Bembidion (Terminophanes) pulcherrimum (Motschulsky, 1850: 10)

Toledano, Luca & Guéorguiev, Borislav, 2015, Systematic, synonymic and geographic notes on Bembidion (Terminophanes) pulcherrimum (Motschulsky, 1850) and its closest relatives (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Bembidiini), Ecologica Montenegrina 2 (4), pp. 295-301 : 296-300

Bembidion (Terminophanes) pulcherrimum (Motschulsky, 1850: 10)

( Figs. 3, 4 , 9, 10, 11, 12 , 13)

Peryphus pulcherrimus Motschulsky 1850: 10 (type locality: “Piatigors ”, cfr. etolitz y, 1935: 32);

Bembidion bisignatum Ménétries 1831 [nec Audinet- Serville, 1821];

Bembidion bisignatum Bodemeyer 1905: 85 (“Bulghar- Maaden”), 102;

Bembidion terminale ab. pulcherrimum Netolitzky, 1935: 32 ;

Bembidion terminale ab. pulcherrimum etolitz y 1943: 131 (“Armen. Taurus (Mo s”));

Bembidion terminale confinis Korge 1964: 109 (type locality: “ Bayburt ”), new synonym

Bembidion terminale ab. pulcherrimum Iablokoff-Khnzorian 1976: 168 , 181 (Alaverdi, Babajan);

Bembidion pulcherrimum Belousov & Sokolov 1988: 59 , 61;

Bembidion pulcherrimum Kryzhanovskij et al. 1995: 87 ;

Bembidion pulcherrimum Lorenz 1998: 215 ;

Bembidion terminale possibly ssp. pulcherrimum Müller- Motzfeld 1998: 75;

Bembidion terminale ssp. pulcherrimum Marggi et al. 2003: 268 ;

Bembidion terminale ssp. pulcherrimum Lorenz 2005: 231 .

Type material. ♀ holotype of B. terminale confinis Korge, 1964 , “ Bayburt 1600m, 3.8.63 / leg.. Korge , Anatolia bor. [white label, printed] // ♀ olotypus, Bembidion (Peryphus) , terminale Heer , ssp. confinis Korge [red label, handwritten]” ( UMB) .

Other examined material.

UNPRECISE LOCALITY: 1f#, Kaukaz ( MIZ).

RUSSIA: 3♂, 3♀, Caucasus, Elbrus, Itkol, 14.6.1983, R. Fencl lgt. ( CTVR) .

AZERBAIJAN: 1♀, Azerbaidjan , Nachichivan, Buzgov, 16-6-1983 ( CTVR) .

TURKEY: 2♂, 1♀, Anatolia centr., Palandö en – D. s. Erzurum 2200m, 29.VII.1965, Korge & Heinz leg. ( HUMB) ; 4♂, 1♀, Anatolia bor., Köse, Flussufer , 1700m, 1.VI.1968, Korge ( UMB) ; 1♀, Tür ey – 1987 leg Schönmann et Schillhammer , Prov. Van Güseldere Gec. 5.6.1987 ( MW) ; 6♀, Tür ey – 1989 leg Schönmann et Schillhammer , Prov. Erzurum Tortum-Narman 9.6. Kirecii Pass ( NHMW) ; 1♂, 2♀, Prov. Kars, Aras Fluss, Kagisman – Kara urt, 8.6.1989 leg. Schönmann et Schillhammer ( MW, CTVR) ; 1♂, 1♀, Van Vilayet, 2450 m 7 km E of Guseldere Gecidi Pass on the road to Boskale 31.VII.2001, S. Beshkov leg. ( NMNHS) .

IRAN: 1♂, 1♀, Schalous Pass 2600-2900 m, Elbursgeb. 2.9.1960 leg. J. Klapperich ( HNHM) ; 1♀, Golhak 1400 m bei Teheran 7-8.1961 leg. J. Klapperich (M); Azarbaygàn- e, 20 m W oy 38°40’ 44°39’E, 960m, 6.6.2000, lgt. E. & P. Hajdaj ( CTVR) ; 5♂, 6♀, Prov. Mazandaran, Nur County, Elburz mts., S. slope, E Baladeh, 36°11’26.4” 52°04’33.5”E, 1758M, small stream, 2.6.2008, Leg. A. Pütz ( CPEG, CTVR) .

Systematic notes. When we discovered the three Iranian specimens mentioned above, no members of this subgenus were known from Iran; being these specimens very similar in habitus to B. terminale Heer, 1841 ( Figs. 1 , 5, 6 ), as first they were compared with the nominospecific B. terminale and with B. terminale kirgisorum Netolitzky, 1934 ( Figs. 2 , 7, 8 ) and this revealed that the genitalia of the Iranian specimens were evidently different from both taxa. According to the updated literature, the subspecies of B. terminale with known distribution closest to the collecting localities of our Iranian specimens is B. terminale pulcherrimum (Motschulsky, 1850) , known from Caucasus and Southern Russia. Therefore we compared also the genitalia of B. terminale pulcherrimum and their study revealed that our specimens almost perfectly matched this last taxon. This meant on the other hand that also B. pulcherrimum is not conspecific with B. terminale , confirming what was formerly correctly pointed out by I. Belousov (in Kryzhanovskij et al. 1995: 87, note 167): “Usually, the Caucasian and Middle Asian forms close to terminale are treated only as subspecies, yet the considerable differences in genital structure coupled with the lack of known transitions rather suggest their full specific status” and, formerly, by Belousov & So olov (1988).

In this report, we treat again B. pulcherrimum as good species, because its endophallus strongly differs from that of B. terminale for the presence of a big, flat, peculiar “crested sclerite” ( Figs. 9, 10, 11, 12 , 13) at the right side of the highly sclerotized central brush, extending from near the basal end of the endophallus to about the middle of the median lobe. The other lineage is represented by B. terminale and B. terminale kirgisorum , both lac ing the “crested sclerite” ( Figs. 5, 6, 7, 8 ) and both showing a sharper shape of the median lobe if compared with that of B. pulcherrimum . During this study, were discovered two male specimens of B. terminale kirgisorum , taxon formerly unknown to China ( China, Xinjiang, W Kunlun Shan, 3000m, Mazar, 28-30.VI-1993, Jaroslav Turna leg. ( CPMI)), extending also the distribution of this taxon.

No typical or topotypical specimens of B. terminale tujngoli and B. terminale dardum were examined during this study, therefore we cannot state at present whether those taxa belong or not to one of the two lineages herewith mentioned for the terminale group.

Three specimens from Kars Province, Turkey ( NHMW), not too far from the type locality, match with the original description of B. terminale confinis (reddish legs, yellow palps and first three antennomeres light, with remaining antennomeres darkened). The male specimen has been dissected and revealed that this population too is conspecific with B. pulcherrimum . The study of the holotype of B. terminale confinis and of other specimens of Coll. Korge ( HUMB) revealed that also this taxon is conspecific with B. pulcherrimum , therefore we propose in this paper two nomenclatorial acts:

Bembidion (Terminophanes) pulcherrimum (Motschulsky, 1850) bona species nec subspecies of Bembidion (Terminophanes) terminale Heer, 1841 .

Bembidion (Terminophanes) terminale confinis Korge, 1964 new synonym of Bembidion (Terminophanes) pulcherrimum (Motschulsky, 1850) (with junior synonym listed first).

Distribution. The species is distributed in Russia (Russian Southern Territory), Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenia ( Iablokoff-Khnzorian 1976: 181; Kryzhanovskij et al. 1995: 87; Marggi et al. 2003: 268), Turkey ( Bodemeyer 1905: 85; Netolitzky 1943: 35; Korge 1964: 109, 1971: 3) and northwestern Iran. The new records above listed as well as several older ones are shown on Fig. 14 .

Toponymical notes. The toponymes mentioned in the labels of the specimens collected by Klapperich can be named in many different ways: Schalous Pass [other names: Chaluz Pass, Kendevan Pass] is a high mountain pass situated northwest of Teheran City. The pass reaches an altitude of 2800-2900 m.a.s.l. at its highest point. Qolhak [other names: Gulhek, Gholhak, Qulhak] is a former town and present district situated in the northeastern part of Teheran City. It lies south of the main ridge of the Elburz Mts. Moks (Netolitzky 1943: 131) is an old Armenian name of the town nown today as Bahçesaray in Van Province of Turkey, while Babadjan ( Iablokoff-Khnzorian 1976: 181) is a previous name of the present village of Tsapatagh situated on the shore of Sevan Lake in Armenia.

Figures

Figure 14. Distribution of B. pulcherrimum, based on the type locality (light green circle), other literature records (red circles) and new records (blue circles). Left sided red mark: Mount Bol ar Dağları (= “Bulghar-Maaden”); middle sided red mar: Mü üs River near Bahçesaray (= “Armen. Taurus Mo s”, “Mi s”); right sided red mar s: Alaverdi and Tsapatagh (= Babajan).

Figures 1–4. Habitus of 1 – B. terminale terminale, specimen from Italy, Valle d’Aosta, Cogne, m 1534, Torrente Valeille, 9-14/VII/90 Leg. De Martin (CTVR); 2 – B. terminale kirgisorum specimen from Kirgizstan, Talasski Reg., Ofmek Pass, 3300 m., 1.07.97. Dolin leg. (CTVR); 3 – B. pulcherrimum specimen from Caucasus, Elbrus, Itkol (CTVR); 4 – B. pulcherrimum specimen from Iran, Mazandaran, Nur County, Elburz mts., S. slope, E Baladeh (CTVR).

Figures 5–12. Median lobe of aedeagus of: 5 – B. terminale terminale, specimen from Italy, Valle d’Aosta, Cogne (CTVR), left lateral view; 6 – B. terminale terminale, specimen from Italy, Valle d’Aosta, Cogne (CTVR), right lateral view; 7 – B. terminale kirgisorum specimen from Kirgizstan, Ofmek Pass (CTVR), left lateral view; 8 – B. terminale kirgisorum specimen from Kirgizstan, Ofmek Pass (CTVR), right lateral view; 9 – B. pulcherrimum specimen from Caucasus, Elbrus, Itkol (CTVR), left lateral view; 10 – B. pulcherrimum specimen from Caucasus, Elbrus, Itkol (CTVR), right lateral view; 11 – B. pulcherrimum specimen from Iran, Mazandaran, Nur County, Elburz mts., S. slope, E Baladeh (CTVR), left lateral view; 12 – B. pulcherrimum specimen from Iran, Mazandaran, Nur County, Elburz mts., S. slope, E Baladeh (CTVR), right lateral view. Fig. 13: Detail of “crested sclerite” of B. pulcherrimum, specimen from Iran, Mazandaran, Nur County, Elburz mts., S. slope, E Baladeh (CTVR), seen in right lateral view at higher magnification ratio.