Clanoptilus (Hypoptilus) erythropterus ( Erichson, 1840 ) Švihla & Hájek, 2009

Švihla, Vladimír & Hájek, Jiří, 2009, Taxonomic changes in Eastern Mediterranean Malachius (Coleoptera: Malachiidae), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 49 (1), pp. 217-224 : 218-220

Clanoptilus (Hypoptilus) erythropterus ( Erichson, 1840) comb. nov.

Malachius erythropterus Erichson, 1840: 68 .

Type locality. ‘Mesopotamien’ [= probably recent Iraq].

Type material. LECTOTYPE: ♀ ( ZMHB) by present designation, labelled: ‘32221 [white label, handwritten] // Paratypus [sic!, red label, printed] // Hist.-Coll. ( Coleoptera ) / Nr. 33221 / Malachius erythropterus / Er.x / Mesopotam., Helfer / Zool. Mus. Berlin [white, black-bordered label, printed] // SYNTYPUS / Malachius erythropterus / Erichson, 1840 / labelled by MNHUB 2008’. PARALECTOTYPES: 3 ♀♀, same label data as lectotype ( ZMHB) ; 1 ♀, ‘Helfer. [yellow label, handwritten] // Malachius / erythropterus / Erichs. Euphr. [yellow, black-bordered label, handwritten] // SYNTYPUS [red label, printed]’ ( NMPC, ex coll. Nickerl) ; 1 ♀, ‘Helfer. [yellow label, handwritten] // Malach: / erythropterus / n. s Euphr [yellow, red-bordered label, Nickerl’s handwriting] // SYNTYPUS [red label, printed]’ ( NMPC, coll. Nickerl).

Specimens excluded from the type material. 3 JJ, same label data as lectotype. One specimen with additional label ‘ erythropterus Er., Mesopot. Helf. [grey label, not Erichson’s handwriting]’ (all ZMHB).

Additional material examined. IRAN: KHUZESTAN: Shūshtār , loc. no.287, 13.iv.1977, 1 spec. ; Ahwāz , loc.no. 289, 14.–15.iv.1977, 12 spec. ; 40 km N Ahwāz , loc. no. 191, 15.–16.iv.1977, 4 spec. ; 34 km SE Omīdīyeh , loc. no. 292, 16.–17.iv.1977, 1 spec., all Exped. Nat. Mus.Praha . IRAQ: Baghdād, Kálalová lgt., 91 spec. TURKEY: ADIYAMAN: Nemrut Daği, 8.vi.1992, Kondler lgt., 1 spec. ŞANLIURFA: Halfeti , 21.v.1993, V. Švihla lgt., 2 spec. (all NMPC) .

Notes on the type material. The original description of Malachius erythropterus is based only on a female, although Erichson himself mentioned also one male with missing antennae that could also belong to the same species. The number of syntypes was not given in the original description. The original series from ZMHB was labelled subsequently and consists of three males and three females (two males are comparatively well preserved including almost complete antennae but the third one is strongly damaged with the head, prothorax and four legs missing). Two additional females are deposited in NMPC. Although the males mentioned above most probably came from the same lot of Helfer’s specimens, we remove them from the type material in accordance with the original description. Because of the relevant taxonomic works do not allow for an unambiguous identification of specimens, we designate a lectotype to fix the identity of this species.

Comments on classification. The erroneous concept of Malachius erythropterus originated from PEYRON (1877) and was followed by ABEILLE DE PERRIN (1891) and EVERS (1985), although the former two authors expressed some doubts. The examination of the type material and other specimens belonging to the original series revealed that this species possesses an apical elytral depression and lacks any frontal secretoric structures in male, and therefore belongs to the genus Clanoptilus Motschulsky, 1854 , subgenus Hypoptilus (sensu EVERS 1985) , and is related to Clanoptilus dlabolai (Wittmer, 1979) ( Iran) and Clanoptilus assimilis ( Baudi di Selve, 1871) (Eastern Mediterranean) characterized by a shallow apical elytral depression without any thorn-shaped structure. It is possible that Clanoptilus hajazensis (Pic, 1929) ( Saudi Arabia) is identical with C. erythropterus , but the type material of C. hajazensis was not at the disposal for an examination.

Malachius erythropterus, sensu PEYRON (1877) and following authors, in fact most probably represents a formally undescribed species of Malachius .

Distribution. South-western Iran, Iraq, north-eastern Turkey. Occurrence in Syria ( BAUDI DI SELVE 1871) needs to be verified. New species for Iran and Turkey.