Acinopus (Acinopus) zagrosensis, Azadbakhsh, Saeed & Wrase, David W., 2016

Azadbakhsh, Saeed & Wrase, David W., 2016, A new species of the genus Acinopus Dejean, 1821 from west of Iran (Coleoptera; Carabidae; Harpalini) with a key to species of Iran, Zootaxa 4147 (5), pp. 583-588 : 584-588

Acinopus (Acinopus) zagrosensis sp. n.

Type material: Holotype: male, “S-Iran, Prov. Fars, vic. / Sepidan env., 2060 m, / S. Azadbakhsh leg. 12.IV.2016 ” ( ZMUT) . Paratypes: 1 male, 2 females (cAZ), same data as holotype ; 1 male and 1 female, same label as holotype but: 10.V. 2015, 1600 m (cAZ); 1 male: “S-Iran, Prov. Fars, vic. / Qualat , 200 0–2150 m, / Bachtal / Trockenhang / 29.48.13N, 52.19.11E / 28.IV.10, leg. D. Frenzel ” ( NME) ; 13 males, 8 females: “IR (Fars): Pass 2200 m / SE Ardakan (b. Shul) / Heinz leg. 25.IV.2014 ” ( MFNB, ZIN, cHZ, cWR) ; 1 male: “IR Fars 20 km / N Kafter / 1-5- 2006 / Muilwijk J. ” (cMUILW).

Diagnosis. A brachypterous species of small to medium size for Acinopus , with excision of dorsal edge of right mandible (subgenus Acinopus ), black (in mature condition), with appendages somewhat lighter, pronotum transverse with anterior angles somewhat acutely protruding, and with posterior angles widely rounded (habitus see Fig. 1), elytra longer cylindrical, fused at suture, hindwings reduced to small scales, metepisterna relatively short, pro- and mesotarsi in males only indistinctly widened, apical lamella of median lobe short, about somewhat elongate-triangular (dorsal view).

Description. Body length 13.0– 17.1 mm.

Colour. Black (in mature condition), appendages somewhat lighter.

Head. Wide (as normal in Acinopus ), only somewhat narrower than pronotum (PW/HW 1.18–1.25 in males, average 1.21, 1.18–1.27 in females, average 1.23). Eyes small, weakly to moderately protruding, tempora oblique, about half as long as diameter of eye or somewhat longer (dorsally seen), rectlinearly or weakly convexly converging to neck. Frontal fovae mostly small and shallow, sometimes elongately prolonged backwards. Disc with sparse, fine, and shallow puncturation, hardly visible, sometimes between frontal fovae more or less strongly wrinkled. Excision of dorsal edge of right mandible ( Figs 5–7 ) somewhat variable in size and strength, moderately strong to shallow, basal angle of excision as a rule situated somewhat anterior to level of apical margin of clypeus (with mandibles closed). Outer edge of left mandible not enlarged basally. Labrum moderately strongly incised at anterior margin, clypeus moderately and semicircularly incised, anterior angles with one setiferous pore puncture each (in one specimen from SE Ardakan except the strong, long seta with one additional short, fine setae at left side). Mental tooth small, submentum with one pair of long setae.

Pronotum ( Fig. 1). Transverse (PW/PL 1.39–1.48, average 1.43, in males; 1.39–1.47, average 1.43, in females), widest at about end of anterior third, there lateral seta inserted. Disc convex, anterior and posterior transverse impression weak, sometimes not distinctly visible, median line weakly impressed, terminated at anterior transverse impression, and hardly reaching base. Anterior margin somewhat wider than posterior margin, only weakly excavate, anterior angles moderately and somewhat acutely projecting forward, narrowly rounded at tip in most specimens. Lateral gutter narrow, finely punctured. Sides moderately curved apicad, from widest point weakly convexly narrowed toward base. Posterior angles widedy rounded at apex, weakly extended posteriad by a very weak, almost parallel or weakly concave excision of the base between the basal fovae in most specimens. Basal fovae mostly shallow, elongate, somewhat converging towards base, somewhat punctured or almost glabrous. Area of posterior angles with convexity toward lateral margin, very seldom with a suggested flattening.

Elytra ( Fig. 1). Cylindrical, elongate (EL/EW 1.60–1.67, average 1.62, in males; 1.62–1.69, average 1.65, in females), in middle part parallel or subparallel, as wide or only somewhat wider than pronotum (EW/PW 1.00– 1.08, average 1.03, in males; 1.01–1.08, avarage 1.04, in females), widest somewhat behind middle. On disc strongly convex, fused at suture. Humeri distinctly developed, widely rounded at tip, without humeral tooth; Basal bead rectilinear or weakly sinuate, arcuately curving inside humerus and round or weakly angled towards lateral margin. Scutellar pore puncture present, scutellar stria long. Striae fine, smooth or only weakly punctured, intervals flat or weakly convex, with a fine, often relict-like pore puncture in interval 3 at about beginning of apical fourth at or close to stria 2 in most specimens, sometimes lacking on one or both elytra. Interval 5 and 7 as a rule without preapical pore punctures, sometimes with 1–3 punctures in irregular number in both intervals. Preapical sinuation only suggested.

Hind wings: Strongly reduced to small scales.

Sterna: Prosternum wrinkled and with sparse and irregular setose pore punctures, pro- and mesepisternum almost impunctate, metepisternum with relatively coarse pore punctures, prosternal process with long setae apically. Metepisternum relatively short, ratio of anterior margin/ventral margin (visible parts) about 0.72, moderately narrowed behind. Abdominal sternites 3–5 with scattered setae of unequal length, some of them arranged in suggested transverse rows about at middle of sternites. Last sternite, beside some fine scattered setae with two pore punctures bearing a long seta on each side at apical margin in both sexes.

Legs. Normal for Acinopus species. Pro- and mesotarsi indistinctly dilated in males (only somewhat wider than in females), with pro- and mesotarsomere 2 to 4 with biseriate adhesive vestiture. Ventroapical tubercle of protibia with about four to six spines at apex, arranged in a transverse row. Spines of lower surface of protibia arranged in one row of about eight to ten spines. Outer distal margin of protibia with about seven to nine spines. Tarsi smooth on superior surface except obligatory setae.

Microsculpture of surface. Head and pronotum in males with weakly engraved, somewhat irregular isodiametric meshes, pronotum with irregular transverse meshes, and elytra with meshes irregular isodiametric to somewhat transverse, surface very shiny, in females with the same kind of meshes but somewhat stronger engraved, surface less shiny.

Median lobe of aedeagus ( Fig. 2 ). Of normal construction for Acinopus species: apical orifice in dorsal position, terminal lamella flat, without apical capitulum, relatively short, somewhat elongate-triangular (dorsal view), and somewhat reflexed apically (lateral view), internal sac with an elongate group of about ten to eighteen middle-sized to small spines.

Intraspecific variability. All external characters have great variability (as normal in Acinopus ), this concerns mainly the excision of the dorsal edge of the right mandible and its position, the excision is somewhat variable in size and strength, moderately strong to shallow, basal angle of excision as a rule situated somewhat anterior to level of clypeus to almost on the same level, the pronotum with a variability in formation of anterior and posterior transverse impression, in puncturation of basal fovae and in formation of area of posterior angles, in the form of the elytra (longer or shorter elongate), and its puncturation of elytral 3, 5, and 7 (for the latter four characters see above).

Comparisons. In habitus and colour of the body similar to A. laevigatus Ménétriés (recorded as syntopic with the new species) and A. picipes , both species widely distributed in Iran. The new species is easily distinguished from the former by the strongly rounded posterior pronotal angles (in A. laevigatus more or less distinctly angulate, widely rounded only at tip, lateral margin anterior to pronotal angles only weakly convex, rectilinear, or even somewhat sinuate), by a different position of the excision of the dorsal edge of the right mandible (basal angle of excision as a rule situated somewhat anterior to level of apical margin of clypeus, Fig. 5 ), in A. laevigatus basal angle of excision somewhat to distinctly behind ( Fig. 6 ). A. zagrosensis sp. n. differs from A. picipes (which can have also strongly rounded posterior pronotal angles) by possession of anterior angles of clypeus with one setiferous pore puncture each only (in A. picipes as a rule with two pore punctures ones each), the excision of the dorsal edge of the right mandible is close to base ( Fig. 7 ).

In the construction of the median lobe of the male genital ( Figs. 2–4 ) the new species is similar to A. picipes (but apical lamella somewhat wider), but distinctly different to A. laevigatus (apical lamella long and slender in dorsal view, and distinctly reflexed in lateral view, Fig. 3 ). The structure of the internal sac with an elongate group of middle-sized to small spines is in the three species dealt with here similar and cannot be used for discrimination. Finally, while both species in comparison are macropterous, A. zagrosensis sp.n. is brachypterous with the elytra fused at the suture.

Etymology. The specific epithet refers to the Zagros Mountains where the type locality is situated.

Habitat/bionomy. Living in altitudinal ranges of about 2000–2200 m of the southern part of the Zagros mountain range, located in the south-west of Iran, an area characterized by moderate summers and cold and snowy winters, that is mostly covered by oak forests. The specimens were found in open, moist, grassy places under stones.

Distribution. Currently, the species is only known from some localities in the southern part of the Zagros Mountains, mostly not far away from each other. Due to its inability to flight most likely a wider occurrence outside of the Zagros Mountains can be excluded.

Figures

FIGURES 5 – 7. Acinopus. Excision of right mandible. 5, A. zagrosensis sp. n. (paratype, Sepidan), 6, A. laevigatus Mén. (source: Kirill Makarov, 2010 a), 7, A. picipes (Oliv.) (source: Kirill Makarov, 2010 b).

FIGURE 2. A. zagrosensis sp. n., median lobe of aedeagus, lateral und dorsal view including internal sac structure (paratype, E Ardakan). Scale bar 1.6 mm.

FIGURES 3 – 4. Acinopus. Median lobe, lateral und dorsal view. 3, A. laevigatus Mén. (Sepidan), 4, A. picipes (Oliv.) (Mazandaran prov., Marzan-Abad).