Euboeus (Pelorinus) merkli, Nabozhenko, 2022

Nabozhenko, Maxim V., 2022, A taxonomic review of the genus Euboeus Boieldieu, 1865 (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae: Helopini) of the Caucasus, Iran and Turkmenistan, Zootaxa 5159 (4), pp. 451-486 : 474-476

Euboeus (Pelorinus) merkli sp. nov.

( Fig. 15 )

Type material. Holotype, ♂ ( HNHM) and paratypes, 3♂ (two in SMS, one in HNHM), 1♀ ( SMS): Iran, Mazandaran Prov., Alborz Mts., Damavand Mt., Reyneh [Rineh], 35°52.412ʹ N, 52°06.096ʹ, 2841 m, 14.v.2008, from beneath stone (leg. T. Hácz, K. Székely, K. Vig) . Paratypes: 1♂ ( HNHM): Iran, Abgarm ( Damavand ), 2100–2400 m, 5.v.1970 (Wittmer, v. Bothmer) , “ zoroaster Sdl det. Kaszab”; 1♀ ( HNHM): Iran, Tehran Prov. [Mazandaran Prov.], Elburz Mts., 10 km W Reine [Rineh], Kuh-e Demavend , 35°53ʹ22ʺN, 52°02ʹ24ʺE, 5.v.1998 (Gy. Fábian, K. Székely) ; 1♂ ( HNHM): Iran, Mazandaran Prov., Demavend Mt. , 3000 m, 4.vi.1999 (leg. T. Hácz, G. Kőszegi, K. Gaskó) ; 2♀ ( HNHM): Iran, Mazandaran Prov., Kühha-ye Alborz, Küh-e Damavand , 3500 m, 30.vi.–2.vii.2006 (leg. G. Rozner) ; 1♂, 2♀ ( HNHM): Iran, Mazandaran Prov., Alborz Mts. , 15 km E of Lar-e Polur, 35°52ʹ28ʺN, 52°06ʹ10ʺE, 2580 m, 12–13.v.2001 (leg. Gy. Fábian, K. Vig) .

Description. Male. Body narrow, slender, black, moderately shiny ( Fig. 15A ). Measurements: Y = 1.55; PH w = 1.42; P w P l = 1.08; E l E w = 1.57; EH w = 2; EP w = 1.4; EP l = 2.46. Body length 12–14 mm, width 4–5 mm.

Head ( Figs 15B, D, E ). Anterior margin of epistoma slightly rounded. Head widest at eye level. Eyes moderately convex, large in dorsal view, circumocular impression narrow ( Fig. 12D ). Lateral margins of genae evenly rounded. Puncturation of head fine and sparse, interpuncture distance 2–3 times as long as puncture diameter. Ventral side of epicranium coarsely and densely punctured by merged punctures. Antennae comparatively short, with only three apical antennomeres, extending beyond base of pronotum, reaching 1/5 of elytral length.

Prothorax ( Figs 15D–F ). Pronotum subquadrate, widest at middle, very weakly transverse, almost with subequal width and length ( Fig. 15D ). Lateral margins of pronotum very weakly evenly rounded; anterior margin slightly rounded, almost straight; base weakly rounded. Antero-lateral corners not projected, obtuse, narrowly rounded at apex; postero-lateral corners weakly obtuse, pointed at apex. Lateral margins not beaded; anterior margin unclearly beaded only near corners ( Fig. 15E ). Disc of pronotum evenly strongly convex (only area near postero-lateral corners slightly flattened), not flattened along lateral margin, with basal impressions: oval transverse at middle and two obliques laterally. Puncturation of disc fine and sparse, puncture diameter 4–5 times as short as interpuncture distance in middle and 2–3 times on lateral sides; punctures round ( Fig. 15D ). Prosternum with coarse and very sparse simple puncturation ( Fig. 15B ). Prothoracic hypomera not flattened along margin, with coarse, sparse, large, round punctures along margin and near procoxae and dense and coarse merged punctures at middle; surface without microgranulation ( Fig. 15F ). Prosternal process shiny, moderately punctured, slightly convex at apex, not beaded, pubescent by recumbent setae ( Figs 15B, F ).

Pterothorax ( Figs 15A, B ). Scutellar shield with straight margins, finely and densely punctured. Elytra slightly shiny than pronotum, elongate, widest at middle; punctures in striae fine, round, widely spaced; punctures in interstriae fine and sparse, much smaller than strial ones ( Fig. 15A ). Anterior half of mesoventrite densely pubescent, coarsely and densely wrinkled. Mesepisterna, mesepimera and metepisterna with coarse and dense puncturation of moderate in size punctures and short setae; metaventrite with moderately coarse and moderately dense punctures; intercoxal part of mesoventrite finely and sparsely punctured and sparsely pubescent; metaventrite pubescent with recumbent comparatively long setae ( Fig. 15B ).

Legs. Trochanters with brush of short dark-reddish setae and one long seta ( Fig. 15B ). Basal third of meso- and metafemora without the same brush on flex side, but with simple recumbent setation ( Fig. 15B ). Tibiae straight. Pro- and mesotarsomeres 1–4 strongly widened, trasverse, subequal to width of apex of protibia.

Abdomen ( Figs 15B, G–K ). Abdominal ventrites 1–3 with the same puncturation as on metaventrite, ventrites 4–5 much sparser and finer punctured. All ventrites pubescent with long recumbent setae ( Fig. 15B ); ventrite 5 with several sparse, longer and stronger setae at apex. Genitalia ( Figs 15G–K ). Apical part of the basal piece of aedeagus smooth, without longitudinal rugosity ( Fig. 15K ). Apical piece narrowly rounded at apex, dorsal surface with longitudinal small median groove ( Fig. 15K ).

Female ( Fig. 15C ). Body robuster, elytra dull. Eyes smaller (see mesuarements). Antennae short, not reaching base of pronotum. Lateral margins of pronotum little more narrowed to base. Measurements: Y = 1.43; PH w = 1.42; P w P l = 1.1–1.12; E l E w = 1.58; EH w = 2; EP w = 1.4; EP l = 2.64–2.65. Body length 12–16.5 mm, width 4.5–6 mm.

Etymology. The new species is named in memory of Ottó Merkl (1957–2021), my friend, colleague and coauthor of several papers, the famous Hungarian entomologist (Schawaller 2021, Szél et al. 2021).

Differential diagnosis. This new species is similar to E. krivokhatskyi by the surface of prothoracic hypomera ( Figs 11F , 12F ) and not beaded lateral margins of the pronotum ( Figs 11E , 12E ). See differences in the diagnosis of E. krivokhatskyi .

Figures

FIGURE 11. Euboeus huedepohli, habitus, details of structure. A = male, dorsally; B = male, ventrally; C = male metatibiae; D = female, dorsally; E = male, head and pronotum, dorsally; F = ditto, dorso-laterally; G = prothoracic hypomeron; H = male inner sternite VIII, ventrally; I = spiculum gastrale; J = ventral setose connective membrane between median lobe and tegmen; K = tegmen, ventrally; L = median lobe of aedeagus, ventrally; M = apical piece of aedeagus, dorsally.

FIGURE 12. Euboeus kalashiani sp. nov., habitus, details of structure. A = male, dorsally; B = female, dorsally; C = female, ventrally; D = male, head and pronotum, dorsally; E = ditto, dorso-laterally; F = prothoracic hypomeron; G = male inner sternite VIII, ventrally; H = spiculum gastrale; I = median lobe of aedeagus with inverted connective membrane, ventrally; J = tegmen, ventrally; K = apical piece of aedeagus, dorsally.

FIGURE 15. Euboeus merkli sp. nov., habitus, details of structure. A = male, dorsally; B = male, ventrally; C = female, dorsally; D = male, head and pronotum, dorsally; E = ditto, dorso-laterally; F = prothoracic hypomeron; G = male inner sternite VIII, ventrally; H = spiculum gastrale; I = tegmen, ventrally; J = median lobe of aedeagus, ventrally; K = apical piece of aedeagus, dorsally.