Ligmargus kabakovi, Prosvirov, 2017

Prosvirov, Alexander S., 2017, Two new species of the Hypnoidini Schwarz, 1906 (Coleoptera: Elateridae: Dendrometrinae) from Afghanistan, Zootaxa 4323 (2), pp. 269-276 : 272-276

Ligmargus kabakovi sp. nov.

( Figs. 9–19 )

Type locality. Afghanistan, Nuristan Province, Waygal Valley .

Type material. Holotype, male, Afghanistan: “ Afghan. , Nurestan, N Waygal, 3500 m , 2.7.1972, Kabakov ” [NE Afghanistan, Nuristan Province, N Waygal, 3500 m a.s.l., 2 July 1972, O.N. Kabakov leg.] ( ZISP). Paratypes, 11 males , 20 females, Afghanistan: 2 males, 6 females, same label data as holotype (2 males, 5 females in ZISP, 1 female in CPM); 4 females, same label data as holotype, but 10 July 1972 (3 females in ZISP, 1 female in CKS); 2 females, same label data as holotype, but 2700 m a.s.l., 6 July 1972 (ZISP); 1 male, 1 female, same label data as holotype, but 3600 m a.s.l., 2 July 1972 (ZISP); 3 males, 1 female, same label data as holotype, but 4000 m a.s.l., 2 July 1972 (ZISP); 1 female, “Afghan., Nurestan, upp. Waygal riv., 3 0 0 0 m , 7.7.1971, Kabakov ” [NE Afghanistan, Nuristan Province, upper reaches of Waygal River , 3000 m a.s.l., 7 July 1971, O.N. Kabakov leg.] ( ZISP); 4 males , 3 females, same data but 3500 m a.s.l., 2 July 1972 ( ZISP) ; 1 male, 2 females, “ Афганистан , Нуристан, верх. р. Ва "гал, 3000 м, 9.07.1972, О. Кабаков ” [NE Afghanistan, Nuristan Province, upper reaches of Waygal River , 3000 m a.s.l., 9 July 1972, O.N. Kabakov leg.] (1 male and 1 female in CCW, 1 female in CPG).

Diagnosis. L. kabakovi sp. nov. is similar to L. kalabi Mertlik, 2001 ( Mertlik 2001) and can be distinguished from the latter by the shorter antennae, wider pronotum, and different shape of the aedeagus.

Description. Male ( Figs. 9, 11, 12 ): length 7.1–8.4 mm (holotype 8.4 mm); width 2.4–2.9 mm (holotype 2.9 mm). Body oblong, depressed. Weakly shiny, dorsum varying from black to dark brown; hind angles of pronotum and elytra usually slightly lighter; underside varying from dark brown to brown; legs, antennae, and mouthparts light brown, femora usually darkened; eyes grayish brown. Dorsum covered with rather short brown or bronze recumbent setae; pubescence of rest of body silvery or slivery yellowish, rather long; pubescence of underside notably denser than that of other parts of body. Antennae covered with numerous dense recumbent setae and some erect setae.

Head. Slightly wider than long (length/width varies from 0.6 to 0.8), depressed, sometimes with more or less distinct triangular impression in anterior half. Punctures rather coarse, round or weakly elongate, and umbilicate, larger than punctures on pronotum; intervals between punctures usually smaller than diameter of one puncture. Antenna rather short, usually not reaching apex of hind angle of pronotum about by length of one to one and a half apical antennomeres, sometimes almost reaching apex of hind angle of pronotum, very weakly serrate from antennomere 4. Antennomere 1 elongate, slightly thickened, and weakly broadened; antennomeres 2 and 3 elongate, about two times as long as wide, slightly expanded to apex, antennomere 3 longer than antennomere 2; antennomere 4 elongate and broadened at apex, as long as antennomere 3; subsequent antennomeres about as long as antennomere 4, more expanded to apex; apical antennomere ovate oblong (ratio of length/width of antennomeres from 1 to 5 about 2.5, 1.8, 2.2, 1.7, 1.5, respectively).

Thorax. Pronotum more than twice as wide as head, slightly wider than long (length 1.9–2.3 mm; width 2.2– 2.5 mm), widest near middle, narrowed toward anterior angles more sharply than toward hind angles, slightly sinuate in front of hind angles. Hind angle of pronotum rather thin and long, clearly divergent, sharply rounded or truncated at apex; carina distinct, short, and not reaching posterior third of pronotum. Disc of pronotum weakly convex, usually with more or less distinct median impression in posterior half. Punctures umbilicate, more or less elongate, consisting of a mixture of shallow small ones and considerably larger deep ones; punctures dense laterally, intervals between punctures smaller than diameter of one puncture; punctures on disc sparser, intervals between punctures about equal to diameter of one puncture. Pubescence of pronotum directed caudad and mediocaudad laterally, laterad on disk, caudad and mediad on posterior slope.

Punctures of hypomeron very dense, circular, consisting of a mixture of shallow small ones and considerably larger deep ones; intervals between punctures matt or slightly shiny. Prosternal lobe rather long, exceeding far beyond apex of hypomeron, arcuate in front, partially covering labium, weakly bent downwards, broadly carinate along margin, separated from rest of prosternum by indistinct transverse impression at about anterior quarter of prosternum, coarsely punctured, with homogeneous large punctures. Sides of prosternum punctate as hypomeron, punctures on disc only large, less dense, intervals between punctures on disc shining. Prosternal process flat, straight or very weakly bent inwards in posterior half, about three times as long as diameter of procoxal cavity, bordered at sides. Punctures of mesosternum more or less large and rather dense. Metasternum subequal in length and width, punctate as hypomeron, but with punctures less dense, intervals between punctures shining. Hind coxal plate strongly widened inwards, more than five times as wide as its narrowest part.

Scutellum flat, almost circular, truncated at anterior margin, with sparse small punctures. Both elytra together ellipsoidal, slightly wider than pronotum, widest near middle, more than twice as long as pronotum (both elytra together: length 4.6–5.1 mm; width 2.4–2.9 mm); tapering more strongly to apex than to base; shoulders obtusely rounded. Disc of elytra flat, elytral striae distinct, with large and deep punctures; interstriae with fine, sparse punctures. Wings reduced, barely reaching middle of elytra.

Abdomen. Abdomen punctate as metasternum. Ratio of length of abdominal sternite 2 and length of metasternum less than 0.5.

Aedeagus ( Fig. 14–16 ). Typical of this genus, trilobate. Parameres about as long as penis, slightly expanded at posterior half and at anterior third, rounded at apex. Penis rather slender, somewhat narrow, its apophysis very long, about two times as long as penis.

Female ( Figs. 10, 13 ). Body larger than in male (length 7.3–8.6 mm; width 2.5–2.9 mm); disc of pronotum and elytra usually more convex. Antenna slightly shorter than in males. In all other respects females similar to males.

Female genitalia ( Figs. 17–19 ). Ovipositor rather long; baculum long, weakly sclerotized (length of baculum/ length of ovipositor about 0.8); coxite weakly sclerotized, narrowed to apex, with short, indistinct stylus, and with several setae. Bursa copulatrix with sclerotized structures typical of this genus: two large symmetrical sclerotized plates and two small symmetrical sclerotized plates, both sets of plates consisting of conjoined spines.

Larva. Unknown.

Variability. Size, body proportions and coloration somewhat variable. Shape and proportions of aedeagus also variable ( Figs. 14–16 ) as well as shape and size of sclerotized plates of bursa copulatrix ( Figs. 18, 19 ).

Distribution. Northeastern Afghanistan: Nuristan Province, Waygal Valley.

Bionomics. The biology of this species remains unknown, but according to its morphological characters (almost complete reduction of wings and associated shortening of metasternum) and the label data it is likely that L. kabakovi sp. nov. lives exclusively in high mountain areas.

Etymology. Named in honour of the collector of the type series, the distinguished geologist and entomologist Oleg N. Kabakov.

Figures

FIGURES 9 – 13. Habitus of Ligmargus kabakovi sp. nov., dorsal (Figs. 9, 10), ventral (Fig. 11) and lateral (Figs. 12, 13) view. 9, 12. Male, holotype (8.4 mm). 10, 13. Female, paratype (8.1 mm). 11. Male, paratype (7.4 mm). Not to scale.

FIGURES 14 – 19. Genitalia of Ligmargus kabakovi sp. nov. 14. Holotype, aedeagus, ventral view. 15. Paratype, aedeagus, ventral view. 16. Paratype, aedeagus, ventral view. 17. Paratype, ovipositor, ventral view. 18. Paratype, part of female genital tract, general view. 19. Paratype, part of female genital tract, general view. Not to scale.