Laemostenus (Laemostenus) phoenicius, Casale & D.W & P, 2012

Casale, A., D. W & P, Antalya, 2012, New or little known Laemostenus species from the Near and Middle East (Coleoptera, Carabidae: Sphodrini), Linzer biologische Beiträge 44 (2), pp. 1111-1127 : 1114-1116

Laemostenus (Laemostenus) phoenicius nov.sp.

T y p e m a t e r i a l: Holotype, labelled: " Libanon: Maїfouq 800 m 4/ 13/IV/1997 (ne. Jbaїl) Heinz leg. " (cHE) . Paratypes: 1 with same data but handwritten on backside of the label: 11.IV. (cHE) ; 1 with same data but: 4.IV. (cWR) ; 1, 2: " Libanon E Saida 650 m ZW. Anan u. Aazour 5/ 17.XI.2003 Heinz leg." (cCa, cHE) .

D i a g n o s i s: A small sized Laemostenus (Laemostenus) species of the L. quadricollis species group (sensu CASALE 1988), mostly characterised by the uniformly

reddish colour with brown-bluish disc of elytra, parallel-sided tempora, small eyes, and the tarsal claws with reduced, small teeth on the internal side. Habitus Fig. 23.

E t y m o l o g y: Referring on the type locality of the new species, Lebanon, from which the Phoenician people originated and extended to one of the most important and ancient civilizations in the Mediterranean area.

D e s c r i p t i o n: Body small: TL: 11.5-12.0 (holotype) mm; L: 12.5-13.0 (holotype) mm).

Colour: Uniformly reddish, markedly depigmented; disc of elytra (except the sutural interval) darker, brownish with slight bluish-violet reflection at oblique light. Surface moderately shining, elytra sericeous.

Microsculpure: Head and pronotum with shallow, transversal microlines, elytra with distinct, isodiametric meshes.

Head elongate but robust, thickened; dorsal surface smooth; frons convex, tempora parallel-sided; eyes small, much shorter than tempora, slightly prominent laterally; frontal impressions small, short, slightly impressed; antennae long, if stretched backwards exceeding by four antennomeres the elytral base.

Pronotum subquadrate cordiform (PL/PW: 0.97), its lateral sides slightly reflexed in the posterior half, briefly sinuate anteriorly to the basolateral angles, which are rectangular; anterolateral angles acutely prominent; base moderately oblique at sides, superficially beaded. Disc depressed, smooth, with sparse and shallow transverse wrinkles close to the median furrow; lateral furrow deeper in the anterior half; basal impressions wide, moderately deep, each with a few, deep punctures extended to the basal area and the lateral furrows; anterolateral and basolateral setiferous punctures present.

Elytra ovate, short (EL/EW: 1.70), widened in the posterior third, subconvex but depressed on the disc. Base narrow, almost straight; basal ridge incavate; humeral tooth absent, shoulders obtusely rounded but evident. Striae very deep, shallowly punctured; intervals flat, smooth. Chaetotaxy: Basal pore present; umbilicate series with 17-18 setiferous punctures; 1-2 setae at apex of stria 7.

Legs long and slender; profemora on ventral side longitudinally shallowly concave for entire length, its outer side with an oblique series of setae, one of them reaching the apical third of the outer margin, which is smooth; mesotibiae straight; metatibiae each with apical group of short, sparse yellow-reddish setae. Tarsomeres narrow, thin, with dorsal pubescence short and sparse. Males with fore tarsomeres 1-3 moderately dilated and with ventral, biseriate adhesive vestiture. Tarsal claws with a series of small teeth, reduced in number (4), along the basal half of the internal margin.

Male genitalia and abdominal segment IX in male as in Figs. 2-5. Aedeagus small; median lobe slightly curved, its apex short, in dorsal aspect slightly asymmetric, subtruncate and emarginate distally; right paramere very short, subtruncate apically; left paramere with reduced apical membranous lobe.

Female genitalia: Not examined.

D i s t r i b u t i o n a n d h a b i t a t: Known so far from two localities in Lebanon, in a range of altitude from 650 to 800 m a.s.l. The few specimens of the type series were collected in different localities and in two different years. The adaptive features of this species indicate a subterranean way of life, confirmed by the scarcity of individuals and its living condition. The localities are far apart, but of the same geological character: karstic limestone rock terraces with fissures. Grass grows on the horizontal surface up to the fissures which are filled with humus and detritus and very humid, at least after the thaw (in Maїfouq snow was still lying on the ground). The specimens were captured in traps on the horizontal surface and each placed near to a fissure. Today the biotope at Maїfouq is completely destroyed being now used for waste disposal. The locality near Saida is thought to still exist (W. Heinz, pers. comm.).

C o m p a r i s o n s: Close to L. (L.) antonrichteri CASALE 1988 , from which it is distinguished by the elytral disc darker, brownish with slight bluish-violet reflection, the elytra shorter, ovate, and by elytral intervals flat and the tarsal claws with reduced but evident denticulation on the internal side in the basal half.

R e m a r k s: The general depigmentation of integument, the reduced eyes, the slender and elongate appendages, and the reduced denticulation of tarsal claws, clearly indicate in this species marked adaptive features to a subterranean way of life, as in three other species of the quadricollis species group: L. (L.) aegyptiacus SCHATZMAYR 1936 , L. (L.) heinzi CASALE 1988 and L. (L.) antonrichteri CASALE 1988 ( CASALE 1988).

A preliminary, superficial examination of the individuals of this new Laemostenus species induced one of the authors (A.C.) to suspect the re-discovery of the enigmatic Laemostenus (Antisphodrus) libanensis (LA BRÛLERIE 1875) , described from remains collected at high altitude (2600 m) in the Djebel Sannin, under a big stone, and never found again ( CASALE 1988). A subsequent, careful examination of these individuals showed that they were not L. (A.) libanensis but a new species here described, belonging to Laemostenus sensu stricto.

The Laemostenus (Laemostenus) species of the L. quadricollis species group, all localized in reduced range of distribution in the Near and Middle East, can be identified by the following operative key.

Figures

Figs 22-25: Laemostenus, habitus. (22) L. croyi nov.sp., paratype. (23) L. phoenicius nov.sp., paratype (Maїfouq). (24) L. eggeri nov.sp., paratype. (25) L. bellicosus nov.sp., holotype (various magnifications).