A new species of the Agriotes nuceus species group from Turkey.

A new Elateridae species, Agriotes longipronotum n. sp. (Coleoptera: Elateridae: Elaterinae: Agriotini), is described from Siirt province, Turkey. Photographs of the imago and the aedeagus, and drawings of the aedeagus of the new species, A. sameki , A. bulgaricus , and A. rahmei are given. A rearranged diagnostic key of all Turkish species of nuceus -group is given. The new species is discussed in relation with closely related species. The species of the Agriotes nuceus -group from Turkey are listed, and their distributions are given.

Introduction

The genus Eschscholtz (Coleoptera: Elateridae: Elaterinae) is one of the richest genus of the tribe Agriotini Champion. According to present literature (Mertlik and Platia 2008; Platia 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012; Kabalak and Sert 2009, 2011; Platia et al. 2009, 2011; Platia and Nemeth 2011), there are 82 species of this genus in Turkey. The new species belongs to the -group of the genus . The -group, which is separated from other species of the genus by having the supraantennal carina reaching to the anterior margin of the frons, has 42 species distributed in Greece, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, and Turkey (Gurjeva 1972; Platia and Gudenzi 1997; Platia 2003, 2010, 2011, 2012; Cate 2007; Platia et al. 2009, 2011; Platia and Nemeth 2011). Twenty-nine species of the -group are present in Turkey (Table 1) (Cate 2007; Platia et al. 2009; Platia 2010, 2011; Platia and Nemeth 2011).

Table 1.

Comparison of taxonomical characters, and list of collecting month and collecting locality of some species of the -group.

Materials and Methods

Specimens of the new species were collected from a pistachio ( L.) field in Siirt province, Turkey, by using light traps. Morphological structures of the new species are described; photographs of the entire body of the male specimen, antennae, and aedeagus were taken using a Leica MZ 16A stereoscopic microscope system (www.leicamicrosystems.com) and Leica DFC320 camera attachment. The male genital organ of was pulled out.

Body lengths of specimens were measured along the midline from the anterior margin of the frons to the apex of the elytra, and widths of specimens were measured across the broadest part of the elytra.

General morphology of the new species was compared with A. Platia (Figure 1D), which is a closely related species based on its general appearance. Male genital organs of (Figure 2A), and its closely related species ( and ) are given and are compared in Table 1. Male genital organ drawings of (Figure 2B), (Figure 2C), and (Figure 2D) were redrawn from Platia (2003), Platia and Gudenzi (2007), and Platia and Nemeth (2011). The new species, Platia, Schimmel, and Tarnawski, Reitter, Platia, Schimmel, and Tarnawski, Platia, Platia, and A. Platia and Nemeth were inserted into the diagnostic key of Platia (2003) in order to update the identification key to the known species of the group of Turkey (males).

Figure 1.

A. habitus male, B. antennae, C. aedeagus (scale = 0.5 mm), D. (Dusanek and Mertlik). High quality figures are available online.

Figure 2.

Aedeagus drawings of species. A. (scale = 0.5 mm), B. (drawn from Platia and Gudenzi 2007), C. (drawn from Platia and Nemeth 2011), D. (drawn from Platia 2003). High quality figures are available online.

Distribution map of , , , and was made on Carto Fauna-Flora (Barbier and Rasmont 1996, 2000; Figure 3). All species and their distributions of the -group of Turkey are given in Table 2.

Figure 3.

Distribution map of species made in Carto Fauna-Flora. Green mark. n. sp. (Siirt, Turkey), Red mark. (Bursa, Turkey), Yellow mark. (Harmanli, Bulgaria), Blue mark. (Haleb, Syria). High quality figures are available online.

Table 2.

The species of the -group from Turkey and their currently known distribution.

Type Locality: Holotype, 1 ♂, Siirt province, 01 July 2009, leg. İ. Özgen. Paratypes, 2 ♂♂, Siirt province, 01 July 2009, leg. İ. Özgen. The holotype and one of the paratype are deposited in Hacettepe University Zoology Museum at Hacettepe University Biology Department Ankara, and the other paratype is deposited in the collection of Dr. Giuseppe Platia in Gatteo, Italy.

Holotype: Male. Moderately shiny; body entirely ferruginous; covered with dense, yellow pubescence.

Frons flat, slightly impressed at anterior part, anterior margin straight, suprantennal carinae not reaching anterior part, punctures umbilicate, contiguous.

Tenth and last antennal segments broken off due to the length of ninth segment, the antennae look like they exceed the apices of the posterior angles of the pronotum by about one segment, serrate from fourth segment on. Second and third segments small, second subcylindrical 1.15 times longer than wide, third subconical 1.16 times longer than second, second with a fairly larger diameter; second and third, taken together, clearly shorter than fourth, fourth to ninth triangular, longer than wide, gradually tapering.

Pronotum 1.1 times longer than wide, widest at posterior angles, strongly convex, abruptly sloping at sides, sloping more gradually at base, with a short and distinct median longitudinal depression on basal declivity; sides briefly subparallel in middle, dilated in anterior third, sinuate before posterior angles, the latter rather acute, diverging, with a moderate, apparent, inwards oriented carina; lateral suture curved, directed to lowerside of eyes, briefly obsolete near middle, punctation rather uniformly distributed, punctures on disc deep, simple to slightly umbilicate, with intervals longer than their own diameters, gradually denser towards sides, laterally contiguous to confluent.

Scutellum tongue-shaped, flat, densely punctured.

Elytra as wide as base of pronotum, elytra 2.5 times longer than pronotum, 2.8 times longer than wide, sides subparallel in the anterior 2/3 part than gradually tapering to apex, striae well marked and punctured, interstriae flat, with rough surface; prosternai sutures briefly furrowed in front.

Female unknown.

Holotype Size: Length 10.28 mm; width 2.57 mm.

Etymology: The name is derived from the length of pronotum.

Paratype: 2 ♂♂, length 9.62–9.70 mm; width 2.42–2.43 mm, body color of paratypes same as holotype. Apex of arms of median lobe diverted laterally in one of paratypes.

Structure of aedeagus (dorsal view) ( Lateral of basal part widest at medial, posterior margin arcuately concave, anterior margin U-shapedly notched, sides of basal part strongly, rest part slightly chitinized; median lobe clearly longer than parameres, feebly chitinized except medially extending strongly chitinized line, median lobe bullate apically, apex of median lobe protruded, arms of median lobe short, thin, crescent shaped, and pointed at apex; outer lateral sides of parameres feebly sinuate, distal teeth distinct, pointed and directed laterally, parameres angled at apex.

In the present study, a new species belonging to the -group of the genus is described. is easily separated from all known species of the -group from Turkey by the pronotum, which is 1.1 times longer than wide. According to the morphology of the antennae and the aedeagus, the new species is closely related to . The new species can be separated by the following combination of features: the body length of is longer than ; the ratio of elytra/pronotum lengths of is smaller than ; the pronotum is longer than wide in the new species while it is as long as wide in . A comparison of the taxonomical characters, and a list of the collecting month and locality, of , , , and are given in Table. 1.

can be easily separated from , , and by having a clearly rounded apex of the median lobe and by not having a distinct distal tooth of the paramere. The aedeagus of the new species have similarities with both and . is close to by having small parameres apically, distinct, paramere with a pointed and directed backwardly distal tooth; it is also close to in having a quadrangular basal piece and protruding apex of the median lobe. can be sepa- rated from and by the presence of a distinctly swollen apical part of the median lobe, very slightly sinuate outer lateral margin, and small and laterally diverted apical part of parameres.

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Discussion

Collecting months, collecting localities, and distributions of the species of -group are listed according to the literature (Platia 2003; Platia and Gudenzi 2007; Platia and Nemeth 2011) (Table 1). Species are present in nature from May to July. Only has been collected in one month (July). (in Bursa) and (in Siirt) are present in Turkey. (Bulgaria-Harmanli) and (Syria-Haleb) are not recorded from Turkey.