Nebrioporus sagartus, Toledo, 2009

Toledo, Mario, 2009, Revision in part of the genus Nebrioporus Régimbart, 1906, with emphasis on the N. laeviventris-group (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae), Zootaxa 2040, pp. 1-111 : 71-72

Nebrioporus sagartus sp.n.

Figs 33, 62

Type locality. Iran > Sistan va Baluchistan> 47 km S Khash, stream 1460 m .

Type material. Holotype ♂ ( NMW)" Iran, Sistan va Baluchistan , rd. Khash to Iranshahr, 47 km S Khash, stream 1460 m, 1.IV.1997 (#1913), Elmi leg."plus my red holotype label . Paratypes (all bearing my red paratype label): Iran: Sistan va Baluchistan: same locality as holotype (97 exs. CBSU, NMW, HF, MTP, PMB); "Rd. Ghal' he Zaboli to Sarbaz, 82 km S Zabol, pond stagnant 1035 m, 25.III.1977 (#631), Elmi leg." (4 exs. CBSU); " Rd. Chabahar to Nikshahr , 60 km N Chabahar, stagnant 170 m, 27.III.1977 (#636), Elmi leg." (5 exs. CBSU); " Rd. Khash to Iranshahr , 52 km S Khash, stagnant water 1510 m, 25.III.1977 (#628), Elmi leg." (16 exs. CBSU, MTP); " Rd. Khash to Shurab , 15 km S Khash, stagnant water 1550 m, 23.III.1977 (#621), Elmi leg." (6 exs. CBSU); " Rd. Zahedan to Khash , 58 km S Zahedan, stagnant water 1740 m, 31.III.1997 (#1907), Elmi leg." (1 ex. CBSU); " Rd. Zahedan to Khash , 93 km S Zahedan, river 1940 m, 31.III.1997 (#1909), Elmi leg." (19 exs. CBSU, MTP); " Rd. Zahedan to Khash , 65 km S Zahedan, stream 1780 m, 31.III.1997 (#1908), Elmi leg." (9 exs. CBSU); " Rd. Khash to Iranshahr , 76 km S Khash, stagnant water 1100 m, 1.IV.1997 (#1914), Elmi leg." (2 exs. CBSU); " Rd. Khash to Iranshahr , 21 km S Khash, stagnant water 1380 m, 1.IV.1997 (#1911), Elmi leg." (7 exs. CBSU); " Rd. Khash to Iranshahr , 9 km S Khash, pond 1400 m, 1.IV.1997 (#1910), Elmi leg." (9 exs. CBSU); " Pass northern Karwanda 1335 m 16.VII.1954 Richter u. Scäuffele \ Potamonectes balli Vaz. Det. G. Wewalka 89" (1 ex. GWW)"; E Iran, 2100 m, Taftan , Tamandan , 20.4.1973 \ Loc. no. 167 Exp. Mus. Nat. Praha" (1 ex. MMBC); "SE Iran, 40 Km SW Zaboli, 31.3.1973 \ Loc. no. 143 Exp. Nat. Mus. Praha" (1 ex. MMBC); "SE Iran, Sekand , 27 km ENE Sarbáz, 31.III–1.IV.1973 \ Loc. no. 144 Exp. Nat. Mus. Praha" (1 ex. MMBC); " 2 km S Espakeh, 690 m (26°48’N, 60°10’E), (light) \ Iran 2000 Czech Biological Expedition J. Haiek & M. Mikát leg." (1 ex. JHP); Fars: " Rd. Neiriz to Sirjan, 1560 m 346 Km E Shiraz, 16.III.1978, Elmi leg." (2 exs. MTB); " Rd. Jahrom to Darab, 17 km S to Jahrom, spring water 1340 m, 19.I.1996 (# 1860), Elmi leg." (11 exs. CBSU, MTP); "C. Iran, 1800 m 37 km NW Dowiatabad [Province not found], 21.5.1977 \ Loc. no. 342 Exped. Nat. Mus. Praha" (1 ex. MMBC); Kerman: " Iran, Kerman, nr. Dshalk, 30.I.1901, N. Zarudni [translated from Russian] \ Potamonectes lanceolatus Wlk. V. Gueorguiev det. 1963 \ Potamonectes scutellaris Sharp J. Balfour-Browne det. 1963" (1 ex. MIZIT); " Iran, Kerman, nr. Mechran, 19.III.1901, N. Zarudni " [translated from Russian] (1 ex. MIZIT); " Iran, Kerman, nr. Sargad, 19–20.VIII.1898, N. Zarudni [translated from Russian] \ Potamonectes scutellaris Sharp V. Gueorguiev det. 1963" (1 ex. MIZIT); " Rd. Sirjan to Baft, 89 km E. Sirjan, pond 2270 m, 18.III.1977 (#605), Elmi leg." (1 ex. DBSU) .

Description. TL 5.0– 5.3 mm; MW 2.5–2.9 mm. Oblong-oval, slightly convex, surface not shiny. Angle between pronotum and elytra obsolete. Colouration reddish-yellow.

Head reddish, without dark markings. Antennae reddish-yellow, slightly darkened at apex of last 5 or 6 antennomeres. Mouthparts reddish-yellow. Maxillary palpi testaceous, slightly darkened in second half.

Pronotum narrow, with maximum width at base. Lateral sides straight basally, slightly rounded anteriorly; with thick border in the middle. Posterior angles almost acute, at least in males. Dorsal surface covered by a very fine and poorly impressed punctuation, plus few larger punctures on anterior and posterior margins.

Elytra elongated-oval, maximum width near the middle of the length. Sides rounded, straighter in the apical portion. Surface covered by a fine punctuation. Rows of punctures hardly visible. Subapical denticle visible in both sexes

Dorsal colouration ( Fig. 33a–c): pronotum reddish, slightly darkened along anterior and posterior sides and with two discal spots, poorly developed in most cases; elytra testaceous: dark patterns composed by reddish-brown, somewhat confused, longitudinal vittae, more or less extended and confluent in some parts.

Underside smooth, covered by a dense and close punctuation. Blackish-brown, with prosternal process and apex of last sternites reddish, epipleuron testaceous. Sternites with an apical comb of setae.

Legs uniformly reddish.

Male: Protarsi rather dilated. Outer anterior claw modified ( Fig. 33d–f), longer and strongly curved, flattened specially near the apex, which is rounded, not acuminate. Inner claw small, normally with a strong tooth on its ventral side, but there is intraspecific variation in the development of this teeth. Mesotarsal claws unmodified. Median lobe of aedeagus ( Fig. 33h) large, robust, arched in lateral view; parameres ( Fig. 33g) large, strongly narrowed on dorsal side.

Female: Similar to male.

Notes. (i) As it was not possible to see the types of Potamonectes balli Vazirani, 1970 (see below), I have not been able to compare N. sagartus with this latter and, therefore, to establish with certainty if they are really two different taxa. The illustration of male anterior claws in Vazirani’s (1970) original description does not match the characters of the new species, and a single male specimen found in BMNH, from Uttaranchal Pradesh, Bhimtal, Kumaon Kalees, (see above in "additional material examined" of N. indicus ), identified as P. balli by Vazirani, is clearly a specimen of N. indicus . The examination of the types of P. balli is required in order to solve definitively the status of both taxa.

(ii) Males may be easily separated from other species of Nebrioprus occurring in Iran due to the characters on the protarsal claws. Nevertheless, it can be very easy to confuse females of this species with females of N. lanceolatus with obsolete elytral patterns, and of N. ressli (see below). Females of N. lanceolatus and N. ressli normally have pronotum with clearly rounded hind angles and finer lateral border, where females of sagartus have pronotum with acute hind angles and thick lateral border, similar to the males.

Distribution ( Fig. 49). Southern Iran: known from the Provinces of Fars, Kerman and Sistan va Beluchistan.

Derivatio nominis. Singular nominative of the adjective Sagartus, referred to Sagarti, ancient population of southern Iran.