interspaces 1. Interspaces slightly shagreened. Scutellum widely rounded on top. Elytron usually with well­developed humeral callus, maximum width behind middle. Apex broadly rounded with well developed angle. Punctures as large as pronotal, their diameter 2.0–2.5 times greater than distance between them. Interspaces shiny, without sculpture. Male metatibia curved in dorsal view. First metatarsomere of male 1.14 times longer than rest of tarsomeres together. Second metatarsomere of male as long as fourth and 1.57 times longer than third. Metatibial spur smaller than third metatarsomere. Tarsal claw thin, lacking denticle. Median lobe of aedeagus constricted in middle with deep, wide, par­

1 The diameter of the punctures is described as seen through a light dissecting microscope, not as they appear in the SEM micrographs.

allel sided ventral groove. Bottom of groove membranous, with several well developed longitudinal wrinkles. Apex ogival with acute denticle ( Fig. 31 ).

Female unavailable for study.

Comments. This species was described as a subspecies of L. asperifoliarum . The best characters to separate it from L. asperifoliarum are the sculpture of the vertex (vertex is covered with wrinkles in the former and coarsely shagreened in the latter), the shape of the frontal ridge (much narrower in the former), the color of the legs and antennae (first antennomere with a darker base in the former), and the shape of the median lobe of the aedeagus ( Figs. 31–32 ). It is apparent that these are species­level characters.

Type Material. Holotype?: NE AFGHANISTAN, Nuristan, Bashgultal Valley , 1100 m, 6.04.1953, J. Klapperich ( HNHM) . Paratype: the same data as holotype (1? ILPC) .

Longitarsus asperifoliarum Weise Figs. 1, 2 , 7 , 10, 13, 17, 18, 23, 27, 33–39

Longitarsus asperifoliarum Weise 1887:334 (Type locality: ‘‘Kyndyr­Tau,’’ West Tien Shan, environs of Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Depository of type specimens unknown). Jacobson 1893:246 (distribution, Middle Asia). Heikertinger 1914:258 (figures of? genitalia, distinguishing features, distribution). Heikertinger and Csiki 1939:111 (Palearctic catalog). Lopatin 1977:212, 1984:322 (key, distribution, figures of? genitalia, host plants). Gruev and Döberl 1997:150 (checklist, Palearctic)

Distribution. Turkmenistan ( Heikertinger 1914), Kazakhstan, Kirgizia, North­West Afghanistan ( Lopatin 1977, 1984), Uzbekistan (Nuratau) ( Weise 1887, Jacobson 1893), (? A.K.) Caucasus (Gruev and Döberl 1997).

Host Plants. Macrotomia sp. ( Lopatin 1977, 1984).

Description. Body slightly convex. Length 1.84–2.20 mm, width 0.90–1.02 mm. Color dark brown with strong bronze reflection. Antenna and leg brownferrugineous, antennomeres 5–11 slightly darker. Metafemur dark brown with bronze reflection. Rest of legs reddish brown. Vertex strongly shagreened, with well developed supraorbital puncture above orbital sulcus surrounded by few deep punctures. Antennal callus poorly developed, not higher than vertex, delineated from vertex by shallow, extremely fine groove. Surface of antennal callus moderately shiny, lacking sculpture. Midfrontal and suprafrontal sulci absent. Frontal ridge high and convex in lateral view, moderately wide (distance between antennal sockets larger than diameter of antennal socket). Anterofrontal ridge attached to end of frontal ridge, in middle as high and thick as frontal ridge ( Fig. 1 ). Second antennomere slightly longer than third, as long as fourth. Pronotum length/width ratio 1.47, slightly wider basally. Lateral side convex, forming oblique denticle nearly in middle, maximum width nearly in middle. Anterolateral callosity well developed, anteriorly slightly lower than posteriorly. Lateral margin narrowly explanated, explanations wider apically. Posterolateral callosity poorly developed, low, wide. Punctures elongate, deep, poorly defined, 1.5–2.0 times as large as interspaces. Interspaces slightly shagreened ( Fig. 2 ). Scutellum widely rounded on top. Elytron usually with well developed humeral callus, maximum width behind middle. Apex narrowly rounded, without well developed angle ( Fig. 7 ). Punctures as large as those on pronotum, their diameter slightly less than interpunctal distance. Interspaces minutely shagreened. Male metatibia curved in dorsal view. First metatarsomere of male 1.22 times longer than rest of tarsomeres together. Second me­ tatarsomere of male 1.33 times longer than fourth and 1.71 times longer third. Metatibial spur smaller than third metatarsomere. Tarsal claw thin, lacking denticle. Median lobe of aedeagus slightly constricted in front of middle with deep, wide ventral groove. Bottom of groove membranous, with several well developed longitudinal wrinkles. Apex widely rounded with moderately wide denticle ( Figs. 33–39 ). Preapical abdominal tergite of female with few long setae medially. Distal half of preapical abdominal tergite sparsely covered with tiny microtrichia, basal half without pores ( Fig. 13 ). Apical abdominal tergite covered with long setae. Few tiny microtrichia situated in middle and in lateral corners near spiracles ( Fig. 13 ). Receptacle of spermatheca (Figs. 17–18) longer than pump. Inner and outer sides of receptacle convex. Vertical part of pump extremely short (lower part of horizontal portion of pump touches inner side of receptacle), well delineated from receptacle and from horizontal part of pump. Spermathecal duct basally at right angle to receptacle with no loop away from receptacle, apically with a few simple coils. Tignum slender, straight, slightly widening posteriorly ( Fig. 23 ). Vaginal palpus slender, posteriorly slightly curved medially, broadly rounded at apex ( Fig. 27 ). Apical sclerotization obtuse.

Variability. Shape and proportions of spermatheca vary significantly within the populations (Figs. 17–18). Specimens from Kazakhstan have antennal callus as shagreened as basal part of vertex. General shape of median lobe and ventral grooves varies significantly ( Figs. 33–39 ).

Comments. Weise (1887) compared this species with L. fuscoaeneus Redtenbacher. Based on specimens of L. asperifoliarum from ‘‘Tashkent (Staudinger, Reitter), Turkmenien (Reitter­Leder); and Buchara (Staudinger)’’ Heikertinger (1914:259) provided figures of the male genitalia and discussed the differences between this species and L. violentus Weise. However , he did not mention wether he examined type specimens. In 1893 Jacobson described a new variation of L. asperifoliarum that he called defectus from Uzbekistan part of Zeravshan mountain ridge. He reported it as being smaller and lacking humeral calli. We were unable to find any specimens labeled as defectus in the collection of Zoological Institute (St. Petersburg).

Gruev and Döberl (1997) mistakenly interpreted the type locality of L. asperifoliarum as Altai Mountain. They also mentioned Caucasus as a part of this species range. However, it was described from West Tien Shan and was never collected outside of Middle Asia. Specimens from Tadzhikistan previously identified as L. asperifoliarum ( Lopatin 1977, 1984) belong to L. hissaricus .

Material. Kazakhstan: Zhabyn, 10 km SSE s. Koktum , 8.VIII.1989, leg. S. Saluk (9 AKPC, 2 USNM); Aksu­Dzhabagly , Taldy­Bulak, 2000 m , 20. V.1990, leg. A. Konstantinov (8 AKPC, 3 USNM). Uzbekistan: West Tien Shan , Sidzhak , 13. V .1990 , 1900 m, leg. A. Konstantinov (10 AKPC); West Tien Shan , 35 km E. Tashkent, Ak­Tash, 25. V .1989 , leg. A. Konstantinov (5 AKPC, 2 USNM); Sary Chelek , Bakot valley, 19. V.1962, leg. V. Palij (4 AKPC, 3 USNM) .

Figures

Figs. 31–42. Median lobe of aedeagus. 31, 32) Longitarsus afghanicus Lopatin; 33–

Figs. 1, 2. Longitarsus asperifoliarum Weise. 1) head, frontal view; 2) pronotum.

Figs. 7–9. Elytral apex. 7) Longitarsus asperifoliarum; 8) Longitarsus hissaricus Lopatin; 9) Longitarsus marguzoricus Konstantinov.

Figs. 13–16. Last abdominal tergites of female. 13) Longitarsus asperifoliarum Weise; 14) L. marguzoricus Konstantinov; 15) L. violentoides Konstantinov; 16) L. violentus Weise.

Figs. 23–26. Tignum (8th abdominal sternite of female). 23) Longitarsus asperifoliarum Weise; 24) L. marguzoricus Konstantinov; 25) L. violentoides Konstantinov; 26) L. violentus Weise.

Figs. 27–30. Vaginal palpi. 27) Longitarsus asperifoliarum Weise; 28) L. marguzoricus Konstantinov; 29) L. violentoides Konstantinov; 30) L. violentus Weise.