Craspedostethus miangaranensis, Nasserzadeh & Platia & Serri, 2023

Nasserzadeh, Hiva, Platia, Giuseppe & Serri, Sayeh, 2023, Click beetles (Coleoptera: Elateridae) of Khuzestan province (Iran): with three new species, Craspedostethus izehensis sp. n., Dicronychus khuzestanicus sp. n. and Gurjevelater catei sp. n., Zootaxa 5346 (2), pp. 101-130 : 114-116

Craspedostethus miangaranensis sp. n. Nasserzadeh & Platia

( Figs. 5‒6 , Map 4 )

Type material. Holotype m ( HMIM): “ IRAN: Khuzestan prov. / Izeh, Miangaran P.A. / Miangaran wetland / N31°52’16.9” E49°53’06.9” / 860 m, 04.VI.2019 / leg. H. Nasserzadeh (L. T.)” Aedeagus mounted in euparal on transparent card . Paratypes 2 mm 1 f ( HMIM), 1 m ( CGP): same data as holotype The aedeagi of the males deposited in HMIM are mounted on the same card with the specimen and/or mounted in DMHF on a transparent card, aedeagus of the specimen deposited in CGP is mounted in euparal on a transparent card; sclerite plate and median sclerite particle of bursa copulatrix of the only female is mounted in euparal on transparent cards .

Diagnosis. Very close to C. linnavuorii Platia & Gudenzi, 1999 ; distinguished by darker body color; pronotum darker than elytra; pronotum more convex; antenna shrter, not exceeding of the apices of the posterior angles of pronotum; second and third antennomeres approximately as long as fourth; punctuation of striae not well marked, obsolescent toward apices; morphology of aedeagus slightly different, apex of median lobe blunt.

Description. Male ( Fig. 9 ). Body color rufous to testaceous, not unicolorous, covered with dense yellow-gold pubescence; head, pronotum and ventral side rufous to rufo-testaceous; elytra, antenna and legs rufo-teataceous to testaceous, elytra unicolorous or darker on disk near suture.

Head with double punctuation, denser finer punctures mixed with scattered larger punctures distributed irregularly with 3 to 5 fine punctures; frons feebly convex with one or two small impressions between eyes; clypeus flat, subarcuate and edged at anterior margin, slightly sinuate laterally above antennal base. Antennae short of posterior angles of pronotum by at least half-length of last antennomere; second article subcylindrical, third subconical, both equal in length, together approximately as long as fourth; fourth to tenth triangular, longer than wide; eleventh subellipsoidal, 1.3 × as long as penultimate.

Pronotum 1.25 × broader than long, regularly convex; sides arcuate and widest at middle, slightly sinuate before posterior angles, latter truncate, not divergent, with short carina, edge of carina continued laterally to third or half length of pronotum, becoming obsolescent; punctuation double with fine and dense punctures mixed with large and scattered ones, latter distributed irregularly between 3 to 7 fine punctures.

Scutellum heart-shaped, approximately as long as wide, emarginate in middle of base, slightly concave and finely punctured.

Elytra 2.2 × longer than pronotum and 1.9‒2.0 × longer than wide, suboval, widest at middle or near middle; punctuation of striae rather fine, obsolescent toward apices; interstriae flat, with scattered, fine punctures; with deep impression on shoulder above fifth stria.

Aedeagus as in Figures 5b, c with median lobe longer than parameres, apically blunt and semicircular; length from apices of median lobe to end of basal piece 0.7‒0.8 mm.

Size. Length 4.8‒5.2 mm; width 1.6‒1.7 mm.

Female ( Fig. 6 ). Body on average, larger than male. Antennae shorter, at least one antennomere shorter than apex of posterior angles of pronotum. Bursa copulatrix with sclerified parts as in Figure 6b .

Size. Length 5.3 mm; width 1.8 mm.

Etymology. Miangaran is an endorheic wetland ( Fig. 15 ) in eastern Khuzestan near Izeh city and one of the main freshwater reservoirs containing a diverse range of different group of species ( Jafari et al. 2015). In recent years, decrease in rainfall and in-flows, disrespectful agricultural operations and return flows, along with untreated municipal wastewater from neighboring populated areas, has deteriorated the water quality of the wetland and degraded the entire ecosystem ( Jafari et al. 2015).

Climate types. Semi-arid, with cool winters and very warm summers.

Figures

MAP 4. Distribution map of Craspedostethus, Ectamenogonus and Lacon species in Khuzestan.

FIGURE 5. Craspedostethus miangaranensis sp. n., male: a) Dorsal habitus; (b‒c) aedeagus, dorsal view, (b) photo taken by stereomicroscope, (c) photo taken by compound microscope.

FIGURE 6. Craspedostethus miangaranensis sp. n., female: a) Dorsal habitus; (b) sclerite plates of bursa copulatrix.

FIGURE 9. Dicronychus izehensis sp. n., male: (a) Dorsal habitus; (b) aedeagus, dorsal view.

FIGURE 15. Miangaran protected area; Miangaran wetland.