Laemostenus (Pristonychus) bellicosus, Casale & D.W & P, 2012

Casale, A., D. W & P, Antalya, 2012, New or little known Laemostenus species from the Near and Middle East (Coleoptera, Carabidae: Sphodrini), Linzer biologische Beiträge 44 (2), pp. 1111-1127 : 1120-1121

Laemostenus (Pristonychus) bellicosus nov.sp.

T y p e m a t e r i a l: Holotype, labelled: " SYRIA occ., Crac des Chevaliers 34° 45’ N 36° 17’ E, 27.VI.1998 leg. P. Kabátek, 610 m " (cWR).

D i a g n o s i s: A medium-sized, completely piceous-black Laemostenus (Pristonychus) species of the L. terricola species group (in the widest sense of CASALE 1988). Habitus Fig. 25.

E t y m o l o g y: The Latin specific epithet (bellicosus: bellicose, belligerent) indicates the strategic rule of the type locality of this species, the famous medieval crusader castle Crac (incorrect: Krak) des Chevaliers in Syria (in Arabic language: Qal'at al-Hosn), that T.E. Lawrence (better known as "Lawrence of Arabia") described as being "the most impressive fortress in the world". The site is now included in the UNESCO world heritage.

D e s c r i p t i o n: Body medium-sized 18.0 mm (TL) and 19.0 mm (L), respectively.

Colour: Piceous black; labrum, mandibles, palpomeres, and sutural interval of elytra dark reddish brown; elytra without bluish reflection. Surface opaque, elytra not sericeous. Microsculpure: head and pronotum with transverse, evident microlines; elytra with distinct, isodiametric meshes.

Head narrow, elongate, with distinct transverse wrinkles; eyes small, shorter than tempora, not prominent laterally; frontal impressions wide, shallow, wrinkled.

Pronotum (Fig. 15) narrow (PL/PW: 0.91), cordate, its lateral sides moderately reflexed and markedly sinuate in front of the basolateral angles, which are acute and prominent outside; anterolateral angles small, but markedly prominent; base fully beaded. Disc flattened, with deep transverse wrinkles; basal impressions elongate, deep, each with some large, deep punctures; anterolateral and basolateral setiferous punctures present.

Mesosternum not denticulate.

Elytra elongate-ovate (EL/EW: 1.71), subconvex. Base narrow; basal ridge weakly concave; humeral tooth and shoulders absent. Striae deep, smooth; intervals slightly

convex. Chaetotaxy: Basal pore present; umbilicate series with 24-26 setiferous punctures; 2-3 setae at apex of stria 7.

Legs long and slender; profemora on ventral side longitudinally shallowly concave for entire lengtht, with both external and internal margins smooth, their outer side with 3 short setae, the apical one reaching the outer margin of femur; mesotibiae almost straight (female holotype); metatibiae each with apical brush of rather long, yellow reddish setae; tarsomeres with dorsal pubescence dense, short; metatarsomers short, thickened. Tarsal claws with a series of very small teeth, reduced in number (4-5), along the basal half of the internal margin.

Male genitalia: Unknown.

Female genitalia: Internal tract, spermatheca, and gonocoxites 1 and 2 of ovipositor as in Figs 17, 18.

C o m p a r i s o n s: The new species is related to the Anatolian species L. (P.) pisidicus (G. MÜLLER 1931) , from which it differs by the more elongate head, the more reduced, not prominent eyes, the narrower, markedly cordiform pronotum, with anterolateral angles prominent in front and basolateral angles prominent outside, the more elongate elytra, with smooth striae and shoulders and humeral tooth completely absent. It is not related to other Laemostenus species reported from this area (from Crac des Chevaliers, L. (L.) parallelocollis [REICHE 1855] was cited by CASALE 1988), but apparently closer to taxa distributed in Southern Anatolia and in other areas of Syria (see L. eggeri nov.sp., described above).

R e m a r k s: This species is a further, unexpected new taxon in a well known site of the Eastern Mediterranean area, sampled in a locality famous and visited by both tourists and entomologists for many years. Its apparent rarity could be attributed to its putative subterranean way of life, indicated by some morphological features, as the slender habitus, the small-sized eyes, the long appendages, the reduced denticulation of the internal side of tarsal claws, and the absence of bluish, metallic reflection on elytra.

D i s t r i b u t i o n a n d h a b i t a t: This markedly characterized species is so far known from only one female sampled in the type locality, at 610 m altitude. We have no information about the habitat.

Additional note on a Laemostenus (Pristonychus) species of the L. terricola species

Figures

Figs 22-25: Laemostenus, habitus. (22) L. croyi nov.sp., paratype. (23) L. phoenicius nov.sp., paratype (Maїfouq). (24) L. eggeri nov.sp., paratype. (25) L. bellicosus nov.sp., holotype (various magnifications).