Paranothrotes demawendi (Ramme, 1951)

(Figs. 497–498, 842)

Nocaropsis demawendi n. sp.: Ramme 1951: 279, 289.

Nocaropsis elbursianus n. sp.: Ramme 1951: 279, 290. syn. nov.

Paranothrotes demavendi Ramme, 1951: Shumakov 1963: 53.

Paranothrotes elbusianus Ramme, 1951: Shumakov 1963: 54; Hodjat 2012: 267. Paranothrotes demavandi (Ramme, 1951): Hodjat 2012: 267.

Nocaropsis demawendi Ramme, 1951: Presa & Garcia 1983: 18; Otte 1994: 175. Nocaropsis elbursianus Ramme, 1951: Presa & Garcia 1983: 18.

Type locality. Iran, [Mazandaran], Elburs, Demawend. Holotype: male (NMW) .

Material examined. IRAN: Elburs, Rehne u. Demawend, über 3000 m, 23- 25.7.1936, 1♂ (Holotype), 1♀ (Allotype) (leg. R. Ebner) (NMW) ; Persien, Elburs, Haschtar [ Hatar], 7–9.1935, 1♀ (Holotype of Paranothrotes elbursianus), 2♀ (Paratypes of Paranothrotes elbursianus) (leg. K. Fusek) (MfN) .

Distribution. Known from the type locality, Elburs (Fig. 842).

Remarks. Ramme (1951: 289, 290) described three species of Nocaropsis (= Paranothrotes) on the same mountain ridge Elburs, N. Iran, P. demawendi, P. iranicus and P. elbusianus . He did not compare these species, that are strongly similar to each other. Paranothrotes elbursianus was described after only the female sex, its differences from P. demawendi are the color of hind tibia with pinkish in proximal part turning to red apically while the hind tibia of P. demawendi in female with bluish-pink in the proximal part turning to red apically and the slightly smaller tympanum. These characters are certainly not sufficient to distinguish them because of the variability. In fact P. tenuicornis Mistshenko (and its new junior synonym P. iranicus Ramme, 1951) is also very near to this species and the coloration of the female tibia is strongly variable. All of these taxa are very closely distributed in the Elburs Mountains and its vicinity. Moreover the type locality of P. elbursianus is Haschter [Hatar] very close to the type locality of P. demawendi, the Mount Demawend. Because of these reasons P. elbursianus is here synonymized with P. demawendi . This species is distinguished from P. tenuicornis by the key characters. New field trips are needed to clarify their relationship (see also P. tenuicornis above).