Psammocryptus bayeri bayeri Koch, 1943

Nabozhenko, Maxim V. & Chigray, Ivan A., 2022, A review of the genus Psammocrуptus (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae: Tentyriini), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 62 (1), pp. 165-184 : 174-182

Psammocryptus bayeri bayeri Koch, 1943

( Figs 8 , 9 )

Psammocryptus bayeri Koch, 1943: 581 . Type localities: Saramsakli

(now Turkmenistan: Sarymsakly spring) and Kerki ( Turkmenistan). Psammocryptus bayeri : Mൾൽඏൾൽൾඏ & Nൾඉൾඌඈඏൺ (1985: 67); Lදൻඅ et al.

(2008: 202); Iඐൺඇ et al. (2020: 244).

Material examined. TURKMENISTAN: 1 ♂ ( ZIN): “Bukhara, AmuDarya, Mukry 6.vi.1904 G. Suvorov” [Cyrillic label; now Turkmenistan, Lebap Province, Köýtendag District, Mukry, 37°35ʹ52ʺN, 65°43ʹ30ʺE]; 1 ♂ 4 ♀♀ ( ZIN): ‘Kushka [Mary Prov., Serhetabad: 35°16′33″N, 62°20′30″E] / vi.[1]912 / V.Kozhanchikov’; 1 ♂ 1 ♀ ( ZIN): ‘Turkmeniya / khr. Kugitangtau / Kaynar-Baba [Lebap Province, Köýtendag District, Kaynar Baba hot lake: 37°32ʹ16ʺN, 66°24ʹ21ʺE] / (Karlyuka) / 21.vi.1977 / G.S. Medvedev’; 1 ♀ ( ZIN): ‘V. Turkm. / 6 km O. Kelifa [Lebap Province, Köýtendag District: 6 km E of Kelif: ~ 37°20ʹ25ʺN, 66°21ʹ55ʺE] / 19.iv.[1]968 / G. Medvedev’. TAJIKISTAN: 1 ♂ ( ZIN): ‘W of Shaartuz, Chilichor-Chashma [37°17′37″N, 68°02′16″E], 20.iv.1962, leg.Gur’eva’; 1 ♀ ( ZIN): ‘Shaartuz / Aruk-Tau range / 6.v.1964 M. Tadzhibaev’.

Redescription. Body length 8.00– 9.50 mm, width 2.60–3.00 mm. Measurements: PH w – 1.43, P w P l – 1.24, E

l

E

w

– 1.60, EH

w

– 1.84, EP

w

– 1.28, EP

l

– 2.57.

Body and legs slender, shiny. Head widest at level of genae, there slightly wider than at level of eyes. Anterior margin of head: genae separated from epistoma by distinct obtuse emargination on outer margin and by longitudinal grooves on head surface. Puncturation of head dorsally coarse and dense; punctures longitudinal and denser at base of frons. Lateral surface of mandibles with dense and coarse distinct puncturation. Ventral side of head without deep foveae, only with simple wide transverse depression behind prementum. Prementum and head surface around prementum with coarse and sparse, sometimes contiguous punctures.

Prothorax. Pronotum moderately transverse, cordate, widest in anterior third. Lateral margins widely emarginated in basal quarter; anterior margin almost straight; base bisinuate. Antero-lateral corners obtuse, rounded at apex; postero-lateral corners right or acute, pointed at apex. Border of anterior margin widely interrupted in middle, and this interruption subequal in length to bordered part on one side. Puncturation of disc coarse and dense, punctures large; puncture diameter subequal to distance between punctures; punctures on sides elongate and denser. Prosternum moderately sparsely punctured by coarse distinct punctures; space between punctures 3–4 times as long as puncture diameter. Prosternal process with conical tubercle at apex. Prothoracic hypomera with large sparse punctures (puncture diameter subequal to space between punctures).

Pterothorax. Punctures in striae not impressed, moderate or large, much larger than interstrial ones; interstria with sparse and fine distinct puncturation. Mesoventrite with strongly elongate narrow longitudinal fovea arranged in about four transverse rows (each row with 14–17 foveae). Metaventrite with large sparse puncturation (puncture diameter 2–3 times shorter than interpunctural space).

Legs slender, comparatively long. Metatibiae straight. First metatarsomere 1.09–1.10 times longer than fourth one.

Abdominal ventrites 1–4 with coarse moderately sparse puncturation on lateral sides, but with fine and sparse puncturation in middle; puncturation of abdominal ventrite 5 much coarser and denser, than in middle of ventrites 1–4. Abdominal ventrite 5 rounded at apex.

Male genitalia. Apical piece of aedeagus strongly widened from base to apex, widest in apical quarter.

Distribution ( Fig. 1 ). S Turkmenistan (KඈർH 1943, Mൾൽඏൾൽൾඏ & Nൾඉൾඌඈඏൺ 1985, the material above), SW Tajikistan (a new record for the country).

Psammocryptus bayeri vachshianus

Nabozhenko & Chigray, subsp. nov.

( Figs 10 , 11 )

Type material examined. Hඈඅඈඍඒඉൾ: ♂ ( ZIN), TAJIKISTAN: KHൺඍ- අඈඇ RൾGංඈඇ: ‘Заповедник «Тигровая балка» Насреддинов, 17.IV. [19]72’ [“Tigrovaya balka” Nature Reserve,leg.Kh.A.Nasreddinov] // ‘в почве’ [in soil]. Pൺඋൺඍඒඉൾඌ: 5 ♂♂ 3 ♀♀ ( ZIN), the same data as holotype.

Description. Body length 7.50–9.20 mm, width 2.50–3.00 mm. Measurements: PH

w

– 1.54, P

w

P

l

– 1.32, E

l

E

w

– 2.58,

EH

w

– 1.90, EP

w

– 1.23, EP

l

– 2.58.

Body and legs slender, pronotum and head dorsally shiny, other surface dull. Head widest at level of eyes and genae. Anterior margin of head: genae separated from epistoma by distinct deep emargination on outer margin and by longitudinal grooves on head surface. Puncturation of head dorsally coarse and dense; punctures longitudinal and denser at base of frons. Lateral surface of mandibulae with sparse and fine puncturation. Ventral side of head without deep foveae, only with simple wide transverse depression behind prementum. Prementum with very sparse punctures moderate in size; head surface around prementum with very coarse, dense, contiguous, large, foveolate punctures.

Prothorax. Pronotum moderately transverse, cordate, widest in anterior third. Lateral margins widely emarginated in basal quarter; anterior margin almost straight; base bisinuate. Antero-lateral corners obtuse, pointed or very narrowly rounded at apex; postero-lateral corners right or acute, pointed at apex. Border of anterior margin widely interrupted in middle, and this interruption subequal in length to bordered part on one side. Puncturation of disc coarse and dense, punctures large; puncture diameter subequal to distance between punctures; punctures on sides elongate and denser. Prosternum moderately sparsely punctured by coarse distinct punctures; space between punctures 3–4 times as long as puncture diameter. Prosternal process with conical tubercle at apex. Prothoracic hypomera with very large sparse punctures (puncture diameter subequal to space between punctures) in middle and much smaller puncturation along outer margin.

Pterothorax. Punctures in striae small, impressed (especially in middle), larger than interstrial ones; interstria with extremely sparse and fine puncturation. Mesoventrite with very large longitudinal fovea arranged in about four transverse rows (each row with 9–12 foveae). Metaventrite with large sparse puncturation only on latero-apical sides (puncture diameter 2–3 times shorter than interpunctural space), but with fine and sparse puncturation on other surface.

Legs slender, comparatively long. Metatibiae straight. First metatarsomere 1.3 times longer than fourth one.

All abdominal ventrites with very fine and sparse puncturation, that slightly coarser and elongate on lateral sides of ventrites 1–3. Abdominal ventrite 5 rounded at apex.

Male genitalia. The same as in nominotypical subspecies, only male inner sternite VIII emarginated more deeply.

Comparative diagnosis. The new subspecies differs from the nominotypical one in the sparse and fine puncturation of lateral sides of mandibles ( Fig. 11B ) (coarsely and densely punctured in P. bayeri bayeri ( Fig. 9B )), dull body except for pronotum and head ( Figs 10A, B ) (shiny in nominotypical subspecies ( Figs 8A, B )), elongate foveae on mesoventrite much larger and lesser in number ( Fig. 11C ), very small impressed strial punctures ( Fig. 10C ) (not impressed and larger in nominotypical subspecies ( Fig. 8C )), extremely fine and sparse interstrial puncturation ( Fig. 10C ), very finely and sparsely punctured abdominal ventrites, where ventrite 5 has the same punctation as other ventrites ( Fig. 11D ).

Etymology. The name is derived from Vakhsh River (tributary of Amu Darya River), where the “Tigrovaya Balka” Nature Reserve is located; adjective.

Distribution ( Fig. 1 ). Tajikistan: Vakhsh River valley.

Psammocryptus kompantsevae

Nabozhenko & Chigray, sp. nov.

( Figs 12 , 13 )

Psammocryptus bayeri Koch, 1943 (misidentification): EGඈඋඈඏ & RൺKHංආඈඏ (2015: 32).

Type material examined. Hඈඅඈඍඒඉൾ: ♂ ( ZIN), ‘ Uzbekistan, Surkhandarya region / Surkhandarya River 37°18ʹ58.7ʺN / 67°23ʹ41.2ʺE, 341 m / 19.iv.2014, tugay / leg. M.V. Mokrousov, T.U. Rakhimov’. Pൺඋൺඍඒඉൾඌ: UZBEKISTAN: SඎඋKHൺඇൽൺඋඒൺ RൾGංඈඇ: 1 ♀ ( ZIN): ‘Termes [Termez]’ 19.v.1907 ’. TAJIKISTAN: KHൺඍඅඈඇ RൾGංඈඇ: 2 ♀♀ ( ZIN): № 7.V.[19]86 / ТАДЖИКИСТАН / ниЖ. теч. р. Вахш / Зап. «Тигр. Балка» / Компанцева Т.В. [lower reaches of Vakhsh River, “Tigrovaya balka” Nature Reserve, leg. T.V. Kompantseva].

Description. Body length 9.00 mm, width 3.00 mm. Measurements: PH w – 1.60, P w P l – 1.38, E l E w – 1.60, EH w – 1.95, EP

w

– 1.20, EP

l

– 2.69.

Body slender, black, moderately shiny.

Head widest at level of genae. Anterior margin of epistoma with long rostrum in middle; genae separated from epistoma by obtuse emargination on outer margin and by longitudinal grooves on head surface. Labrum completely visible under rostrum, coarsely and densely punctured. Puncturation of head dorsally moderately coarse and dense; punctures subequal to puncture diameter in anterior half of head; punctures longitudinal on frons. Lateral surface of mandibles with distinct dense puncturation. Ventral side of head without deep foveae, only with simple wide transverse depression behind prementum. Prementum with smooth sparse puncturation in anterior half; basal half of prementum and head surface around prementum with moderately coarse and dense non-contiguous punctures.

Prothorax. Pronotum strongly transverse, cordate, widest in anterior third. Lateral margins weakly emarginated near base; anterior margin evenly widely emarginated; base bisinuate. Antero-lateral corners right, pointed at apex; postero-lateral corners weakly obtuse, pointed at apex. Base widely bordered; lateral margins narrowly bordered; anterior margin almost completely bordered, only very shortly interrupted in middle. Puncturation of disc moderately coarse and very dense; puncture diameter subequal to distance between punctures; punctures on sides of middle denser, elongate and merged into longitudinal wrinkles. Prosternum with moderately coarse and moderately dense puncturation; space between punctures nearly 2 times as long as puncture diameter. Prosternal process with conical tubercle at apex. Prothoracic hypomera with comparatively small dense punctures (puncture diameter subequal to space between punctures).

Pterothorax. Scutellar shield pentagonal. Elytra widest slightly before middle. Punctures in striae not impressed, small, slightly larger or subequal to interstrial ones; interstria with sparse and comparatively coarse puncturation. Mesoventrite with slightly elongate punctures arranged in about six transverse rows (each row with 15–20 punctures). Metaventrite with fine, moderately dense puncturation (puncture diameter subequal to interpunctural space).

Legs slender, comparatively long. Metatibiae strongly curved inwards. Metatarsomeres 1 and 4 subequal in length.

Abdomen with fine moderately sparse puncturation; diameter of punctures 1.5 times as short as interpunctural space; puncturation of abdominal ventrite 5 same as on other ventrites. Abdominal ventrite 5 shortly truncate at apex.

Male genitalia. Lateral margins of apical piece of aedeagus widely emarginated in basal third; apical piece slightly widened in apical third.

Comparative diagnosis. The new species differs from all species of the genus in the truncated apex of the abdominal ventrite 5 ( Figs 13C, D ), very dense puncturation of the pronotum with punctures often merged in longitudinal wrinkles on sides ( Fig. 12A ), puncturation of mesoventrite (weakly elongate and dense punctures in contrast with other species with strongly longitudinal or round foveolate punctures) ( Fig. 13E ), inward-curved metatibiae in female ( Fig. 12D ).

Etymology. The species is named in honour of Dr Tatiana Vladimirovna Kompantseva (Moscow Zoo), a known specialist on saproxylic Tenebrionidae and Elateridae and the collector of the type specimens.

Distribution ( Fig. 1 ). Uzbekistan and Tajikistan: Amudarya, upper river basin.

Notes. EGඈඋඈඏ & RൺKHංආඈඏ (2015) recorded P. bayeri as a new record for Uzbekistan (Surkhandarya River, tugay forest), which was omitted in the Palaearctic Catalogue (Iඐൺඇ et al. 2020). Leonid Egorov recently examined this specimen from Uzbekistan, using our illustrations and the key, and identified it as the male of P. kompantsevae sp. nov. The first author also examined this specimen and confirmed the identification.

Figures

Fig. 8. Psammocryptus bayeri bayeri Koch, 1943, habitus, elytral puncturation. A – male, dorsally; B – male, ventrally; C – elytral puncturation.

Fig. 9. Psammocryptus bayeri bayeri Koch, 1943, details of structure.A – head and anterior margin of pronotum (arrows: emargination of head; rounded angles of pronotum); B – head and prothorax, laterally (arrows: dense puncturation on head; conical tubercle of prosternal process); C – mesoventrite; D – abdomen (arrow: rounded apex); E – tegmen, ventrally (non-inverted position); F – median lobe of aedeagus; G – spiculum gastrale; H – male inner sternite VIII.

Fig. 1. Map of distribution of Psammocryptus species.

Fig. 10. Psammocryptus bayeri vachshianus subsp. nov., habitus, elytral puncturation. A – male, dorsally; B – male, ventrally; C – elytral puncturation.

Fig. 11. Psammocryptus bayeri vachshianus subsp. nov., details of structure. A – head and anterior margin of pronotum (arrows: emargination of head; pointed angles of pronotum); B – head and prothorax, laterally (arrows: sparse puncturation on head; conical tubercle of prosternal process); C – mesoventrite; D – abdomen (arrow: rounded apex); E – aedeagus, ventrally (non-inverted position); F – spiculum gastrale; G – male inner tergite VIII; H – male inner sternite VIII.

Fig. 12. Psammocryptus kompantsevae sp. nov., female, habitus, legs. A – dorsally; B – ventrally; C – profemur, flexion side; D – metatibia.

Fig. 13. Psammocryptus kompantsevae sp. nov., details of structure.A – head and anterior margin of pronotum; B – head and prothorax, laterally; C – apex of elytra and abdomen dorsally (arrow: truncated apex of ventrite 5); D – abdomen ventrally; E – mesoventrite; F – spiculum gastrale and IX tergite; G – median lobe of the aedeagus; H – aedeagus; I – male inner sternite VIII.