Mniophila transcaucasica sp. n.

(Figs 7, 10)

Type material:

Holotype: Armenia: Kaukasus Dshelal ogly, male (ZIN) . – Paratypes: Georgia: Kaukas Leder / M. muscorum Koch. Coll. Reitter, 2 males (HNHM) .

Caucasus. Mniophila muscorum Caucas / k. Rybakova, male (ZIN).

Etymology:

The specific epithet refers to geographical distribution of the new species that is distributed in Transcaucasus.

Distribution:

Armenia, Georgia.

Description:

Body brown to dark-brown with weak bronze luster or without one; legs reddish-brownish. Body nearly elongated to clearly rounded. Head large, short; vertex covered with well developed, large shagrination; frontal calli almost not convex; supracallinal sulci poorly visible; frontal ridge short, weakly convex; eyes flattened. Antennae with segments short and thick. Pronotum short, widely transversal, with very widely rounded base, its surface usually covered with well developed, large shagrination; punctures large, sparse, poorly visible. Elytra impunctate to well developed, dense punctation, punctures not large; striae partly confused, secondary punctation well developed. Notch between metathoracic cavities straight (Fig. 7C). Legs not very thick, tibiae moderately curved; metafemora wide; first protarsomere of male wide and thick. Aedeagus (Fig. 7J, K) ventrally with apical third gradually narrowed to apex; apex obtuse with well developed denticle; from lateral view nearly gradually curved from basal third, weakly and gradually narrowed toward apex.

Body length – 1.34-1.47 mm, width – 0.91-1.05 mm.

Differential diagnosis:

From M. caucasica sp. n. differs: in structure of aedeagus (Fig. 7J, K), ventrally with apical third gradually narrowed to apex; apex obtuse instead of aedeagus ventrally with apical 1/4 more or less sharply narrowed to apex, the latter rather wide, straight; hind tibiae distinctly curved (Fig. 7F), first tarsomeres of male shorter and thicker (Fig. 7H, I); eyes more flattened; ocular sulci and frontal calli less developed (Fig. 7E); apical antennal segments shorter and thicker (Fig. 7D), differs in pronotum shape (Fig. 7B); notch between metathoracic cavities straight (Fig. 7C); last metatarsomere thinner (Fig. 7H). From M. taurica sp. n. differs: in structure of aedeagus, ventrally with apical third gradually narrowed to apex; apex obtuse with well developed denticle instead of aedeagus ventrally toward apex parallel-sided, wide, apical 1/4 with straight, narrowing sides and with distinct and straight apex with rather short, wide denticle or poorly developed; head shorter, frontal calli less developed, shagrination of head more developed; pronotum shorter with less elongated base; hind femora thicker; tibiae thicker and more curved; notch between metathoracic cavities straight; first protarsomere of male wider. From M. turcica differs: in structure of aedeagus, apex obtuse instead of apex almost straight; head shorter, frontal ridge less convex, antennal grooves shallower; notch between metathoracic cavities straight; eyes more flattened; tibiae thinner; punctation of pronotum well developed; first metatarsomere shorter and wider.

Remarks:

The materal labelled “Kaukas Leder” possibly orignates from Georgia according to LEDER (1878).