Parazuphium weigeli, Wrase & Assmann, 2021

Wrase, David W. & Assmann, Thorsten, 2021, A new Parazuphium Jeannel, 1942 species (Coleoptera, Carabidae) from the Zagros Mountains in Iran, ZooKeys 1011, pp. 41-50 : 41

Parazuphium weigeli sp. nov.

Types.

Holotype male: "Iran Zagros Mts., P. Chahar / Mahall va Bachtiari, Asad / Abad 5 km SW, 32°20'30"N, 50°32'59"E, snow field, high pasture, 19.IV.2018, 2500- / 2770 m, leg. A.Weigel" (NKME; left and right antennomeres X and XI are missing). Paratype: 1 female, same data as HT (cWR).

Diagnosis.

A microphthalmic, depigmented, brachypterous Parazuphium species with short, robust legs and moderately long antennae. Median lobe of aedeagus with three sclerites. For habitus see Fig. 1 .

Description.

BL 3.7-3.9 mm; EW 1.3-1.4 mm.

Colour: Light yellowish to brownish.

Head large, slightly triangular, with rounded tempora. Eyes small and flat, ~ 1/3 as long as tempora (dorsal view) (Figs 1 , 2a ). Antennae moderately long, scapus (antennomere I) somewhat shorter than width of head (A1L/HW 0.82-0.83), ~ 5 × as long as antennomere II (A1L/A2L 4.7-5.17), antennomere II somewhat longer than 1/2 antennomere III (A2L/A3L 0.54-0.58), antennomere III somewhat shorter than antennomere IV (A3L/A4L 0.92). Neck somewhat wider than 1/3 of head width. Surface moderately shiny, punctures somewhat indistinct and scattered, setae also fine and scattered. Microsculpture consisting of isodiametric meshes.

Pronotum somewhat wider than head (HW/PW 0.88-0.91), slightly longer than wide (PW/PL 0.92), widest at approximately the apical 1/6, where lateral seta is inserted. Anterior margin almost rectilinear, somewhat excavated at insertion of neck. Anterior angles rounded, but hardly prominent. Lateral margin in apical 2/3 continuously rounded, concavely curved at the prebasal excision. Posterior angles obtuse and weakly prominent (PBaW/PEW 1.02-1.05), distinctly shifted forward due to a strong excision of the basal margin (Fig. 4A ). Disc flat, median line medially somewhat excavated. Median sulcus fine, impressed on the posterior margin, not reaching the basal margin. Regularly and more strongly punctate and setose than head, microsculpture with irregular transverse meshes.

Elytra short (EL/EW 1.28-1.31), subparallel, distinctly widening to the apex. Apical margin sinuous (Fig. 2b ). Striae weak, only intimated, somewhat irregular, internal intervals weakly convex. Punctuation denser than on pronotum, somewhat wrinkled. Surface with setosity formed by short fine setae (somewhat denser than on pronotum), inclined backwards, setae at apex somewhat longer. Series umbilicata consists of eight (five long and three short) humeral and five (three long and two short) apical setae. Surface moderately shiny, microsculpture with irregular meshes. Brachypterous.

Legs robust and short, protibia somewhat curved inwards, mesotibia bent slightly outwards, metatibia straight. Male protarsomeres I-IV enlarged and with adhesive setae beneath.

Median lobe of aedeagus ~ 0.75 mm long, strongly sclerotised. Dorsal side sinuous, apex pointed. Preputial field with three sclerites; the central one large, prolonged, at the tip spoon-like rounded, but central and basal part irregularly shaped; the left one rudimentary; the right one triangular (Fig. 3a, b ). Left paramere rounded, larger than the strongly reduced right one.

Comparisons.

The new species belongs to the genus Parazuphium because of small, numerous, erect setae on the scapus, one pair of supraorbital setae, a sinuous apical margin of the elytra, and a tube-shaped median lobe of the aedeagus with small sclerites on the preputial field.

In its characters it is similar to P. salmoni Assmann, Renan & Wrase, 2015. It shares with it the small eyes, strong and relatively short legs, moderately long antennae, metatibia straight in both sexes, similar body indices, brachyptery, and the colour. It differs from P. salmoni by the following features: (1) eyes larger (eye diameter in dorsal view ~ 1/3 of temple length, in P. salmoni ~ 1/4); (2) antennomere I shorter in relation to antennomere II, ~ 5 × as long as antennomere II (in P. salmoni 5.5-6 ×) (measured from the basal incision of the antennomeres to the apex); (3) pronotum more slender in relation to head (HW/PW 0.88-0.91, in P. salmoni 0.83-0.85); (4) hind angles less prominent (Fig. 4 ); (5) punctuation of pronotum less prominent (Fig. 4 ); (6) microsculpture of pronotum weaker and transverse (in P. salmoni isodiametric); (7) median lobe of aedeagus not downwardly bent and with different configuration and shape of the sclerites of the preputial field (Fig. 3a, b vs. Fig. 3d, e ).

The new species differs from P. damascenum (Fairmaire, 1897) by (1) straight metatibia in both genders; (2) smaller and flat eyes; (3) brachyptery, (4) deviating shape of median lobe of aedeagus and its sclerites (Fig. 3a-c ).

Parazuphium weigeli sp. nov. differs from P. chevrolatii by: (1) smaller eyes; (2) antennomere I shorter, shorter than head width; (3) weakly developed elytral intervals; (4) slender median lobe of aedeagus without an excision at the base of prolonged apical tip (Fig. 3a, b vs. Fig. 3f, g ).

The other microphthalmic species of the genus ( P. angustioculum Hůrka, 1982, P. baeticum (K. & J. Daniel, 1898), P. punicum (K. & J. Daniel, 1898), P. ramirezi J. & E. Vives, 1976) differ from P. weigeli sp. nov. by their (1) slender legs, (2) longer body lengths, (3) deviating proportions of antennomeres, (4) shape of median lobe of aedeagus and number and shape of sclerites (cf. Hůrka 1982, 1987). These species occur exclusively in the south-western part of the Palaearctic (Morocco, Spain, and Sicily) ( Huber and Marggi 2017).

Habitat.

Habitat is a subalpine grassland in 2500-2770 m a.s.l. The specimens were found under a large stone, deeply embedded in the soil, close to a snow field (Fig. 5 ).

Dispersal power.

Brachypterous.

Distribution.

Known so far only from the type locality. As the species is incapable of flight, its dispersal power is strongly limited, and a wider distribution range outside the Zagros Mountains is unlikely. Further studies may show if the occurrence of the species is restricted to high altitudes.

Etymology.

Latinised patronym based on the surname of our colleague and friend, Andreas Weigel ( Pößneck, Germany), specialist of Cerambycidae . He collected the first specimens of this new species and contributed to carabidology with numerous records of ground beetles, including new taxa.

Figures

Figure 1. Habitus of Parazuphium weigeli sp. nov., paratype, female.

Figure 2. Parazuphium weigeli sp. nov. A head in lateral view (holotype) B apex of elytra (paratype).

Figure 3. Median lobe of aedeagus of Parazuphium a, c, d, f lateral views b, e, g view onto oroficium (preputial field) a, b P. weigeli sp. nov. c P. damascenum d, e P. salmoni f, g P. chevrolatii.

Figure 4. Pronotum of Parazuphium A P. weigeli sp. nov. B P. salmoni.

Figure 5. Habitat of Parazuphium weigeli sp. nov. A landscape B microhabitat with the stone under which the two individuals were found. Photographs by Andreas Weigel.