Agabus inexspectatus Nilsson, 1990

Fery, Hans, 2011, Agabus (Acatodes) puetzi sp. n., a new species of the confinis-group from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (Coleoptera, Dytiscidae, Agabini), Zootaxa 3050, pp. 37-54 : 48

Agabus inexspectatus Nilsson, 1990

This species has been described from eastern Siberia, the locus typicus being Olyokminsk (Olekminsk), ca. 500 km WSW Yakutsk; the holotype is stored in the Zoological Institute, St Petersburg ( Russia). Subsequently it was recorded for the Nearctic, Alaska ( Larson 1991: 1247) and recently for Western Siberia, Yamal Peninsula ( Andrejeva & Petrov 2004: 15). It seems to be a widely distributed species, because I possess five specimens from Buryatia (south-eastern Siberia, SE of Lake Baikal) which have no doubt been correctly identified by the shape of the median lobe (in part determined by A.N. Nilsson). The label data are: "28.– 31.5.2001 Russia, NW Burjatia, Tunkinskie Goltzy Mts., near Mondy vill.", "ca. (51.40N 100.58E), 1500 m, Mishustin R.& Duz, S. leg." Among these five specimens are two with a gap in the anterior pronotal puncture line with a length of about one fifth of the total length of this line (as in the holotype). However, one of the others has some punctures exactly in the middle of that line and the rest could easily be interpreted as "with puncture line somewhat obsolete in middle, but nevertheless present". It is noteworthy that Larson et al. (2000: 659) in their definition of the confinis -group provide "Pronotum with anterior series of submarginal punctures complete or only narrowly broken medially ..." and do not mention under the description of A. inexspectatus ( Larson 1991: 1247; text almost literally repeated in Larson et al.: 2000: 663) an especially broadly interrupted puncture series. Notes: Larson (1991: 1247), who has studied a single male from Alaska, provides "metatarsomere lacking ventral accessory setae", seemingly, not only in females. I cannot confirm this observation, my males do not lack those setae, but the females do so.