Nalassus (s. str.) kalashiani Nabozhenko, 2001

Nabozhenko, Maxim V. & Gadaborsheva, Mariam A., 2023, Contribution to the knowledge of genus Nalassus Mulsant, 1856 (Coleoptera Tenebrionidae) from the Eastern Caucasus, Russia, Zootaxa 5361 (3), pp. 419-426 : 424-425

Nalassus (s. str.) kalashiani Nabozhenko, 2001

( Figs 1 , D, E, G, 2D–F , 3B, F–H )

Nabozhenko, 2001: 640, 658 (key), figs 17–19 (part, only holotype); Nabozhenko, Abdurakhmanov, 2007: 188 (part, only holotype); Abdurakhmanov, Nabozhenko, 2009: 13 (part, only population from Itum-Kale, Chechen Republic); Abdurakhmanov, Nabozhenko, 2011: 292, 139 (key), fig. 393 (part, only holotype); Nabozhenko et al., 2022b: 31, fig. 10B (part, only population from Chechen Republic).

Type material. Holotype, ♂ ( ZIN): “ Chechnya, Itum-Kale 25–31.V.1988 leg. M.Yu. Kalashian ” (Cyrillic label), “ Holotypus Nalassus kalashiani sp. n. det. M. V. Nabozhenko” (red, handwritten) .

New material. 1♀ ( ZIN), Russia, Ingushetia, Dzheyrakh Distr., Tsoreylam ridge, State natural reserve «Erzi» 42°49ʹ55ʺN, 45°03ʹ43ʺE, alpine zone, 2200 m, 12.06.2023 (leg. M. V. & S. V. Nabozhenko, M.A. Gadaborsheva) .

Brief description of female. Body length 7.5 mm, width 3.4 mm. Body robust, convex, brown (elytra without weak reddish tinge), dull ( Fig. 1E ). Head widest at eye level ( Fig. 2E ). Eyes small dorsally, widely spaced, convex ( Fig. 2E ). Ratio of distance at widest part of head to distance between eyes 1.43 (the same in male, holotype). Puncturation of head dorsally moderately coarse and dense: interpuncture distance subequal to puncture diameter. Apical maxillary palpomere strongly widened, axe shaped, has the same width as in male (compare Figs 1D, and 1E ). Antennae comparatively short, with only last distal antennomere extending beyond base of pronotum. Antennomeres 9–11 are widest.

Pronotum transverse (1.55 times as wide as long), widest at basal third, 1.74 as wide as head ( Fig. 2E ). Lateral margins of pronotum very weakly sinuate near base and evenly rounded from widest part to apex; apical margin straight at middle and weakly emarginated near angles; base bisinuate, straight along scutellar shield. Lateral margins and base beaded, bead of anterior margin widely interrupted at middle. Disc evenly convex, not flattened along lateral margins. Puncturation of disc the same as on head.

Scutellar shield helmet-like, with generally rounded lateral margins, but slightly emarginated near apex; densely finely punctured ( Fig. 2E ). Elytra elongate-oval (1.4 times as long as wide), widest at middle, 2.07 times as wide as head, 11.8 times as wide and 2.6 times as long as pronotum. Elongate strial punctures connected by fine furrow. Intervals flat, intervals 2–4 wider, than other, contains 3–4 punctures in transverse section.

Pro and mesotarsi not widened, with comparatively short yellowish hairs on lateral and ventral sides. Abdominal ventrite 1 without hair brush at middle; abdominal ventrite 5 completely beaded at apex.

Notes. This female specimen clearly belongs to N. kalashiani , which was known by one male, by the structure of eyes having the same ratio of distance at widest part of head to distance between eyes and identical shape of pronotum.

Distribution and habitat. Russia, Chechen Republic and the Republic of Ingushetia. We don’t known, where the holotype was collected. The collector, Dr Mark Kalashian also does not remember exactly locality, but he collected beetles in the mountains around Itum-Kale (they reach 2200 m). We collected only one female of N. kalashiani under stone in alpine meadow (2200 m). This is the second species of the genus from Ingushetia. Before, only Nalassus (Caucasonotus) diteras (Allard, 1876) was known from this republic ( Nabozhenko 2001, Abdurakhmanov et al. 2005). We collected the latter species lower than the type locality of N. kalashiani , at altitudes from 630 to 1350 m. Thus, these two species are probably allopatric. Considering the exceptional rarity of N. kalashiani and sometimes intensive grazing of livestock in its habitats, we propose this species for inclusion in the regional red books of the Chechen Republic and the Republic of Ingushetia.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Nalassus spp., habitus and details of structure.A = N. magomedrasuli sp. n., male (holotype), habitus dorsally; B = ditto (paratype), female; C = ditto, male habitus ventrally; D = N. kalashiani, male (holotype) habitus dorsally; E = ditto, female; F = N. magomedrasuli sp. n., male antennae; G = N. kalashiani, male.

FIGURE 2. Nalassus spp., details of structure. A = N. magomedrasuli sp. n., male (holotype), head and pronotum; B = ditto (paratype), female; C = ditto, male elytral intervals; D = N. kalashiani, male (holotype), head and pronotum; E = ditto, female; F = ditto, male elytral intervals.

FIGURE 3. Nalassus spp., males, holotypes.A, C, D, E = N. magomedrasuli sp. n.; B, F, G, H = N. kalashiani; A, B = abdomen; C, G = protarsus; D, H = mesotarsus; E, F = middle of abdominal ventrites 1 and 2.