Carabus (Archiplectes) besleticus duripshensis Kurnakov, 1972

Solodovnikov, Igor A., Zamotajlov, Alexandr S., Fominykh, Dmitriy D. & Titarenko, Andrey Y., 2014, Contribution to the knowledge of the Carabus (Archiplectes) satyrus Kurnakov, 1962, species complex in Abkhazia (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Carabini), ZooKeys 463, pp. 21-56 : 29

Carabus (Archiplectes) besleticus duripshensis Kurnakov, 1972 Figs 1, 2, 7, 22-24, 58-61

Carabus (Neoplectes) satyrus duripshensis Kurnakov, 1972: 114 ( “Chaîne Bzybienne près du village de Douripch")

Carabus (Archiplectes) satyrus duripshensis : Gottwald 1985: 310; Bousquet et al. 2003: 132; Retezár 2008: 40.

Carabus (Tribax) satyrus duripshensis : Deuve 2004: 275.

Comparative material examined.

69 specimens were examined (4 specimens measured, 2 male genitalia preparations studied): 15 male, 18 female, Abkhazia, Gudauta Distr. near Village Khuap, V-VII.1993, leg. A. Zamotajlov, A. Miroshnikov (cZAM, cFDD); 1 female, Abkhazia, Bzybian Mt. Range, vicinities of Village Duripsh, 04.VI.1988, leg. V. Karmanian (cSIA); 1 male, Abkhazia, Gudauta Distr. near Village Khuap, 25.V-05.VIII.1986 (cSIA); 1 male, Abkhazia, Gudauta Distr., Khipsta Gorge, 580 m (cPNYu); 1 male, Abkhazia, Gudauta Distr., valley of River Khipsta, vicinities of Village Tvanaarkhu, karst crater with cave, beech, blackberry site, 425 m, N43°14', E040°39'9", 08.V-05.VII.2013, leg. I. Solodovnikov, S. Solodovnikova, S. Pavlyuchuk (cSIA); 1 male, 1 female, Abkhazia, Gudauta Distr., valley of River Khipsta, vicinities of Village Tvanaarkhu, valley of small brook, 380-425 m, hornbeam, beech, box forest site, N43°13', E040°39', 08.V-05.VII.2013, leg. I. Solodovnikov, S. Solodovnikova, S. Pavlyuchuk (cSIA, cPSM); 13 males, 17 females, Abkhazia, Gudauta Distr. near Village Khuap, 700 m, 11.IV-6.VI.2014, leg. D. Fominykh and A. Bondarenko (cFDD, cBAS).

Description.

The medium-sized form, males 32.5-32.5 (32.5) mm, females 32.5-32.6 (32.6) mm long (according to Kurnakov 1972 - 28-33 mm long). Underside black, dorsum normally with bright metallic lustre, violet, black-violet, black, rather seldom green, bronze, crimson, females matte. Body slender.

Head not inflated. Pronotum variable in shape, mainly transverse. PW/PL = 1.30-1.40 (1.35) in males and 1.27-1.28 (1.28) in females, with approximately same PW/PB as in the nominotypical subspecies: 1.27-1.32 (1.30) in males and 1.16-1.26 (1.21) in females, hind angles strongly protruding backwards and somewhat sidewards, pointed apically. Median groove distinct. Disk transversally rugose, rugosity gradually strengthening towards median groove. Elytra oblong-ovate, more elongate and somewhat convex in males, with quite inconspicuous depression in the middle in females. EL/EW = 1.77-1.80 (1.79) in males and 1.81-1.86 (1.83) in females. Elytral sculpture nearly identical in males and females, forming precise series of short links. The main morphometric measurements are presented in Table 2 .

The endophallus differs from that of Carabus (Archiplectes) satyrus in the shape of its dorsal appendix, which is more elongate and possesses a more extended form, characteristic for populations dwelling in an interfluve of r. Kealasur and Bzyb.

Differential diagnosis.

Habitually resembles Carabus (Archiplectes) besleticus napraensis from which it differs in the more elongate and less ovate elytra, cordate pronotum with more elevated and sharper lateral borders, and stronger protruding hind angles. Elytral sculpture is more coarse, often with faintly developed tertiary interspaces, especially in females, body size on average larger. It also differs in habitat: Carabus (Archiplectes) besleticus duripshensis populates forest belts, rising up to the subalpine belt, while Carabus (Archiplectes) besleticus napraensis dwells exclusively at alpestrine and alpine zones. Morphometric characters are illustrated in Figures 1 - 2.

Distribution.

Populates southern slopes of Bzybian karstic figau at altitudes ranging from 380 to 1800 m, to the west from the River Khipsta.

Habitat.

Prefers beech and beech-chestnut forest sites, rich in ground litter on karstic landforms. Activity of imago proceeds from April until July. Carabus (Archiplectes) polychrous polychrous Rost, 1892, Carabus (Archiplectes) apollo tenebricosus , Carabus (Microplectes) argonautarum reischitzi , Carabus (Tribax) apschuanus apschuanus , Carabus (Tribax) constantinovi otcharensis , Carabus (Tribax) circassicus circassicus Ganglbauer, 1886 (natio abasinus Rost, 1893), Carabus (Megodontus) septemcarinatus , Carabus (Sphodristocarabus) armeniacus dvorschaki Mandl, 1975, and Carabus (Procerus) caucasicus colchicus occur together with this subspecies.