Mniophila caucasica, Nadein, 2009

Nadein, Konstantin S., 2009, Revision of the genus Mniophila S, 1831 (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), Beiträge Zur Entomologie = Contributions to Entomology 59 (1), pp. 103-131 : 122-125

Mniophila caucasica sp. n.

( Figs 6 , 10 )

Type material:

Holotype (labels numbered): Georgia: 1. Manglis 1879, 2. k. G. Siversa, male ( ZIN) . – Paratypes: Russia: Krasnodarsk. Kray Severskiy r-n Ubinskoe lesn. Belov 12.VII.1975, 3 females ( DEMU) . – The same label, 24.VII.1975, 1 female ( DEMU) . – The same label, 18.V.1975, 1 male ( DEMU) . – Sev. Osetia, 1300 m, Buron yuzh. Alagir 16.VIII.1979 Kurbatov, 1 female

( DEMU). – Kavkazskiy zapov. Yuzhnoe lesn. Kordon Pslukh Nikitskiy 15.VII.1976, 1 male, 1 female ( DEMU) . – The same label, 14.VII.1976, 1 male, 1 female ( DEMU) .

Abkhazia: Abkhazia Myusserskiy zapov. 11-16.III.1988 leg. V. Belov, 1 female ( BMPU). – Abkhazia, okrestn. Pitsundy, Myussera 4-12.X.1986 leg. V. Belov, 1 female ( BMPU). – 13.04.1990 Abkhazia Gumistinskiy zapov. Tsimur. V podstilke, S. Kurbatov, 1 female ( LM). – W Caucasus Abkhazia Pskhu valley, Bzyb’ River, mouth of Reshevie Riv., 591 m N43°20'19.23" E40°50'27.64" 28.VI.2007 K. Nadein leg. / lower terrace, in moss on Carpinus stems and on stones in forest, 1 male, 7 females ( DEI). – W Caucasus Abkhazia W Gumista Riv., 1 km above mouth Gumiripsha Riv. 450 m N43°14'45.80" E40°54'40.26" 21.VI.2007 K. Nadein leg. / Fagus-Carpinus forest, slopes in gorge, in moss and in litter, 2 males, 6 females, ( NC). – W Caucasus Abkhazia W Gumista Riv., 1 km above mouth Gumiripsha Riv. 450 m N43°14'45.80" E40°54'40.26" 20.VI.2007 K. Nadein leg. / Fagus-Carpinus forest, slopes to river, in moss on Fagus stem, 4 males ( ZIN). – W Caucasus Abkhazia Bagri-Yashta MtR, nr Anchkho Pass, h= 1800- 2000 m N43°28'39.64" E40°42'28.49" 2.VII.2007 K. Nadein leg. / sweeping in Fagus - Carpinus forest and edge of meadows, 6 males, 1 females ( KUMN). – W Caucasus Abkhazia middle course of Ghegha Riv. Gheghskoe Gorge, h= 500 m N43°25'43.11" E40°26'51.04" 13.VII.2007 K. Nadein leg. / Picea - Abies - Fagus forest in moss, lower and middle terrases along river, 2 males, 4 females ( HNHM). – W Caucasus Abkhazia Psheghishkhva Mt., nr Malaya Ritsa Lake, h= 1200 m N43°28'25.73" E40°30'04.47" 8–9.VII.2007 K. Nadein leg. / Abies-Fagus forest, in moss on stones and on Abies stem, 2 males, 6 females ( DEI). – W Caucasus Abkhazia Bagri- Yashta MtR., Anchkho Mt. nr Auatkhara loc., h= 1500 m N43°29'38" E40°40'26" 5.VII.2007 K. Nadein leg. / Abies-Fagus forest, in moss on stones, 4 males, 4 females ( NHML). – W Caucasus Abkhazia Aguripsta Riv., 4 km NW of Pskhu Vill., nr. Svyataya Mt. N43°25'36.80" E40°49' 08.40" 29.VI.2007 K. Nadein leg. / Fagus-Carpinus forest, in moss on Carpinus stem, h= 800 m, 3 males, 7 females ( IRSNB). – W Caucasus Abkhazia Bzybskiy Mount. Range, S slope of Dou Mt., h= 1200 m N43°17'12.00" E40°53'39.21" 23.VI.2007 K. Nadein leg. / Fagus-Carpinus- Quercus -Castanea forest, in moss on stony slopes along road under Rhododendron bushes, 4 males, 9 females ( NHMW).

Georgia: The same labels as holotype, 1 male ( ZIN) . – Manglis [illegible words in a second line] 1881, 2 females ( ZIN) . – Manglis 1880 / G. Siversa, 6 females, 2 males ( ZIN) . – Caucasus Swanetien Leder. Reitter / M. muscorum Koch. Coll. Reitter , 1 female ( HNHM) . – Gruzia okr. Borzhomi 28-29.VII.1977 v lesu pod kamnem Belov , 1 male, 1 female ( DEMU) . – Caucasus Tbatani 79 Leder (Reitter), 1 female ( ZMUA) . – Kaukas Leder / M. muscorum v. wroblewskii Wk. Coll. Reitter , 1 female ( HNHM) . – Kaukas Leder / M. muscorum Koch. Coll. Reitter , 2 females ( HNHM) . – Caucasus Leder. Reitter / M. muscorum v. wroblewskii Wk. Coll. Reitter , 1 female ( HNHM) . – Kaukas Leder / Mn. muscorum v. caucasica Hktg. , 1 female ( DEI) . – Kaukas. Schneider / Mn. muscorum v. caucasica Hktg. , 1 female ( DEI) .

Azerbaijan: Azerbaijan: Caucasus Belokany Distr., 9 km N Vill. Katekh, Zagatala Res. Katekhchay Riv. valley 26.VI.2004 K. Nadein leg.; 2. N 41°45'02'' E 46°37'01'' left bank, E slope of Fidjugel’ MtR, 700-800 m Fagus forest, 1 male, 2 females ( NC). – Caucasus Helenendorf Reitter, 1 female ( ZMUA) .

Etymology:

The specific epithet refers to geographical distribution of this new species that is widespread in Caucasus.

Distribution:

Russia (North Caucasus: Krasnodarskiy Terr.), Abkhazia, Georgia, Azerbaijan.

Description:

Body dark to black, shining, often with greenish luster; rarely brown with bronze luster in partly coloured specimens; legs brown. Body roundellipticall. Head large, short; eyes convex; frontal ridge moderately convex; frontal calli well developed, convex; supracallinal sulcus visible. Head surface covered with large, well developed shagrination. Antennal grooves not very deep. Antennae with moderately thick and comparatively long segments. Pronotum long, quite apparently not widely rounded, its surface covered with distinct shagrination, rarely smooth; punctation developed, not large and dense, weakly visible among surface’s microsculpture. Elytra with variable states of punctuation, usually punctation well developed, sometimes elytra almost impunctate; elytral striae usually confused, not large; secondary punctation well developed, dense, size often as large as strial punctures; interstices smooth. Notch between metathoracic cavities concave ( Fig. 6H ). Legs not very thick; tibiae curved; metafemora wide; first protarsomere of male not wide. Aedeagus ( Fig. 6 L-N) ventrally with apical 1/4 more or less sharply narrowed to apex; apex rather wide, straight, with denticle; from lateral view apical 2/3 almost straight, wide, clearly narrowed to apex.

Body length – 1.14-1.58 mm, width – 0.91-1.12 mm.

Differential diagnosis:

From M. transcaucasica sp. n. differs: in structure of aedeagus ( Fig. 6 L-N), ventrally with apical 1/4 more or less sharply narrowed to apex, the latter rather wide and straight instead of aedeagus ventrally with apical third gradually narrowed to apex; less curved tibiae ( Fig. 6I, J ); first protarsomere of male longer and thinner ( Fig. 6F ); eyes more convex; ocular sulci and frontal calli more developed, apical antennal segments longer ( Fig. 6K ); pronotum longer ( Fig. 6E ), notch between metathoracic cavities concave ( Fig. 6H ); last metatarsomere thicker ( Fig. 6G ). From M. turcica differs: in structure of aedeagus, ventrally with apical 1/4 more or less sharply narrowed to apex, the latter rather wide, straight instead of aedeagus ventrally with apical third gradually narrowed to apex, the latter almost straight; head shorter with deep antennal grooves; apical antennal segments longer; tibiae thinner and less curved; usually well developed punctation of pronotum and usually poorer developed shagrination. From M. taurica sp. n. differs: in structure of aedeagus, ventrally with apical 1/4 more or less sharply narrowed to apex, the latter rather wide, straight, denticle well developed instead of aedeagus ventrally toward apex parallelsided, wide, apical 1/4 with straight, narrowing sides and with distinct and straight apex with rather short, wide denticle or poorly developed; head shorter and wider, eyes more convex, apical antennal segments longer; hind femora thicker; differs also in the shape of pronotum with less rounded base.

Figures

Fig. 6: Mniophila caucasica sp. n.: A-D – body outline: A-C – female, D – male; E – pronotum outline; F – fore tarsus of male; G – hind tarsus of male; H – metasternum; I – fore tibia of male; J – hind tibia of male; K – antenna; L – aedeagus, ventral view; M – aedeagus, lateral view; N – aedeagal apex, ventral view. Scale bar: A-D – 1 mm, E-N – 0.5 mm.

Fig. 10: Distribution of the Mniophila species.Rhomb – Mniophila taurica sp. n.; circle – Mniophila caucasica sp. n.; triangle – Mniophila transcaucasica sp. n.; square – Mniophila turcica L. MEDVEDEV.