Colposcelis (Turcmenicola) khudaybergani Bekchanov, Nabozhenko & Bekchanova, 2023

Bekchanov, Norbek Kh., Nabozhenko, Maxim V. & Bekchanova, Mokhira Kh., 2023, Review of the subgenus Turcmenicola Bogatchev, 1952, the genus Colposcelis Dejean, 1834 (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae: Tentyriini), Zootaxa 5375 (4), pp. 550-564 : 557-561

Colposcelis (Turcmenicola) khudaybergani Bekchanov, Nabozhenko & Bekchanova , sp. n.

( Fig. 9 )

Bekchanov et al. 2023: 175 ( Colposcelis (Turcmenicola) jachontovi ).

Type material. Holotype, ♀ and two paratypes, ♀♀ ( ZIN): Uzbekistan, Karakalpakstan , Beruni District , turning from the road to Lower Amudarya State Biosphere Reserve , 42°01ʹ27ʺN / 60°26ʹ34ʺE, 24– 25.04.2023 (M.V. and S.V. Nabozhenko, N.Kh. and Kh.U. Bekchanov). 1 paratype (dry specimen without elytra) ( PCMN) : Karakalpakstan, Amudarya District, Karatau Mts., around Shaykh Jalil Bobo ziyoratgohi, 42°09ʹ30ʺN / 60°15ʹ03ʺE, 24.04.2023 (M.V. and S.V. Nabozhenko, N.Kh. and Kh.U. Bekchanov, U.E. Duschanov, D.A. Yavkachev).

Description. Female. Body length 7.2–7.8 mm, width 3.1–3.48 mm. Body robust, with thin and long legs, brown, with lighter legs and antennae; body shiny or with dull shine ( Figs 9A, B ). Head widest at eye level, where 1.02 times as wide as at genal level. Eyes moderately convex. Head at eye level 1.2 times as wide as interocular space. Lateral margin of eyes together with temples evenly rounded, not angulate ( Fig. 9C ). Puncturation very fine and sparse, poorly visible, punctures 6–7 times as short as interpuncture distance. Keels inside from eyes curved, reaching middle of genae. Genae strongly convex dorsally, lateral margin rounded, subangulate ( Fig. 9C ). Eyes ventrally small, longitudinal, not strongly protruded ( Fig. 9B ). Mentum strongly transverse (1.84–1.85 times as wide as long), with almost straight lateral margins narrowed to apex ( Fig. 9B ). Antennae long, with five distal antennomeres extending beyond base of pronotum. Antennomeres 2–7 very long and thin, antennomere 3 slightly curved ( Figs 9A, B ). All antennomeres with fine and sparse puncturation.

Prothorax ( Figs 9A–C ). Pronotum trapezoidal, transverse (1.3 times as wide as long), widest at anterior quarter, 1.18–1.19 times as wide as head ( Fig. 9C ). Anterior margin almost straight, lateral margins weakly rounded in basal two thirds and more rounded in apical part, base evenly rounded. Lateral margins and base completely bordered, while anterior margin bordered only on sides. Disc of pronotum strongly convex, very finely and sparsely punctured, punctures poorly visible. Prosternum with rasp-like fine and small punctures, prothoracic hypomera with almost invisible fine and sparse simple puncturation; each puncture with very short white seta ( Fig. 9B ). Prosternal process widest at apex and between procoxae, widely depressed between procoxae ( Fig. 9D ).

Pterothorax ( Figs 9A, B, D ). Elytra almost flattened along suture, wide, widest at middle (1.33–1.38 times as long as wide), 2.1 times as wide as head, 1.71–1.77 times as wide and 3.1–3.3 times as long as pronotum. Border of elytral base short, 1.07 times as wide as width of pronotum, not interrupted in middle (reaching scutellar shield); humeri widely rounded ( Fig. 9C ). Puncturation of elytra very fine and sparse, almost invisible. Epipleura not depressed in basal part. Mesoventrite with rasp-like bracket-like transverse foveae in anterior half ( Fig. 9D ). Posterior part of mesoventrite with intercoxal process finely and sparsely punctured with simple punctures. Mesepisterna with round simple foveae. Metaventrite with fine and sparse rasp-like puncturation.

Abdomen. Intercoxal process of abdominal ventrite 1 not bordered at apex. The border interruption with straight grooves before apex ( Fig. 9B ). Abdomen with very sparse and fine simple punctures. Female genitalia and genital ducts. Ovipositor ( Fig. 9G, H ) has long paraproct with slightly S-shaped baculi; coxite lobe I large, with transverse baculi, coxite lobes II–IV merged; lobes IV with weakly sclerotized oval areas (place of articulation of reduced gonostyli) and straight strongly sclerotized processes rounded at apex. Genital ducts usual for Tentyriini , very simple: bursa copulatrix (spermatheca according to Doyen (1993)) long, sub-acute, accessory gland long and thickened ( Fig. 9F ).

Legs long and slender. Meso- and metatrochanters without one moderately long setae or small tuft. Pro- and mesotibiae slightly bent.

Male unknown.

Etymology. The new species is named in honour of DrSc Khudaybergan Bekchanov (Urgench State Pedagogical Institute, Khorezm Region, Uzbekistan), who made a great contribution to the study of insects in the lower reaches of the Amudarya River. He was also one of collectors of this new species.

Comparative diagnosis. The new species is similar to C. lopatini , which was also collected near Amudarya valley, but in south-eastern Turkmenistan and has trapezoidal pronotum and small body. Colposcelis khudaybergani sp. n. differs from the latter in the features indicated in a key below and the additional following characters: mentum more transverse, with almost straight lateral margins ( Fig. 9B ) (mentum less transverse and with rounded lateral margins in C. lopatini ( Fig. 7C )); genae strongly convex and protruded, eyes lesser convex (head at eye level 1.02 times as wide as at genal level in the new species and 1.15 times in C. lopatini ; eyes of C. lopatini more convex: compare Figs 7F and 9C ); head widest at eye level ( Fig. 9C ) (head widest at temple level in C. lopatini ; temples encompassing the eyes from behind ( Fig. 7F )); eyes small and longitudinal ventrally ( Fig. 9B ) (eyes large and transverse ventrally in C. lopatini ( Fig. 7C )); lateral margin of genae strongly rounded, angulate ( Fig. 9C ) (moderately evenly rounded in C. lopatini ( Fig. 7F )); antennae much longer and thinner, with five antennomeres reaching beyond base of pronotum ( Fig. 9A ) (antennae shorter, reaching pronotal base in C. lopatini ( Fig. 7C )); antennomere 3 curved ( Fig. 9A, B ) (straight in C. lopatini ( Figs 7A–C )); processes of coxite lobe IV of ovipositor straight ( Fig. 9G, H ) (curved in C. lopatini (8F)).

Bionomics. The specimens were collected in areas without vegetation in the desert with Artemisia and Tamarix ( Bekchanov et al. (2023), as C. jachontovi ).

Figures

FIGURE 7. Colposcelis lopatini, habitus, details of structure and labels. A = holotype, ♂, habitus dorsally; B = paratype, ♀, habitus dorsally; C = the other paratype, ♀, habitus ventrally; D = labels of the holotype; E = sculpture of mesoventrite, ♀; F = head and pronotum, ♀, dorsally.

FIGURE 9. Colposcelis khudaybergani sp. n., ♀, habitus, details of structure. A = holotype, habitus dorsally; B = paratype, habitus ventrally; C = head and pronotum, dorsally; D = sculpture of mesoventrite; E = apical antennomeres; F = female genital tubes; G = ovipositor ventrally; H = ovipositor, dorsally.