Ampedus (s. str.) russicus Gurjeva, 1972

Prosvirov, Alexander S., 2017, On the Ampedini Gistel, 1848 (Coleoptera: Elateridae) of Central Asia, with a description of a new species of the genus Reitterelater Platia & Cate, 1990, Zootaxa 4232 (3), pp. 376-384 : 382

Ampedus (s. str.) russicus Gurjeva, 1972 comb. rev.

( Figs. 3, 6 , 9, 12 , 14, 16 )

Ampedus russicus: Gurjeva, 1972: 303 , fig. 13.

Ampedus (Ectamenogonus) russicus: Gurjeva, 1975: 108 , figs. 2, 4; 1979b: 169, figs. 221–225, 287. Ectamenogonus russicus: Cate et al., 2007: 136 .

Material. Type material of Ampedus russicus ( ZISP): holotype, male: “Зеравш. хр., ущ. р. Кштут, окр. к-ка Артуч, 25.V.67, Гурьева” [ Tajikistan, Sughd Region, Zarafshan Range, Kshtut River gorge, Artuch Vill. env., 25 May 1967, E.L. Gurjeva leg.] . Paratypes: 1 male, 1 female: same data as holotype ; 1 male: “Зеравш. хр., оз. Маргузор, 22.V. 967, Гурьева” [ Tajikistan, Sughd Region, Zarafshan Range, Marguzor Lake , 22 May 1967, E.L. Gurjeva leg.]. All type specimens are labelled as “ Ampedus russus ” but the published available name is A. russicus .

Additional material. 7 larvae, same data as holotype (ZISP).

Distribution. Tajikistan, Sughd Region, Zarafshan Range.

Systematic remarks. This species was originally described in the genus Ampedus ( Gurjeva 1975) and later was treated as a member of the subgenus Ampedus (Ectamenogonus) sensu Gurjeva (Gurjeva 1975, 1979b ). Later it was established that the type species of this subgenus, Ectamenogonus montandoni sensu Gurjeva , was misidentified and it was recognized as Brachygonus megerlei (Lacordaire, 1835) ( Chassain 1992; Kubáň 1995). Moreover, after studying the true Ectamenogonus montandoni (Buysson, 1889) , the genus Ectamenogonus Buysson, 1893 was placed in the tribe Megapenthini Gurjeva, 1973 ( Platia & Cate 1990) and some species of Ampedus (Ectamenogonus) sensu Gurjeva , including A. russicus , at present are treated as members of this genus and tribe ( Cate et al. 2007).

Examination of the type material of A. russicus has shown that the external morphology and genitalia of this species are typical for species of the genus Ampedus . The morphology of the larva of A. russicus is also similar to other known larvae of Ampedus (see Gurjeva 1979b). Therefore this species is now reassigned to Ampedus (see also notes below).

It should be noted that other species of this group, Ectamenogonus melanotoides (Reitter, 1891) , known from the Caucasus, according published data ( Gurjeva 1979b) is also a member of the Ampedini , but its generic attribution requires further clarification.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 6. Habitus of Ampedini species, dorsal (Figs. 1 – 3) and lateral (Figs. 4 – 6) view. 1, 4. Reitterelater kovalenkoi sp. nov., holotype, female (7.1 mm). 2, 5. R. fulvus, female (11.7 mm; Uzbekistan). 3, 6. Ampedus russicus, paratype, female (10.6 mm; Tajikistan). Not to scale.

FIGURES 7 – 12. Genitalia of Ampedini species: ovipositor, ventral view (Figs. 7 – 9); part of female genital tract, general view (Figs. 10 – 12). 7, 10. Reitterelater kovalenkoi sp. nov., holotype, female. 8, 11. R. fulvus, female (Uzbekistan). 9, 12. Ampedus russicus, paratype, female (Tajikistan). Not to scale.

FIGURES 13 – 16. Ampedini species, habitus of male, dorsal view (Figs. 13, 14); aedeagus, ventral view (Figs. 15 – 16). 13, 15. Reitterelater fulvus, male (9.5 mm; Uzbekistan). 14, 16. Ampedus russicus, paratype, male (8.6 mm; Tajikistan). Not to scale.