Laemostenus (Antisphodrus) shirazensis Muilwijk, Tahami & Lohaj, 2017

Tahami, Mohadeseh Sadat, Muilwijk, Jan, Lohaj, Roman & Sadeghi, Saber, 2017, Study of Laemostenus species across Zagros and Central zone of Iran, with the description of seven new cavernicolous species and notes on subgenus Iranosphodrus (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Sphodrini), Zootaxa 4344 (1), pp. 115-136 : 121-122

Laemostenus (Antisphodrus) shirazensis Muilwijk, Tahami & Lohaj , sp. nov.

( Figs. 8–10 )

Type material. Holotype male, labelled: “ Iran, Fars, Pasargad, Palangan Cave/ 18.ii.2015; leg. M.S. Tahami, S. Sadeghi, H. Darvishnia, Y. Bakhshi, M.J. Malek Hosseini, Z. Khazaei ”/ Laemostenus shirazensis sp. nov. Muilwijk, Tahami & Lohaj, 2016 (red label Holotype). Paratype: one male, the same data as holotype, / Laemostenus shirazensis sp. nov. Muilwijk, Tahami & Lohaj, 2016 (red label Paratype). Holotype and paratype are deposited in ZM– CBSU.

Diagnosis. A medium sized, brachypterous Laemostenus sg. Antisphodrus species of the glasunowi speciesgroup. Colour dark-brown, legs and antennomeres reddish-brown, whole body with distinct microsculpture ( Fig. 8 ).

Description. BL 17.2–17.5 mm. Head wider than long (HL/HW: 0.9), with only posterior pair of supraorbital setae; frontal furrows very fine; eyes slightly convex, reduced (0.5 mm), shorter than temples (0.6 mm); neck very short. Clypeus with two long setae; labrum with six setae. Antennae slender, reaching anterior fourth of elytral length; antennomere 3 distinctly longer than antennomeres 1+2, without accessory setae except a few apical ones; antennomeres 4–11 pubescent.

Pronotum elongate, slightly sinuate before hind angles; as long as wide (PL/ PW: 1.0), with maximum width in apical fourth, wider than head. Basal impressions shallow, with deep punctures. Lateral margins finely punctate, with two pairs of setae present in lateral furrow, pair of baso-lateral setae situated near posterior angles, pair of antero-lateral setae situated in anterior fourth of pronotal length.

Elytra ovate elongate (EL/EW 1.7), with maximum width in posterior third, disc slightly depressed medially; base wider than pronotal base. Humeri distinct, with tooth. Striae fine, with punctures, intervals flat. Scutellar striae present; scutellar setiferous punctures situated in stria 1. Umbilicate series consists of 19 irregularly situated setiferous punctures; two setae at apex of stria 7.

Mesosternum unarmed, without teeth before mesocoxae. Abdominal sternites black, shiny, with very fine microsculpture, each sternite with two setae.

Legs elongated, slender. Protibiae with some fine hairs at apex of internal anterior sides. Mesotibiae and metatibiae with dense pubescence limited to apical fourth. Tarsi dorsally with decumbent pubescence; claws smooth. Male protarsi distinctly dilated.

Aedeagus: ( Figs. 9–10 ) median lobe short (2.44 mm), arcuate in lateral view, basal bulb well developed. Apex long, ventral margin more or less curved in lateral view; apex widely rounded in dorsal view.

Ovipositor: unknown.

Differential diagnosis. L. (A.) shirazensis sp. nov. differs from all other so far known species of the glasunowi species-group by the absence of anterior supraorbital setae and shape of median lobe of aedeagus with prominent apex.

Distribution and habitat. So far known only from the hypogean zone of the type locality, Palangan cave, Fars province.

Etymology. Topotypic, referring to nearby and well-known Iranian city Shiraz.

Figures

FIGURES 8 – 10. Habitus in dorsal view of Laemostenus shirazensis (holotype) (8). Aedeagus of Laemostenus shirazensis in lateral view (9), dorsal view (10).