Nebrioporus airumlus ( Kolenati, 1845 )

Toledo, Mario, 2009, Revision in part of the genus Nebrioporus Régimbart, 1906, with emphasis on the N. laeviventris-group (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae), Zootaxa 2040, pp. 1-111 : 30-33

Nebrioporus airumlus ( Kolenati, 1845)

Fig. 20

Hydroporus airumlus Kolenati (1845: 85) (orig. descr.).

Nebrioporus airumlus (Kolenati) ; Hendrich & Mazzoldi (1995: 4); Nilsson (1995b: 55); Toledo (1998: 77); Shaverdo (2003: 36).

Nebrioporus (s.str.) airumlus (Kolenati) ; Nilsson (2001: 170; 2003: 65); Hájek & Fery (2004: 37).

Deronectes amurensis Sharp (1882: 427) (orig. descr.); Toledo (1998: 77) (synonymy of airumlus Kolenati ). Hydroporus (Deronectes) kashmirensis Régimbart (1899: 196) .

Potamonectes kashmirensis (Régimbart) ; Vazirani (1970: 123) (partim).

Deronectes airumlus rybinskii Kinel (1936: 199) .

Deronectes laeviventris ( Reiche, 1855) sensu Sharp (1882: 428) (misidentified).

Potamonectes sulphuricola Zaitzev (1951: 58) (orig. descr.) syn.n.; Zaitzev (1953: 212).

Nebrioporus sulphuricola ( Zaitzev, 1951) ; Nilsson & Angus (1992: 288).

Nebrioporus (s.str.) sulphuricola ( Zaitzev, 1951) ; Nilsson (2001: 173; 2003: 67).

For a complete bibliography see also Toledo (1998).

Type locality. H. airumlus : Armenia > Airum; D. amurensis: Siberia > Irkutsk; H. kashmirensis: Kashmir > Goorais Valley; D. a. rybinskii: Poland > Tarnopol; P. sulphuricola : Turkmenistan > Sulfur lake near railroad station of Kazandzhik.

Type material. Hydroporus airumlus: As discussed in Toledo (1998), no type specimens of Hydroporus airumlus have been found in ZIN. A single, pinned ♀ standing in ZMHB, bearing the followed data "10118 [printed] \ airumlus Kolen. Caucasus Kolen. [hw.] \ Hist.-Coll. ( Coleoptera ) Nr. 10118 Hydroporus airumlus Kolen. Caucasus Kolenati Zool Mus. Berlin [recent, printed, white label]" could belong to the type-series, although there is not enough information on this specimen to offer an absolute confirmation.

Hydroporus kashmirensis :? Lectotype ( MNHN), designated by Wewalka (1974).

Deronectes amurensis : Lectotype ( BMNH), designated by Toledo (1998).

Deronectes airumlus rybinskii : Syntypes (?), not studied.

Potamonectes sulphuricola : syntypes, not found in ZIN.

Description. a redescription of this species was recently given in Toledo (1988), to which the reader is referred. Variable and widespread species known from Eastern Europe to China. In Toledo (1988) only Chinese localities were provided. Additional localities from other countries are presented below.

Additional material examined. Afghanistan: Pagham river , 16 km W Kabul, 1850 m, 10.V.1974, No. 90, leg. L. Papp (1 ex. HNHM) ; Charkhi , 22 km ENE Kabul, 1780 m, 2.VI.1974, No. 144, leg. L. Papp, (2 exs. HNHM) ; Nuristan, Bashgultal , 24.V.1953, J. Klapperich (8 exs. HNHM) ; N. Afghanistan, prov. Herat, Bala Murghab 470 m (13) 1.V–10.V.1964, coll. O. Jakesh (83 exs. MMBC —some of them bearing Mouchamp’s identification label " Potamonetes sulphuricola Zaitz. "); N . Afghanistan, Prov. Maimana ,, Rashíd , 700 m (17), 18.V.1964, coll. O. Jakesh (12 exs. MMBC) ; idem: Cashma –i– Yanbulaq , 650–800 m (18/1), 19.V.1964 (4 exs. MMBC) .

Armenia: Garni , 1200 m, 11.X.1984, leg. Z. Korsòs & T. Vàsàrhelyi (1 ex. HNHM) .

China: material from the following Provinces (see Toledo 1998: 78, for the localities) : Yünnan, Guizhou, Shaanxi, Henan, Liaoning, Nei Mongol, Jilin, Beijing, plus the following additional localities: Yünnan, 10 km N Old Dali, WanQiao , 2500 m a.s.l., unpolluted stream on pasture 7.X.1999 leg. J. Šťastný (4 exs. JSL) ; Yünnan, Old Dali env., 2200 m a.s.l., troubled stream with plants, 6.X.1999, leg. J. Šťastný (1 ex. JSL) ; Yünnan, 30 km SE Zhongdian , 99°52'/27°48', ca. 3900 m a.s.l., ground water pools, sandy gravel, 11–12.X.1999, leg. J. Šťastný (8 exs. JSL) ; Yünnan, E Zhongdian , ca. 3500 m a.s.l., 100°10'/27°48', shallow stream 1 m wide, gravel, 14.X.1999, leg. J. Šťastný (4 exs. JSL) ; Yünnan, E Zhongdian , ca. 2600 m a.s.l., 100°12'/27°47', decaying foliage, springfed pool, 15.X.1999, leg. J. Šťastný (1 ex. JSL) ; Yünnan, 20 km N Lijiang, 2800 m, Baishui , gravely, muddy stream (0.5 m wide) 21.X.1999, leg. J. Šťastný (2 exs. JSL) ; Yünnan, 10 km NE Tengchong, Behai, ZingHai lake env., gravely stream with muddy pools, 27.X.1999, leg. J. Šťastný (1 ex. JSL) ; Sichuan, Sanjiangkou env., 1600 m a.s.l., 100°23'/27°46', sand pools 2 m wide, 0.3 m deep 16.X.1999, leg. J. Šťastný (2 exs. JSL) .

India: Kashmir, Goorais Valley, Leech May '87, Sharp Coll. 1915-313, assimilis , Potamonectes kashmirensis Rég., J. Balfour-Browne det. (1 ex. BMNH).

Iran: North Gilán, 2400 m, pass 10 km E Khalkhál , 37°36'N 48°40'E, 12.V.2000, leg. J. Kaláb (2 exs. MTP) ; Tehran Prov., stagnant water, 15.VI.1976, leg. S. Hosseinie (1 ex. MTP) ; Ilam, stream, 28.VIII.1976, leg. S. Hosseinie (1 ex. MTP) ; Khorasan, Farhadan 37.00N / 58.16E, 1800 m, 20 km SW Ghuchan, 26.IV.2000, leg. J. Kalab (24 exs. PMB) ; Khorasan, pass 2200 m, 55 km N Ghuchan 37.27N / 58.35E, 25– 26.IV.2000, leg. J. Kalab (6 exs. PMB) ; idem, 65 km NE Mshhad , 36.35N / 60.02E, 1000 m, 24.IV.2000, leg. J. Kalab (6 exs. PMB) ; Fars, road Kohmareh to Sorkhis , stream 1570 m, 50 km W Shiraz, 23.IX.93, leg. Elmi (4 exs. MTP) ; Fars, stream on road Dasht –e Arjan to Shiraz , 42 km of Shiraz , 3.VII.2001, leg. M. Toledo (55 exs. MTP) ; Fars prov., Zagros Mts. (29.36N / 52.16E), 25 km W Shiraz, 25-27.IV.1999, leg. J. Rejsek (2 exs. JSL) ; In addition I have seen in CBSU specimens from a number of localities of the following provinces: W. Azerbajian (1 ex.) ; Gilan (37 exs. from 3 localities); Ardebyl (152 exs. from 2 localities) ; Khorasan (385 exs. from 11 localities) ; Kordestan (3 exs. from 2 localities) ; Markazi (122 exs. from 6 localities) ; Esfahan (376 exs. from 14 localities); Kahkiluyeh va Boyrahmad (152 exs. from 6 localities) ; Bushehr (7 exs. from 2 localities) ; Hamedan (97exs. from 7 localities) ; Fars (545 exs. from 43 localities) ; Hamedan (97 exs. from 7 localities) ; Kerman (147 exs. from 12 localities); Sistan va Baluchistan (6 exs. from 2 localities) .

Kazakstan : Charyn riv., 30 km W Chubja, 700 m, 23-26.VI.92, leg. Benes (1 ex. MTP) .

Kirgizistan : Sussamyr River (17), 30.V.1995, leg. Dolin (7 exs. NMW) .

Pakistan: Baltistan , Skardou, Indus Riv., Karakorum, 2300 m, 2.VII.1976, leg. Osella, Potamonectes kashmirensis Rég. , det. Angelini (2 exs. MSNV) .

Tadjikistan: Fan Mts. , 2700 m, 20.VII.91, leg. Šťastný (3 exs. MTP) .

Turkey: Erzurum, Tortum, road Tortum – Erzurum, stream 1830 m, 17.VII.1992, leg. M. Toledo (30 exs. MTP) .

Turkmenistan: C– Kopetdag , 500 m, Sharlouk riv., 18.IV.1995, leg. Dolin (4) (19 exs. NMW) ; C– Kopetdag , SE Ashkhabat, Sharlouk valley, 19.IV.1995, leg. Dolin (5) (4 exs. NMW) ; Kopetdag , Hura Choudan, 40 km W Ashkhabat, 17.IV.1995, leg. Dolin (3) (34 exs. NMW) ; Ghindukush Mts. ( Paropamiz Ridge ), Badghizheight, 800 m, 20 km N Kushka, Chmeni-Bit, 20-25.IV.1993, leg. P. Cekovsky (2 exs. MTP) ; idem 30.III-6.IV.1992 (4 exs. MTP) ; Svinkoviy Rudnik , Kugitantau ridge, 10–13.IV.1992, leg. S. Bechvàr (1 ex. MTP) .

Uzbekistan: Pskemski range, Chingan vill., 25.VI.94, leg. Gorodinskji (4 exs. MTP) .

Variability. N. airumlus is a very variable species, especially in size, colouration and even in the length of male foreclaws. These variations could represent geographical forms, but the situation is complicated by the high level of variation within discrete populations. Nevertheless, three principal trends were identified: i) specimens from Central Asia, Oriental Siberia ( amurensis ) and North-Western China are in general quite large and robust, with longer male foreclaws; ii) specimens from Southern China (Yünnan) look smaller and generally paler, with shorter male foreclaws; iii) specimens seen from Turkey and Iran seem to be intermediate between i) and ii).

Habitat. Mostly in rivers and streams, also in the highlands. Also collected in lakes and puddles.

Distribution ( Fig. 54). This is one of the most widespread and common species of Nebrioporus : Afghanistan, Armenia, Caucasus, China (except for Taiwan and, perhaps, the South-East), Eastern Europe, Eastern Siberia, Iran, Kashmir, Kazakstan, Kirgizistan, Mongolia, Pakistan (Baltistan), Tadjikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan.

Notes on synonymy. Potamonects sulphuricola : known only from the type specimens, which seem to have been lost; nevertheless, the characters given in Zaitzev’s (1951, 1953) original description and diagnosis for this taxon, fall within the variability of N. airumlus and there is little doubt that N. airumlus and N. sulphuricola are synonyms.