Pygopleurus bulgaricus ( Nedelkov, 1905 ), 2019

Bollino, Maurizio, Uliana, Marco & Sabatinelli, Guido, 2019, The Pygopleurus Motschulsky (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea: Glaphyridae) of mainland Greece: taxonomy, faunistics and ecological notes, Zootaxa 4674 (2), pp. 151-202 : 179-183

Pygopleurus bulgaricus ( Nedelkov, 1905) valid species

( Figs. 78–85 , 129 )

A.[mphicoma] (P.[ygopleurus]) vulpes var. bulgarica Nedelkov, 1905: 431 .

Type locality. Bulgaria, Haskovo Prov., between Mladinovo and Kostur 41°57.206N, 26°15.051E, m 405 (of the neotype). The original type locality was Plovdiv, Haskovo ( Nedelkov, 1905: 431), less precisely indicated as Bulgaria meridionalis in the Latin version of the same description ( Nedelkov 1905: 432).

Type series. Type specimens of Amphicoma bulgarica should have been deposited in the collections of NMNHS, but they have been irretraceable (B. Guéorguiev, personal communication, March 2016). According to Article 75 of the ICZN (1999) and in order to fix the status of the nominal taxon, a topotypical specimen of P. bulgaricus ( Nedelkov, 1905) is here designated as neotype.

Material examined. 104 ♂♂, 44 ♀♀, detailed in supplementary materials.

Type specimens examined. Neotype of Amphicoma bulgarica (present designation), ♂: BULGARIA – HAS- KOVO Prov. / Between Mladinovo-Kostur / 41 57.206N 26 15.051E / 18.V.2016 – m 405 / Lg. Petrova & Gradinarov // Amphicoma bulgarica Nedelkov, 1905 / NEOTYPE / Bollino, Uliana & Sabatinelli des. 2019; it will be deposited in NMNHS.

Verified distribution.

Bulgaria. Blagoevgrad: Dobriniste; Dolen ( Rodope Mts. ); 1.5 km SW of Gorno Kraishte. Haskovo: Topolov; Malko Papovo; near Malki Voden; near Bulgarska Polyana; near Mladinovo ; between Mladinovo and Kostur; near Hlyabovo; Stoykovo. Harmanli ( Minkova, 1959) . Stara Zagora: near Glavan ( Sakar Mts. ) .

Greece.

Eastern Macedonia and Thrace. Kavala: Akrovouni (Mt. Pangeo). Drama: Kato Nevrokopi. Evros: Nea Santa, 10 km to Mega Derio; ENE of Nea Santa (Sapka Mts.); 10 km E of Nea Santa (Sapka Mts.); near Roussa; Leptokaria.

Diagnosis. Characters of the P. viridisuturatus species group described above, plus the following characters. Elytra bicolored, brown and metallic green to blue (rarely golden-green), exceptionally entirely metallic (observed only in females). The metallic sutural stripe is broad, the combined width of the two stripes being at least as broad as the scutellum, usually broader. Paramera not diagnostic of species. This combination of charachters applies also to P. viridisuturatus which is distinct only in the different shape of the dorsal diverticulum of the everted endophallus ( Fig. 83 ).

Description of the neotype ( Fig. 129 ). Body size: 13.3 mm from the margin of the clypeus to the apex of the elytra; 15.0 mm including the apex of the abdomen. Width across the humeri: 5.1 mm

Color of integuments: head, pronotum and scutellum metallic green with golden shining. Elytra bicolored, with the base brown and the apex bluish green; the bluish green area occupies roughly the apical fourth, its inner edge draws an oblique line towards the middle of the elytra, and expands with a bluish green area along the suture zone up to the scutellum; elytral suture and lateral margin black. Propygidium and pygidium orange. Antennal articles 1 and 2 black, with metallic reflection, article 3 and 4 dark with a thin orangish brown outer edge, the rest of the antenna orangish brown. Legs metallic, with green shining.

Setation: head with dense, erect, soft, yellowish light brown hairs, with black hairs mixed to light hairs on the canthus. Antennal article 1 with dense black hairs mixed with yellowish to light brown hairs, article 2 with few black hairs. Pronotum with black setae at anterior angles, yellowish to light brown hairs mixed with some black setae along lateral edges, only yellowish to light brown hairs on dorso-lateral surfaces and black setae on discal area. Scutellum with yellowish light brown hairs. Elytra with adpressed black hairs; long erect stout black setae are present along the lateral, apical and inner apical third of the edge; sparse long erect yellowish light brown hairs. Abdomen with hairs of axillary sclerites black, those along the edges of sternites orangish yellow; pre-pygidium and pygidium covered by orangish-yellow adpressed hairs. Ventrally, mouthparts and proepisternum densely covered by black hairs; prosternum to pigidium covered with orangish yellow hairs; coxae and femora with black hairs on dorsal surface and orangish yellow hairs on ventral surface. Fore-tibiae with a row of short black hairs on the dorsal surface. Mesothoracic and metathoracic legs with long, ivory yellow hairs; spines light brown with lighter apex; apical spurs dark brown with lighter apex.

Morphology: clypeus subquadrangular, slightly narrowed basally, anterior angles rounded, without medial carina. Integument of the clypeus and of the rest of the head covered by fine and dense piliferous punctuation; microreticulation clearly visible through the punctuation on the whole head. Pronotum sub-ovoid, wider (4.30 mm) than long (3.1 mm), with anterior angles visible, rounded and obtuse; posterior angles rounded but well visible; pronotal surface covered by vermiculated wrinkles, those along a 0.15 mm wide sagittal line progressively more dense, thick and depressed toward the base. Scutellum triangular; about as long as wide, with a sculpturing similar to that of the pronotum. Elytra slightly dehiscent at apex, more rounded at the external side than along the suture, apex regularly rounded; surface without depressions; piliferous punctuation fine, readily visible. Claws of the prothoracic legs long and moderately curved, protarsi short (combs of tarsomeres 1 to 5 respectively 20, 14, 12, 9, 6 toothed). Claws of mesothoracic and metathoracic legs similar to that of prothoracic legs, but a bit longer and slightly slender. Mesotarsi 1.8 time longer (4.90 mm) than mesotibiae (2.75 mm).

Relevant variability of males. Color of head, pronotum and scutellum varies from plain green to orange; sometimes the color uneven, tending towards golden-orange at sides and to green on the discal area. Hairs along the sides and on the apex of abdomen from ivory to light yellow. Metallic area of elytra from green to blue, rarely olive green ( Fig. 79 ), its extension slightly variable in the apical part, always broader than half the width of scutellum along the suture (reaching the base of the elytra alongside the scutellum).

Description of females. Body size: 13.9–14.7 mm from the margin of the clypeus to the apex of the elytra; 15.2– 16.6 mm including the apex of the abdomen. Width across the humeri: 5.3–6.1 mm.

Color: androchrome, with a broader expanding of the metallic area on elytra: brown color tends to be restricted to the humeral area, while the bluish green occupies most of the remnant surface. Abdomen completely black, covered with light brown hairs; pygidium covered by light brown pilosity.

Distribution ( Fig. 85 ). The species appears to be endemic to Southern Bulgaria and North-eastern Greece, although it is also expected in the European Turkey. It appears to be parapatric to its externally undistinguishable sister cies P. viridisuturatus , that, according to material that we examined, replaces P. bulgaricus from the Struma Valley westwards. The Pirin range seems to act as a northern geographical barrier between the two, however southwards they may be able to get in contact along the course of the river Agitis that connects the Struma Valley to the Drama Plain north of the Pangeion massif. A detailed sampling in this area would be useful to clarify their fine local distribution. It is also interesting to note that the two species seem to occupy disjoint altitudinal ranges.

Eco-ethological notes ( Fig. 85 ). Based on a quite limited record set (20 records), the adults of this species is active between the beginning of May (3 rd– 6 th May, close to Nea Santa, Thrace, 650 m) and the beginning of June (7 th June, Dobrinishte, southern Bulgaria). The documented altitudinal range spans from 200 m ( Bulgaria, Haskovo province, Malki Voden) to 800 m ( Macedonia, Panegon range, Akrovouni). The limited data set (12 altitudinal records) may suggests a preference for lower altitudes, in contrast to the sister-species P. viridisuturatus , which is mostly montane. Adults have a strong preference for yellow flowers like Ranunculus , Potentilla and Asteraceae (mostly yellow Tubuliflorae), but occasionally may be found in Papaver (Y. Petrova pers. comm.).

Taxonomic remarks. Pygopleurus bulgaricus ( Nedelkov, 1905) , described from Southeastern Bulgaria (provinces of Plovdiv and Haskovo), had been overlooked by all subsequent Authors, remaining to date an obscure entity. This name is here mantained to designate populations of Pygopleurus that are externally identical to P. viridisuturatus , but which are distinct in the different shape of the everted endophallus. This character allows the identification of two parapatric phenotypes which are distinct species.

Figures

FIGURES 78–85. Pygopleurus bulgaricus (Nedelkov, 1905), habitus (see also Fig. 129) and genitalia. 78, male (Bulgaria, between Mladinovo and Kostur); 79, male (Eastern Macedone and Thrace, Nea Santa); 80, female (Bulgaria, Glavan); 81, female (Bulgaria, between Mladinovo and Kostur); 82, left paramere in lateral and dorsal view (Eastern Macedone and Thrace, Nea Santa); 83, everted endophallus in left lateral view (Eastern Macedone and Thrace, Nea Santa); 84, left genital sclerites of female (Eastern Macedone and Thrace, Nea Santa).

FIGURES 128–130. Habitus of type specimens. 128, Pygopleurus chrysonotus (Brullé, 1832), neotype; 129, Pygopleurus bulgaricus (Nedelkov, 1905), neotype; 130, Pygopleurus viridisuturatus (Reitter, 1903), holotype.