Lethrus (Lethrus) perun sp. nov.

(Figs 4–6, 16–18, 28–30, 40, 44, 48)

Lethrus (Lethrus) raymondi (partim): GUÉORGUIEV & BUNALSKI (2004): 268 (comments, distribution).

Type locality. Bulgaria, Khotovo, 188 m [a. s. l.], 41°29′57″N 023°20′18″E (Fig. 48).

Type material (331 specimens). BULGARIA: BLAGOEVGRAD PROVINCE: HOLOTYPE (♂) and ALLOTYPE (♀) (DKCP), ‘ SW Bulgaria 9.IV.2006 / KHOTOVO 188m / N41°29’57’’E023°20’18’’ / [GPS] David Král lgt. [p]’. PARATYPES: 21 ♂♂ 16 ♀♀ (DKCP), same data; 18 ♂♂ 7 ♀♀ (RCCP), same data but ‘ Radek Červenka lgt. [p]’; 3 ♂♂ 2 ♀♀ (SJCP), same data but ‘ Radek Dunda lgt. [p]’; 57 ♂♂ 25 ♀♀ (OHCB), same data but ‘ Oliver Hillert lgt. [p]’; 1 ♂ 1 ♀ (ARCL), 1 ♂ 1 ♀ (DACB), 1 ♂ 1 ♀ (DEIC), 1 ♂ 1 ♀ (ERCS), 1 ♂ 1 ♀ (GNCA), 1 ♂ 1 ♀ (HKCS), 1 ♂ 1 ♀ (JSCB), 1 ♂ 1 ♀ (LSCN), 1 ♂ 1 ♀ (MHCM), 1 ♂ 1 ♀ (NNML), 2 ♂♂ 2 ♀♀ (RPCM), 1 ♂ 1 ♀ (SMNS), 1 ♂ 1 ♀ (SMTD), 2 ♂♂ 2 ♀♀ (SZCM), 2 ♂♂ 2 ♀♀ (TBCP), 1 ♂ 1 ♀ (USCK), 1 ♂ 1 ♀ (ZMHB), 1 ♂ 1 ♀ (ZSMC), all same data; 2 ♂♂ (SPCP), ‘ Bulg. mer. / Chotovo, V. 1984 / Ing. Pokorný lgt. [p]’, 1 ♀ (VMCP), same data; 1 ♂ 1 ♀ (HNHM), ‘ Bulgaria, Chotovo / 9.V.1985 / leg. Gór A. [p]’; 15 ♂♂ 15 ♀♀ (RCCP), ‘ Bulgaria mer. occ. / Chotovo / 27.4.1988, lgt. Červenka [p]’; 4 ♂♂ 2♀♀ (OHCB), 4 ♂♂ 3♀♀ (MNCR), 5 ♂♂ 7 ♀♀ (ZSMC), all same data; 4 ♂♂ 3 ♀♀ (RPCM), ‘ Bulgaria, southwest / Khotovo, 27.IV.1988 / R. Červenka lgt. [p]’; 1 ♂ (VTCZ), ‘ Bulgaria 2000 / CHOTOVO 16.4. / M. Kohout [lgt.] [hw, Indian ink]’; 1 ♂ (PKCS), same data; 3 ♂♂ 2 ♀♀ (PKCS), ‘BG mer. occ. / 1.5.2005, Melnik – Chotovo / Kylies leg. [p]’; 1 ♂ 1 ♀ (PKCS), ‘BG mer. occ. / 29.5.2005, Melnik – Chotovo / Kylies leg. [p]’; 15 ♂♂ 27 ♀♀ (PKCS), ‘ Bulgaria south / Melnik – Chotovo / 3.5.2006 / lgt. Petr Kylies [p]’; 1 ♂ 1 ♀ (JVCS), the same but ‘lgt. Jiří Klícha [p]’; 8 ♂♂ 9 ♀♀ (JKCP), same data; 1 ♀ (RMCM), same data but ‘lgt. Radoslav Muczka [p]’.

Additional material examined (582 specimens). BULGARIA: BLAGOEVGRAD PROVINCE: 2 ♂♂ 1 ♀ (SOFM), 1 ♂ (ZISB), Levunovo, 2.vii.1953, B. Zakharieva leg.; 2 ♂♂ 1 ♀ (DKCP), Levunovo, 10.v.1983, Z. Kačenka leg ; 1 ♂ (VMCP), Melnik, 9.vi.[19]78, L. Mencl leg. ; 2 ♂♂ 1 ♀ (HNHM), Melnik, 10.v.1985, A. Gór leg. ; 1 ♂ (VMCP), Melnik, 20.v.[19]85, Vl. Malý leg. ; 3♂♂ 3♀♀ (DKCP), Dolno Spančevo, vi.1979, Pavel Marhoul leg.; 12♂♂ 15 ♀♀ (DKCP), 9.iv.2006, Dolno Spanchevo, 41°25′30″N 023°22′46 ″E, 130 m, David Král leg. ; 9 ♂♂ 14 ♀♀ (RCCP), same data but Radek Červenka leg.; 5 ♂♂ 4 ♀♀ (SJCP), same data but Radek Dunda leg.; 8 ♂♂ 5 ♀♀ (OHCB), same data but Oliver Hillert leg.; 5 ♂♂ 2 ♀♀ (DKCP), 2 ♂♂ (JVCS), v.1980, Liljanovo, Jan Nedvěd leg.; 2 ♂♂ 1 ♀ (DKCP), Liljanovo, 10.–12.v.1986, David Král leg. ; 2 ♂♂ (OHCB), 1 ♂ 1♀ (JSCB), Sandanski, 5.v.1984, D. Wrase leg.; 3♂♂ 4♀♀ (ERCS), Sandanski, 6. –11.v.1984, B. Jäger leg. ; 1 ♂ 1♀ (OHCB), Sandanski, 6. –11.v.1984, D. W. Wrase leg. ; 1 ♂ (JSCB), 2 ♂♂ (ZMHB), Sandanski, 28.iv.[19]85, B. Jäger leg. ; 1 ♀ (JVCS), Sandanski, 8.v.[19]86, Dr. Sobota leg. ; 4 ♂♂ (SOFM), Sandanski, 12. –14.vi.1987, Al. Slivov leg. ; 1 ♂ 1 ♀ (SPCP), 1 ♂ 1 ♀ (VMCP), Demjanica, v.1984, Ing. Pokorný leg.; 1 ♀ (JSCS), 1 ♂ (OHCB), Ilindenci, 400–600 m, 20.–21.iv.1985, B. Zvarič leg. ; 1 ♂ (JSCS), 1 ♂ 2 ♀♀ (OHCB), Ilindenci, 21.iv.1985, B. Zvarič leg.; 2 ♀♀ (JVCS), Ilindenci, 400–600m, 20.–21.iv.1985, B. Zvarič leg.; 21 ♂♂ 15 ♀♀ (DKCP), 4 ♂♂ 8 ♀♀ (VMCP), Ilindenci, 7.–8.v.[1]986, David Král leg.; 1 ♂ 2 ♀♀ (DKCP), Lozenica, 2.vi.1989, S. Bečvář leg.; 1 ♀ (JVCS), Kresna, Struma valley, 26.–28.v.1978, Karel Majer leg.; 1 ♀ (OHCB), Kresna, v.[19]53, Dr. J. Sobota leg.; 2 ♀♀ (JVCS), Strumjani, 1.–4.v.2006, Petr Kylies leg.; 18 ♂♂ 14 ♀♀ (JKCP), same dat but Jiří Klícha leg.; 5 ♂♂ (RMCM), same but Radoslav Muczka leg.; 6 ♂♂ 5♀♀ (VRCH), Strumjani, 41°36′26″N 23°13′42″E, 26.iv.2009, Vladislav Řebíček leg.; 16 ♂♂ 8 ♀♀ (JRCO), Strumjani, 41°36′26″N 23°13′42″E, 26.–27.iv.2009, Jaroslav Ryšánek leg.; 6 ♂♂ 7 ♀♀ (MTCK), same data but Miloslav Turčín leg.; 16 ♂♂ 17 ♀♀ (MKCV), same data but Miloš Krejčíř leg.; 2 ♂♂ 2 ♀♀ (RECJ), same data but Richard Erben leg.; 154 specimens (IBCF), Leshnitsa, 41°32′08″N 23°17′23″E, ca. 200 m, 30.iv.2009, Ivo Boščík leg.; 21 spec. (LBCB), same data but Lukáš Bureš leg.; 3 ♂♂ 4 ♀♀ (PPCB), 1 ♂ 1 ♀ (DKCP), same data but Pavel Průdek leg.; 7 spec. (PVCP), same data but Petr Včelička leg.; 7 ♂♂ 5 ♀♀ (LNCB), Sklave, 28.–30.v.1990, Czetó Zsolt leg.; 2 ♂♂ 2 ♀♀ (LNCB), Sklave, 23.v.1998, László Nádai leg.; 1 ♀ (LNCB), Struma valley, Kresna, 24.–28.v.1998, László Nádai leg.; 1 ♀ (LNCB), Sklave, Petrich [district], 41°31.753′N 023°20.156′E, 240 m, 26.v.2007, Székely Kálmán leg.

Description of holotype. Maximally developed (hyperthelic) male with well developed ventral mandibular processes. Total body length 28 mm. Oblong, strongly convex; dorsal surface black, except moderately shiny pronotum almost alutaceous; ventral surface black with weak blue tinge, moderately shiny, claws black-brown; setation black.

Head (Figs 4, 16, 28, 40). Labrum bilobed, asymmetrical, right lobe remarkably more developed; surface rugosely and coarsely, shallowly and sparsely punctate, each puncture bearing short recumbent macroseta; anterior margin with dense row of long macrosetae. Clypeus transverse, trapezoidal with anterior angles round. Frontal impressions vague, frontal tubercles indistinct. Frontoclypeal suture present only laterally; keels separating eye canthus from frons only slightly developed but distinct, slightly divergent posteriad. Eye canthus exceeding eyes, projecting anterolaterad, almost rectangular, lateral margins divergent posteriad, anterolateral angle round, oblique keel above eyes absent. Pleurostomal process evenly arcuate, hardly exceeding ventrolateral mandibular outline. Punctation of frons double, consisting of coarse, transversally rugose, regularly and densely distributed punctures, intermixed with fine, irregularly distributed ones; coarse punctures separated by approximately less than their diameter, punctation becoming distinctly sparser posteriad and on occiput; clypeus and eye canthus distinctly rugose.

Mandibles symmetrical, external outline in dorsal aspect almost semicircular, pointed subapically (Figs 28, 40), maximum width approximately in middle of mandibular length.

Ventral mandibular processes (Figs 4, 16, 40) symmetrical, distinctly longer than horizontal length of mandible; base thickened, not exceeding lateral mandibular outline in dorsal aspect, with weakly concave external outline in basal half in frontal aspect; longitudinal keel on base laterally present, in dorsal aspect straight and distinctly subparallel to lateral mandibular outline, not as broad as maximum width of mandibular outline basally; in lateral aspect very weakly arcuate, distinctly subparallel to lateral mandibular outline, divergent gradually basad from approximately middle of its length; anterior subbasal tooth absent; posterior subbasal tooth absent (lateral aspect); inferiobasal tooth absent; both processes bent inward aproximately at middle of mandibular length in frontal view; anterior subapical tooth present, weakly visible in lateral aspect, distinctly extended in frontal aspect; apical emargination remarkably deep; apical tooth sharp, strongly extended apically.

Pronotum transverse, distinctly broader than base of elytra, broadest just behind middle; margin entirely bordered, slightly crenulate on anterior parts. Anterior angles not projecting anterolaterad, with evenly arcuate outline; lateral margin approximately straight to round posterior angle; basal margin straight. Punctation of dorsal surface simple, consisting of deep, sparsely and unevenly distributed punctures; punctures separated by approximately two to four times their diameters discally, surface near lateral margins considerably shagreened and alutaceous.

Scutellar shield widely triangular, finely shagreened.

Elytra almost semicircular, apices not prominent, each apex forming independent arc. Epipleuron strongly narrowed apicad, epipleural keel not reaching elytral apex. Whole surface alutaceous, finely transversally rugose; striae not indicated, entirely vanishing in rugosities.

Legs. Profemur not armed, protibia with eight gradually diminishing external denticles proximad, and with row of tubercles on ventromedial edge.

Aedeagus of typical shape of species closely related to L. raymondi (see Figs 37–38).

Variability in males. Body length 20–29 mm. Mandibular processes in medium developed (Figs 5, 17, 29) and underdeveloped (hypothelic) males (Figs 6, 18, 30) short, more or less straight with only indicated teeth or without them at all, simply rounded to almost acute apically.

Females (body length 21–28 mm, allotype 28 mm) differ from males as follows: external outline of mandibles almost straight, in apical quarter rounded in dorsal aspect; ventral mandibular process absent; protibia broader, row of tubercles on ventromedial edge less pronounced.

Differential diagnosis. For differential diagnosis see the character matrix (Table 1).

Etymology. Noun in apposition. In Slavic mythology, Perun (cyrillic: Перун) is the highest God of the Pantheon and the God of thunder and lightning. It is assumed that the name of the Pirin Mountains situated in the area of distribution of the new species is derived from his name.

Collecting circumstances. The type series was collected on uncultivated pasture with a disturbed surface on slightly sloping loess soil basis; woody vegetation consisted of solitary fruit trees and shrubs (Fig. 48).

Distribution. Bulgaria: left margin of the Struma river basin north of the defile between the Belasitsa and the Slavyanka mts (Fig. 44). Records of L. raymondi by Guéorguiev & Bunalski (2004) from Kalimantsi, Katuntsi, Levunovo and Sandanski concern almost certainly this species.