Carabus (Archiplectes) besleticus besleticus Kurnakov, 1972

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 : 25-26

Carabus (Archiplectes) besleticus besleticus Kurnakov, 1972 Figs 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 16-18, 42-49

Carabus (Neoplectes) satyrus besleticus Kurnakov, 1972: 112 ( “Vallée de la Besléta”).

Neoplectes reitteri gaskoi Kenyeri, 1975: 113.

Carabus (Archiplectes) satyrus besleticus : Gottwald 1985: 310; Bousquet et al. 2003: 132; Retezár 2008: 40.

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

Comparative material examined.

176 specimens were examined (41 specimens measured, 11 male genitalia preparations studied): 59 males, 73 females, Abkhazia, Sukhum Distr. near Sukhum city, N slope of Mt. Birtzkha, 200 m, 26.IV-25.VI.2013, leg. D. Fominykh, A. Bondarenko (cFDD, cBAS, cSIA, cKVM); 1 female, Abkhazia, Sukhum Distr., vicinities of Village Abzhakva, left bank of River Basla, 80-90 m, box and beech forest site, 05-16.V.2013, leg. I. Solodovnikov, S. Solodovnikova, V. Kotsur, N. Pichugin (cSIA); 1 male, Abkhazia, Sukhum Distr., vicinities of Village Kveno-Linda, N slope of Mt. Birtskha, 120-140 m, box and beech forest site, N43°02'49.81", E041°04'01.23", 05-13.05.2012, leg. I. Solodovnikov (cSIA); 11 males, 10 females, Abkhazia, Sukhum Distr., vicinities of Village Kaman, N slope of Mt. Birtskha, 160 m, beech, linden, box, elder forest site, 05.V-04.VII.2013, leg. I. Solodovnikov, S. Solodovnikova, V. Kotsur, S. Pavlyuchuk, N. Pichugin (cSIA, cKVM, cPSM, cPNYu); 4 males, 12 females, Abkhazia, Sukhum Distr., right bank of River Kelasur, E slope of Mt. Anykhapaara, beech, alder, chestnut forest site, 135 m, 42°59'30.67"N / 041°05'59.66"E, 11.V-08.VII.2014, leg. I. Solodovnikov, S. Solodovnikova, S. Pavlyuchuk (cSIA, cPSM); 2 males, 3 females, Abkhazia, Sukhum Distr., vicinities of Village Kaman, N slope of Mt. Birtskha, right bank of River Basla, beech, linden, box, elder forest site, 160 m, 43°02'57.59"N / 041°03'48.67"E, 11.V-08.VII.2014, leg. I. Solodovnikov, S. Solodovnikova, S. Pavlyuchuk (cSIA, cPSM).

Description.

Large form, males 32.0-38.0 (34.7) mm, females 38.0-40.75 (39.0) mm long, robust. Underside black, dorsum normally with bright metallic luster, various colours of green, dark blue, bronze, crimson, violet, seldom black, with transitional color forms in males, females matte. Body massive, less slender than in Carabus (Archiplectes) satyrus .

Head not inflated. Pronotum of variable shape, from subcordate to transverse, lateral sides not to faintly sinuated. PW/PL = 1.26-1.53 (1.37) in males and 1.25-1.62 (1.46) in females, base rather broad, PW/PB = 1.03-1.33 (1.17) in males and 1.11-1.31 (1.19) in females, hind angles distinctly protruding backwards and faintly sidewards, rounded apically. Median groove distinct, microsculpture forming transversal rugosity, gradually strengthening towards median groove. Elytra strongly elongate to ovate, more elongate in males, with inconspicuous depression in the middle in both males and females. EL/EW = 1.62-1.86 (1.75) in males and 1.64-1.86 (1.78) in females. Elytral sculpture nearly identical in males and females, forming faint and smoothed series of elongated links. The main morphometric measurements of the studied populations are given in Table 2 .

Lamella of aedeagus elongate, with a prominent hollow on the right side before the apex. Saccellus large, conical, smoothly rounded apically, paracellar lobe hardly developed, endophallus with symmetrical position of inner structures (when viewed frontally). Ostium lobe large, of blunted conical shape.

Differential diagnosis.

Habitually strongly resembles Carabus (Archiplectes) satyrus from which it differs in the less elongate and more rounded body shape, the different shape of pronotum, smoothed elytral sculpture with longer links, the different shapes of pronotum and male genitalia. The morphometric characters of this subspecies are illustrated in Figures 1 - 4.

Distribution.

Populates a low mountain forest belt in an interfluve of the River Gumista - East Gumista and Kelasur.

Habitat.

Prefers beech and beech-chestnut forest sites admixed with box, rich in ground litter on karstic landforms at altitudes from 50 to 500 m. Activity of imago proceeds from April until July. Carabus (Archiplectes) apollo phoebus Kurnakov, 1962, Carabus (Megodontus) septemcarinatus , Carabus (Sphodristocarabus) armeniacus rugatus Breuning, 1934 (natio novotnyorum Mandl, 1975), and Carabus (Procerus) caucasicus colchicus Motschulsky, 1844, occur together with this subspecies.