Carabus (Archiplectes) besleticus resheviensis Solodovnikov, Zamotajlov & Fominykh, 2014

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 : 33-38

Carabus (Archiplectes) besleticus resheviensis Solodovnikov, Zamotajlov & Fominykh subsp. n. Figs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 31-33, 66-73

Type material.

Holotype, a male: Abkhazia, N Slopes of Bzybian Mt. Range, right bank of River Reshevie (= Reshava) (left tributary of River Bzyb), 700-1000 m, 13.V-02.VII.2010, leg. D. Fominykh, I. Solodovnikov (ZISP). 577 paratypes: 34 males, 48 females, Abkhazia, N Slopes of Bzybian Mt. Range, right bank of River Reshevie (left tributary of River Bzyb), 700-1000 m, 13.V-02.VII.2010, leg. D. Fominykh, I. Solodovnikov (cZAM, cFDD, cSIA); 234 males, 261 females, same locality, 04.V-20.VII.2012, leg D. Fominykh, A. Safronov (cZAM, cFDD, cSIA, cSAA, cBAS, cTAYu); 3 females, Abkhazia, Bzybian Mt. Range, right bank of River Reshevie (left tributary of River Bzyb), 670-720 m, 13-14.V.2010, leg. D. Fominykh, I. Solodovnikov (cPRYu); 5 males, 3 fe males, Abkhazia, Sukhum Distr., left bank of River Bzyb, right bank of River Reshevie, beech, maple, fern forest site, 670-720 m, 13-14.V.2010, leg. I. Solodovnikov (cSIA); 5 males, 10 females, same locality, 13.V-02.VII.2010 leg. I. Solodovnikov, D. Fominykh (cSIA, cPIG, cKVM); 1 male, labeled "Cauc. occ. Abchasia Pskhu 1910, Plectes protensus Schaum" (ZISP); 1 female, labeled "West Caucasus, Pskhu, VII.1913, Satunin" (ZISP). Holotype and 57 paratype specimens measured, 30 male genitalia preparations studied.

Description.

Large form, body size 34.5-43.0 mm, males 34.5-39.0 (37.6) mm, females 37.2-43.0 (40.6) mm long. Underside black, dorsum bright bronze, red-gold, green, violet, dark blue, black, with metallic lustre in males and matte in females. Appendages black, rarely the femora are red and basal antennomeres reddish-brown (approx. 5 % of individuals). Body usually monochromatic dorsally, less frequently bicolored (head and pronotum being usually greenish, the elytra bronze or reddish-bronze). Body massive and rather high (Figs 66 - 73).

Head huge, somewhat inflated. Pronotum transverse to subquadrate, hind angles protruding backwards and in some individuals sidewards. PW/PL = 1,18-1,55 (1,37) in males and 1,29-1,67 (1,45) in females. Elytra faintly elongate, ovate; more elongate, sometimes with depression in the middle in females, EL/EW = 1,52-1,92 (1,72); generally more ovate, convex, and smoothed in males, EL/EW = 1,42-1,78 (1,59). Elytral sculpture precise to homodynamous and confused, with hardly any distinguishable primary interspaces in males. The main morphometric measurements are presented in Table 2 . Male genitalia practically identical to other taxa of Carabus (Archiplectes) besleticus .

Differential diagnosis.

Carabus (Archiplectes) besleticus resheviensis resembles habitually a population of Carabus (Archiplectes) besleticus besleticus , inhabiting valley of River Basla (city of Sukhum vicinities), but differs in the following characters. Pronotum with a rather shallow median depression, being only poorly marked in males; disk impressed; hind angles huge, appreciably larger, lateral sides of pronotum strongly sinuated before hind angles; elytra broader in males, EL/EW = 1.59, while 1.75 in Carabus (Archiplectes) besleticus besleticus and 1.61-1.75 in Carabus (Archiplectes) besleticus mtsaranus . The new subspecies is the closest geographically to Carabus (Archiplectes) besleticus mtsaranus , populating southern slopes of Bzybian Mt. Range, but differs in having a larger body size, more ovate elytra, smooth elytral sculpture, more transverse pronotum with weaker protruding hind angles, and general dorsal coloration (PW/PL = 1.14-1.48 (1.35) in males and 1.26-1.56 (1.41) in females of Carabus (Archiplectes) besleticus mtsaranus ); furthermore, the disk of the pronotum is more convex than in the new subspecies. The new subspecies differs from the recently described Carabus (Archiplectes) besleticus adzinbai first of all in having a larger body size, more transverse and faintly cordate pronotum with more narrow base; Carabus (Archiplectes) besleticus adzinbai possesses subquadrate pronotum with stronger protruding sidewards hind angles, PW/PL = 1.14-1.42 (1.25), PW/PB = 1.00-1.26 (1.14); elytra of Carabus (Archiplectes) besleticus resheviensis are more ovate and shorter both in males and females.

The bulk of studied individuals of Carabus (Archiplectes) besleticus resheviensis (males) differ from the other subspecies, namely Carabus (Archiplectes) besleticus besleticus , Carabus (Archiplectes) besleticus mtsaranus , Carabus (Archiplectes) besleticus duripshensis , and Carabus (Archiplectes) besleticus adzinbai in their elytral sculpture: tertiary interspaces are elevated almost as secondary ones, forming a smooth sculpture, primary interspaces interrupted more frequently. In the other subspecies tertiary interspaces are normally hardly raised. Morphometric characters are illustrated in Figures 1 - 6.

Distribution.

Populates boreal slopes of Bzybian Mt. Range on the right bank of River Reshevie (=Reshava) at 700-1000 m. Occurs sympatrically with Carabus (Archiplectes) pseudopshuensis , the population density of the latter being somewhat higher. Occurrence of this subspecies at the left bank of River Reshevie and downstream River Bzyb seems also possible, but collected material does not confirm this possibility at present.

Habitat.

Prefers slightly sloping beech and fir-beech forest sites rich in ground litter on karstic landforms. Activity of imago proceeds from April to July. Carabus (Archiplectes) pseudopshuensis , Carabus (Tribax) apschuanus apschuanus , Carabus (Tribax) constantinovi otcharensis , Carabus (Tribax) circassicus circassicus (natio abasinus ), Carabus (Microplectes) argonautarum reischitzi , Carabus (Megodontus) septemcarinatus , Carabus (Sphodristocarabus) armeniacus dvorschaki , and Carabus (Procerus) caucasicus colchicus occur together with this subspecies.

Subspecific epithet.

The subspecific epithet refers to the name of the River Reshevie, the type locality of subspecies.