Microhoria leuthneri (Pic, 1897)

Telnov, Dmitry, 2022, Revisional notes on the genus Microhoria Chevrolat, 1877 (Insecta: Coleoptera: Anthicidae) from the Eastern Mediterranean and Turkey, with new descriptions, an annotated catalogue, and a key, Baltic Journal of Coleopterology 22 (2), pp. 195-312 : 256-258

Microhoria leuthneri (Pic, 1897) ( Fig. 32 ) Anthicus Leuthneri Pic, 1897c: 120 (description).

Anthicus Leuthneri – Pic 1901c: 255 (checklist, record – Syria), Pic 1911a: 58 (checklist).

Anthicus (Aulacoderus) Leuthneri – Reitter 1906: 443 (checklist); Winkler 1927: 850 (checklist); Hariri 1968: 207 (checklist).

Aulacoderus leuthneri – Chikatunov et al. 2004: 157 (informal new combination, distribution in Israel, general distribution, bionomy).

Microhoria leuthneri – Nardi 2003: 60 (new combination, new, erroneous synonymy of the two varieties (see note below) misinterpreting Winkler (1927), taxonomy); Uhmann et al. 2005: 5, 44 (biogeography, bibliography, bionomy, records – Israel); Chandler et al. 2008: 441 (checklist); Kejval 2017: 59 (nota); Kejval & Chandler 2020: 131 (assigned to the M. terminata species group); Telnov 2020a: 610 (checklist).

Pic (1897c: 120) described ‘ Anthicus Leuthneri “variété (dissimilis)”’ from Beirut ( Lebanon). For unstated reason this taxon was listed as infrasubspecific by Winkler (1927), which was erroneously considered infrasubspecific by Nardi (2003), followed by Chandler et al. (2008) and Telnov (2020a). Consider new synonymy of this taxon with Microhoria latipennis (Pic) above.

Pic (1903: 170) described ‘ Anthicus Leuthneri s.­ esp. creticus ’ from Kríti (Crete). For unstated reasons this taxon was listed as infrasubspecific by Winkler (1927) which was erroneously considered infrasubspecific by Nardi (2003), followed by Chandler et al. (2008) and Telnov (2020a). Consider new synonymy of this taxon with Microhoria emaciata (Pic, 1896) above.

Type material studied. Possibly syntype, 1 female MNHN: Beyrouth [handwritten] [there is no clear indication that this specimen belongs to the type series, but it is here considered syntype]; possibly syntype, 1 female NHMB: Beyrouth [handwritten] // Leuthneri [handwritten]; possibly syntype, 1 female NHMB: Beyrouth [handwritten] // Leuthneri [handwritten] [described from an unstated number of specimens; the specimens at MNHN and NHMB are all not labelled types, but their labels are handwritten by Maurice Pic pointing on they are likely to be a part of the type series] .

New material. 1 male NME & 1 male DTC: TURCIA m. Prov. Antalya 23–25 km N Mahmutlar 1350 m 36°32’ N, 32°21’ E 04.VI.2004 leg. A. Weigel ; 3 specimens HMNH: SYRIA, muh. Al Ladhgiyah , 10 km S Kasab, N 35°54,643’, E 35°59,998’, 550 m // 23.IV.2005, leg. N. Rahmé, A. Márkus, A. Kotán & A. Podlussány ; 1 male NME: TURCIA m. Prov. Antalya 18 km NE Demirtas, Pass bei 1550 m 36°28’38’’ N, 32°23’16’’E 26.+ 28.V.2006 leg. A. Skale ; 1 specimen HMNH: SYRIA, muh. Al Ladhqiyah , 10 km S Kasab N 35°54.643’, E 35°59.998’, 550 m, // 23.VI.2006, leg. N. Rahmé, A. Márkus, A. Kotán & A. Podlussány.

Supplementary description. Belongs to the M. terminata species group. Female, possibly syntype (see note above).Total body length 2.9 mm. Head dark reddish­brown, pronotum reddish, paler at base and laterally, elytra brown.Antennomeres 1–8 yellowish, remaining antennomeres and palps brown. Femora and tarsi brown, tibiae yellow, distinctly paler than femora. Head barely longer than wide, head base rounded in one broad arc with tempora and posterior temporal angles. Compound eye moderate, moderately protruding from lateral outline of head. Head dorsum glossy, punctures sparse, moderately deep. Intervening spaces smooth, wider than punctures. Dorsal cranial setae whitish to yellowish, sparse, subdecumbent. Antenna moderately thickened in apical half. Terminal antennomere pointed, about twice as long as penultimate antennomere. Pronotum barely transverse, distinctly narrower than head across eyes, glossy, broadly rounded at anterior margin. Lateral margins strongly impressed in posterior half. Latero­basal pronotal fovea moderately broad and deep, with curved, yellowish setation. Pronotal disc slightly convex in dorsal aspect. Pronotal punctures sparse, intervening spaces glossy, much wider than punctures. Pronotal setae whitish to yellowish, moderately long, subdecumbent. Elytra about 1.4–1.5× as long as wide, laterally widened at midlength, dorsally flattened. Humerus broadly rounded, not protruding. Elytral disc glossy, punctures distinctly larger, denser and coarser than those on pronotum. Intervening spaces smooth and glossy, generally as wide as to twice as wide as punctures. Elytral setae whitish to yellowish, moderately long and rather dense, subdecumbent. Legs without modifications, tibial terminal spurs paired. Tergite VII and morphological sternite VII broadly rounded at posterior margin.

Sexual dimorphism. Male from 23–25 km N Mahmutlar, Turkey. Elytral apex with minute, subacute denticle at opening of gland channel. Tergite VII truncate at posterior margin. Morphological sternite VII broadly rounded at posterior margin.Aedeagus ( Fig. 32C–E ) short and broad, tegmen with extraordinary long, rod­like, apically hooked process; endophallic armature with a pair of strong, slightly curved spines and numerous short, rod­like, apically rounded spinules.

Interspecific variability. Forebody and all legs uniformly pale brown in one specimen from Antalya Province. Dorsal forebody rather dense and coarse punctate in some specimens from Antalya Province. Antenna nearly uniformly dark brown in a male from Antalya Province, Turkey. Head base rounded in one broad arc with tempora or tempora subparallel, temporal angles rounded but distinct .

Ecology. Reported from up to 1900 m a.s.l. ( Chikatunov et al. 2004) but this record requires further confirmation since the identification is uncertain.

Distribution. Israel, Lebanon, Syria, southern Turkey (first country record for Turkey).

Chorotype. SW­Asiatic (1.13 SWA).

Figures

Fig. 32. Microhoria leuthneri (Pic, 1897).A – Female possibly syntype from “Beyrouth”, Lebanon, habitus, dorsal view; B – Forebody, dorsal view; C – Male from NE Demirtas, Turkey, aedeagus, lateral view; D – Endophallic armature; E – ditto, different view [not to scale].