Reitterelater kovalenkoi, Prosvirov, Alexander S., 2017

Prosvirov, Alexander S., 2017, On the Ampedini Gistel, 1848 (Coleoptera: Elateridae) of Central Asia, with a description of a new species of the genus Reitterelater Platia & Cate, 1990, Zootaxa 4232 (3), pp. 376-384 : 377-382

Reitterelater kovalenkoi sp. nov.

( Figs. 1, 4 , 7, 10 )

Type locality. Uzbekistan, Navoiy Region , Nuratau Mountains.

Type material. Holotype, female, Uzbekistan: “Узбекистан, Навоиüская обл., Нуратинскиü р-н, хр. Нуратау, окр. киш. Сентоб, 40°34'50.9"N 66°39'26.2"E, h ~ 800 m, 17.IV.2014, Я.Н. Коваленко leg. / в сухом древесном грибе в сообществе с Triplax rubrica ” [C Uzbekistan, Navoiy Region , Nurata District , Nuratau Mountains, Sentob Village env., 40°34'50.9"N, 66°39'26.2"E, ca. 800 m, 17 April 2014, Ya. N. Kovalenko leg. / in dry bracket fungus in association with Triplax rubrica Reitter, 1891 ] ( ZMMU) .

Comparative material. Reitterelater fulvus (Reitter, 1891) . 6 males, 8 females. 1 male: “Казахстан, г. Алма- Ата , на лету, coll. И. Кабак, 26.04.1977 года” [SE Kazakhstan, Alma-Ata (at present Almaty) City, in flight, 26 April 1977, I.I. Kabak leg.] ( ZISP) ; 1 female: “Андаракъ, 13.VI.06, Л. Бергъ” [ Kyrgyzstan, Batken Region , Leilek District, Andarak Village, 13 June 1906, L. Berg leg.] ( ZISP, CAS) ; 1 male: “Узбекистан, Ташкентская обл., пос. Невич, Чаткальскиü заповедник, 21–22.V.1989, А.В. Компанцев leg. / под короü лежащего тополя” [NE Uzbekistan, Tashkent Region , Nevich Village, Chatkal State Nature Reserve, 21–22 May 1989, A.V. Kompantzev leg. / under bark of fallen poplar tree] ( CPM) ; 3 male, 1 female: “Узбекистан, Ташкентская обл., Зап. Тянь-Шань, п. Невич, Чаткальскиü заповедник, п/к тополя, дупло ореха, 17.V.1989, А.В. Компанцев leg.” [NE Uzbekistan, Tashkent Region , West Tian Shan , Nevich Village, Chatkal State Nature Reserve, under bark of poplar tree, walnut tree hollow [sic!], 17 May 1989, A.V. Kompantzev leg.] ( CPM) ; 2 females: “Ташкентская обл., Чаткальск. запов., п. Невич, 20.V.89, Компанцев А.” [NE Uzbekistan, Tashkent Region , Chatkal State Nature Reserve, Nevich Village, 20 May 1989, A.V. Kompantzev leg.] ( ZISP) ; 1 female: “Ташкент, 15.III.22 ” [NE Uzbekistan, Tashkent Region , Tashkent City, 15 March 1922] ( ZISP) ; 1 female: “Пахталык-Куль, 25.V.25 ” [ Uzbekistan, Pakhtalyk-Kyl, 25 May 1925] ( ZISP) ; 1 male: “Заамин. раüон, с. Аччи , на свет с 20 до 2х часов, 18.05. 76 г.” [CE Uzbekistan, Jizzakh Region , Zaamin District, Achchi Village, to light from 8 p. m. to 2 a. m., 18 May 1976] ( ZISP) ; 1 female: “окр. Андижана, 13–17.V. 911, Николаев ” [E Uzbekistan, Andijan Region , Andijan City env., 13–17 May 1911, Nikolaev leg.] ( ZISP) ; 1 female: “Фергана: окр. г. Скобелева, 5.I ..920, Архангельск.” [E Uzbekistan, Fergana Region , Skobelev (at present Fergana) City env., 5 January 1920, Arkhangelsk. (probably Arkhangelsky) leg.] ( ZISP) .

Diagnosis. R. kovalenkoi sp. nov. is closely related to R. fulvus ( Figs. 2, 5 , 8, 11 , 13, 15 ). It can be distinguished from this species by the distinctly smaller and slenderer body (body lengths are 7.1 mm and about 12.0 mm, body widths are 2.0 mm and about 3.5 mm, respectively), shorter middle antennomeres, and different shape of the genitalia.

Description. Female: Length 7.1 mm; width 2.0 mm. Body elongate, rather flattened. Shiny, all body reddish brown; head, mandibles, antennae, pronotum, and underside darker; base of pronotum, scutellum along margin, and basal margin of elytra darkened. Body covered with dense and long semirecumbent and some erect golden setae.

Head. Much wider than long (length/width 0.44), shape typical of Ampedini . Punctures umbilicate, dense; intervals between punctures on average less than half as great as diameter of one puncture. Antennae reaching short of apex of hind angles of pronotum to length of apical antennomere, weakly serrate from antennomere 4. Antennomere 1 thickened, bean-shaped; antennomere 2 globose, 0.7 times as long as antennomere 3; antennomere 3 weakly elongate; antennomere 4 elongate and broadened at apex, 1.5 times as long as antennomere 3; antennomeres 5 to 10 subequal in length, elongated and slightly broadened at apices, about 0.9 times as long as antennomere 4; last antennomere ovate, subapically slightly tapered (ratio of length/width of antennomeres from 1 to 5 is 1.7, 1, 1.5, 1.5 and 1.3, respectively). Antennomeres 2 and 3 shining, smooth, covered with recumbent and sparse erect setae; more distal antennomeres densely punctured, covered with dense recumbent and certain erect setae.

Thorax. Pronotum more than 2 times as wide as head, slightly wider than long (length 1.7 mm; width 1.9 mm), widest behind middle, more anteriorly evenly narrowed toward front angles, almost parallel-sided in basal 1/3 of pronotum, slightly sinuate in front of hind angles; very weakly convex. Basal impression of pronotum triangular, indistinct. Hind angles of pronotum rather short, sharply rounded at apex, directed straight backwards, with two slightly divergent carinae, internal carina notably longer than external one. Pronotal punctures umbilicate, double, consisting of large punctures and distinctly smaller ones. Punctures in lateral parts of pronotum very dense, weakly elongate; intervals between punctures on average less than half as great as diameter of one puncture; on disk and at base of pronotum punctures sparser, intervals between punctures on average larger than or subequal to diameter of one puncture.

Prosternal sutures double, weakly curved, slightly gaping anteriorly. Prosternal lobe short, broadly rounded, not covering mouthparts, with distinctly carinate anterior margin. Prosternum slightly broadened anteriorly, then almost parallel-sided. Prosternal punctures umbilicate, rather coarse and dense; intervals between punctures on average less than half as great as diameter of one puncture; in anterior 1/3 of prosternum punctures distinctly smaller. Anterior and lateral parts of hypomeron with dense, elongate simple punctures, intervals between punctures equal to 1–2 diameters of one puncture; basal 1/5 of hypomeron without punctures. Prosternal process sharply bent in posterior half, with prominence near apex, about 1.5 times as long as diameter of procoxal cavity, slightly bent inwards immediately behind procoxal cavities. Base of prosternal process between procoxae broad, at sides rounded and slightly prominent. Hypomeron, mesoventrite and metavenrite punctate similarly; punctures of mesoventrite rounded, lateral punctures of metaventrite elongate, in middle of metaventrite punctures rounded, smaller. Mesofemur slightly broadened. Metaxocal plate strongly broadened at base, about 4 times as wide as narrowest part.

Scutellum elongate, rounded posteriorly, slightly depressed at sides in middle, about 1.5 times longer than wide. Elytra oblong, slightly wider than pronotum, widest near middle, almost three times as long as pronotum (both elytra together: length 4.9 mm; width 2.0 mm); almost parallel-sided until about posterior 1/3, in posterior 1/ 3 slightly tapering to apex; shoulders obtusely rounded. Disc of elytron flat, with striae; punctures of striae shallow, elongate, not exceeding stria width; interstriae with sparse rounded punctures, which distinctly smaller than punctures of striae.

Metathoracic wings completely developed, reaching apex of elytra.

Abdomen. Punctures of abdomen mostly elongate, rounded at anterior margin, intervals between punctures subequal to or smaller than diameter of one puncture.

Female genitalia ( Figs. 7, 10 ). Ovipositor relatively long; baculum long, strongly sclerotized (ratio baculum/ ovipositor length 0.8); coxite moderately sclerotized, with several setae, narrowed to apex, with distinct stylus. Bursa copulatrix with many sclerotized spines situated along its margin and anteriorly with group of spinules.

Male. Unknown.

Larva. Unknown.

Distribution. Central Uzbekistan: Navoiy Region, Nuratau Mountains.

Bionomics. Holotype of R. kovalenkoi sp. nov. was collected in dry bracket fungus ( Fig. 18 ). This fungus grew on a foliage tree in a river valley ( Fig. 17 ). It is very probable that the larva of this species is a xylobiont, like the larvae of many other Ampedini species, and develops in rotten wood, tree hollows, or bracket fungus. Other aspects of biology of R. kovalenkoi sp. nov. remain unknown.

Etymology. Named in the honour of its collector, my colleague and friend, the entomologist Yakov N. Kovalenko.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 6. Habitus of Ampedini species, dorsal (Figs. 1 – 3) and lateral (Figs. 4 – 6) view. 1, 4. Reitterelater kovalenkoi sp. nov., holotype, female (7.1 mm). 2, 5. R. fulvus, female (11.7 mm; Uzbekistan). 3, 6. Ampedus russicus, paratype, female (10.6 mm; Tajikistan). Not to scale.

FIGURES 7 – 12. Genitalia of Ampedini species: ovipositor, ventral view (Figs. 7 – 9); part of female genital tract, general view (Figs. 10 – 12). 7, 10. Reitterelater kovalenkoi sp. nov., holotype, female. 8, 11. R. fulvus, female (Uzbekistan). 9, 12. Ampedus russicus, paratype, female (Tajikistan). Not to scale.

FIGURES 13 – 16. Ampedini species, habitus of male, dorsal view (Figs. 13, 14); aedeagus, ventral view (Figs. 15 – 16). 13, 15. Reitterelater fulvus, male (9.5 mm; Uzbekistan). 14, 16. Ampedus russicus, paratype, male (8.6 mm; Tajikistan). Not to scale.

FIGURES 17 – 18. Habitat of Reitterelater kovalenkoi sp. nov. (photographs by Ya. N. Kovalenko). 17. Biotope, general view. 18. Bracket fungus in which R. kovalenkoi sp. nov. was collected.