Philorhizus kermanus, Muilwijk & Seiedy & Wrase, 2021

Muilwijk, Jan, Seiedy, Marjan & Wrase, David W., 2021, Contribution to the knowledge of Carabidae in Iran with the descriptions of five new taxa, proposing of four synonyms and providing of nine new records (Insecta: Coleoptera), Zootaxa 5067 (1), pp. 55-81 : 64-66

Philorhizus kermanus sp. n.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:0FB2556C-8447-4ADD-8539-461A1940C888

( Figs. 5.1 )

Type material. Holotype ♀ labeled: “C. Iran, 2000 m / 12 km NW Dowlat-abad / 21.v.1977 // loc. no 341/ Exped. Nat. Mus Praha “// “ Holotype / Philorhizus kermanus sp. nov. / Muilwijk, Seiedy & Wrase des. 2021“ (black print on red label). Deposited in MNP .

Additional comparison species material: Philorhizus adoxus ( Andrewes, 1923) : photo of specimen with label “ NHMUK 0105804362017-03-24 16-56-05 (C)-. 1500x 5792”.

5.1 habitus holotype, scale: 2 mm.

5.2 Philorhizus adoxus habitus, scale: 2 mm.

Description. A large Philorhizus (length 3.8 mm). Head with distinctly narrowed neck; upper side dull yellowish including appendages, except a dark brown pattern on elytra, consisting of broad transverse median band, broad dark brown bands along lateral sides directed to apex in striae 5–8, and an arrow-shaped darkening along the suture directed to the base; wings developed.

Head about as long as pronotum (HL/PL: 1.01); nearly as wide as pronotum (HW/PW: 0.9). Eyes convex, twice longer than tempora; tempora with an evident blunt angle with neck. Anterior margin of labrum convex with 5 long setae. Mandibles long and sharply pointed. Antennomeres 1–3 without hairs except the normal setae; Antennomeres 4–11 with sparse thick decumbent hairs.

Pronotum transverse (PW/PL: 1.24); front angles slightly protruding, lateral sides regularly sinuate to the blunt hind angles. Lateral sides slightly bent upwards. Obtuse hind angles slightly elevated; Lateral furrow narrow with 2 setae, one at anterior fourth, the other in the hind angle. Base medially more or less rectilinear, laterally toward hind angles oblique. Middle line distinct. Basal impression superficial. Microsculpture consists of slightly transversal meshes.

Elytra long-oval (PL/PW: 1.4); humeri rounded; slightly widened to apex, with maximum width at about 1/4 of the apex. Striae 1–6 superficial. Scutellar striole present. umbilicate series consisting of 14 setigerous pores, interrupted in the middle. Microsculpture consisting of isodiametric meshes.

Legs metatibia slightly bent, claws stout, without denticles; metatarsomere 1 about the same length as tarsomere 5.

Ventral side with wide ligula, slightly rounded at apex, mentum without tooth. Anal segment with 2 setae on each side, segment 4–5 with 1 seta in middle on each side.

Microsculpture consists of transversal meshes.

Comparative notes. The combined characteristics of yellow colour of forebody and blunt angle between temples and neck of Philorhizus kermanus sp. n. are different from all other Palaearctic species of this genus. P. adoxus ( Fig. 5.2 ) from Pakistan, India and adjacent countries also has a pronounced angle between the temples and neck, but differs from P. kermanus sp. n. by the squarer pronotum, piceous head and dark elytral pattern.

Etymology. The name of the species refers to the Iranian province of Kerman.

Distribution. The species is only known from the type locality.

Habitat. Occurring in degraded mountain steppe forest with sparse growth of Amygdalus scoparia , Amygdalus eburnea , Pistacia khinjuk , Acantholimon sp. and Astragalus sp. and were collected from the vegetation ( Hoberlandt 1983).

Identification references: Andrewes (1923); Sciaky (1991).

Figures

FIGURE 5. Philorhizus kermanus sp. n.