Carabus (Archiplectes) satyrus Kurnakov, 1962

Solodovnikov, Igor A., Zamotajlov, Alexandr S., Fominykh, Dmitriy D. & Titarenko, Andrey Y., 2014, Contribution to the knowledge of the Carabus (Archiplectes) satyrus Kurnakov, 1962, species complex in Abkhazia (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Carabini), ZooKeys 463, pp. 21-56 : 23

Carabus (Archiplectes) satyrus Kurnakov, 1962 Figs 1, 2, 7, 8-11, 34-41

Carabus (Neoplectes) satyrus Kurnakov, 1962: 33 ( “Goulripch”).

Carabus (Archiplectes) satyrus satyrus : Gottwald 1985: 310.

Carabus (Archiplectes) satyrus satyrus : Bousquet et al. 2003: 132; Retezár 2008: 40.

Carabus (Tribax) satyrus satyrus Kurnakov: Deuve 2004: 274.

Comparative material examined.

86 specimens were examined (47 specimens measured, 15 male genitalia preparations studied): 1 male, Abkhazia, Gulripsh Distr., "Shervadshidzevskyi les" near Merkheul Village, 200 m, 17-20.V.2012, leg. D. Fominykh, A. Bondarenko (cFDD); 4 males, 4 females, Abkhazia, Gulripsh Distr., "Shervadshidzevskyi les" near Bagmarani Village, 200 m, 27.IV-25.VI.2013, leg. D. Fominykh, A. Bondarenko (cFDD); 3 males, 4 females, Abkhazia, Gulripsh Distr., NW slopes of Gurzul Mt. Range near Merkheul Village, 200 m, 27.IV-25.VI.2013, leg. D. Fominykh, A. Bondarenko (cFDD); 16 males, 31 females, Abkhazia, Gulripsh Distr., NW slopes of Gurzul Mt. Range near Merkheul Village, 170-230 m, left tributary of Machara River, hornbeam, alder, rhododendron ( Rhododendron ponticum ) forest site, 05.V-04.VII.2013, leg. I. Solodovnikov, S. Solodovnikova, V. Kotsur, S. Pavlyuchuk, N. Pichugin (cSIA, cFDD, cKVM, cPSM, cPNYu); 4 males, 5 females, Abkhazia, Gulripsh Distr., Gurzul Mt. Range near Merkheul Village, rivulet 1, left tributary of Machara River, hornbeam, alder, rhododendron ( Rhododendron ponticum ) forest site, 170 m, 43°59'17.91"N / 041°11'10.24"E, 11.V-08.VII.2014, leg. I. Solodovnikov, S. Solodovnikova, S. Pavlyuchuk (cSIA, cPSM); 6 males, 8 females, Abkhazia, Gulripsh Distr., left bank of River Kelasur, "Shervadshidzevskyi les", gorge, hornbeam, alder, rhododendron ( Rhododendron ponticum ) forest site, 123-130 m, 42°58'54.43"N / 041°06'15.63"E, 11.V-08.VII.2014, leg. I. Solodovnikov, S. Solodovnikova, S. Pavlyuchuk (cSIA, cPSM).

Description.

Large form, males 31.1-35.7 (33.8) mm, females 32.2-39.8 (36.1) mm long, slender. Underside black, dorsum normally with bright metallic lustre, green, dark blue, bronze, crimson, violet, seldom black, with transitional color forms in males, females less nitidous, sometimes matte. Body shape is the narrowest within the studied species complex.

Head not inflated. Pronotum extremely variable in shape, from subquadrate to transverse, more often cordate, lateral sides with deep hollow before hind angles. PW/PL = 1.13-1.43 (1.32) in males and 1.03-1.57 (1.37) in females, hind angles strongly protruding backwards and sidewards, pointed apically. Median groove smooth to completely obliterated in some female specimens. Disk transversally rugose, with rugosity gradually strengthening towards median groove. Elytra strongly elongate to ovate (generally the most slender within studied species complex), more elongate in males, with inconspicuous depression in the middle in some female specimens. EL/EW = 1.64-2.02 (1.84) in males and 1.60-1.97 (1.80) in females. Elytral sculpture nearly identical in males and females, forming precise series of elongate links. The main morphometric measurements of the studied populations are presented in Table 2 .

Lamella of aedeagus short, of triangular form. Structure of endophallus testifies to the assignment of this form to the reitteri -group (since the previous authors did not properly analyze this morphological structure, it lead them to an erroneous interpretation of the subspecific structure of this species). Saccellus short, of rectangular shape, resembling saccellus of Carabus (Archiplectes) juenthneri , with S-shaped fold on the right, paracellar lobe rounded, protruding laterally, endophallus with asymmetric position of inner structures (when viewed frontally). Ostium lobe small, sometimes faintly developed. Aggonoporius small.

Differential diagnosis.

Strongly resembles Carabus (Archiplectes) besleticus besleticus from which it differs in a more elongate and less ovate body shape, the more precise elytral sculpture, a more convex pronotum with sharper hind angles, a very narrow base of the pronotum (PW/PB being the highest in the species complex in question), and also by the structure of the male genitalia. For the illustration of morphometric characters of this species, see Figures 1 and 2.

Distribution.

Populates low mountain forest belts in an interfluve of the r. Kodor and Kelasur, from altitude of 50 m up to 500 m.

Habitat.

Prefers forests of the Colchic (= Colchian) type admixed with beech, chestnut, and rhododendron ( Rhododendron ponticum ). Activity of imago proceeds from April until July. Carabus (Archiplectes) koltzei koltzei Rost, 1889, Carabus (Megodontus) septemcarinatus Motschulsky, 1840, and Carabus (Sphodristocarabus) armeniacus laevilineatus Ganglbauer, 1887, also occur together with this species (being much more abundant).