Psammocryptus, Kraatz, 1865

Nabozhenko, Maxim V. & Chigray, Ivan A., 2022, A review of the genus Psammocrуptus (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae: Tentyriini), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 62 (1), pp. 165-184 : 182-183

Key to species of the genus Psammocryptus

Note. Species of Psammocryptus have an external sexual dimorphism: males bear a small brush of setation on the flexion side of the femora, and they have a transverse furrow in the anterior part of the prosternum, in contrast to females. However, other characters of males and females are the same; therefore, we do not give separate keys for males and females.

1 Mesoventrite with large, foveolate, round punctures ( Fig. 14F ). Puncturation of pronotum fine and sparse, consists of round punctures ( Fig. 14A ). ...................... ....................................... P. prosternalis Koch, 1943

– Mesoventrite with large or moderate, foveolate, longitudinal punctures ( Figs 4C , 6C , 9C , 11C , 13C ). Puncturation of pronotum coarse and dense (or moderately dense), punctures elongate on sides of middle. ........ 2

2 Abdominal ventrite 5 shortly truncated at apex ( Figs 13C, D ). Female metatibiae moderately or strongly curved inwards ( Fig. 12D ). Puncturation of pronotum finer but very dense, punctures on sides of middle often merged in longitudinal wrinkles ( Fig. 12A ). ......... ..... P. kompantsevae Nabozhenko & Chigray , sp. nov.

– Abdominal ventrite 5 rounded at apex ( Figs 4D , 6D , 9D , 11D ). Metatibiae straight or very weakly curved. Puncturation of pronotum coarser, punctures on sides elongate, but not merged in longitudinal wrinkles ( Figs 3A , 5A , 8A , 10A ). .................................................... 3

3 Ventral side of head with very deep tunnel fovea in middle continuing under prementum ( Fig. 5B ). Prosternal process without conical tubercle at apex ( Fig. 6B ) (except for population from Fergana valley with the majority specimens having conical tubercle; in this case anterior corners of pronotum widely rounded at apex ( Fig. 6A )). .................................................. P. bogatchevi Nabozhenko, Chigray & Bekchanov , sp. nov.

– Ventral side of head without deep foveae, only with simple wide transverse depression behind prementum ( Figs 3B , 8B , 10B ). Prosternal process with conical tubercle at apex (4B, 9B, 11B) (very rarely this tubercle not developed in P. minutus ; in this case anterior corners of pronotum pointed and other characters as in P. minutus below). ......................................................... 4

4 Anterior margin of head without emarginations between genae and epistoma on each side ( Fig. 4A ). Pronotum widest in middle ( Fig. 3A ). Body more robust. .............................. P. minutus ( Tauscher, 1812)

– Anterior margin of head with obtuse emarginations between genae and epistoma on each side ( Figs 9A , 11A ). Pronotum widest before middle ( Figs 8A , 10A ). Body slender. ............................................................ 5

5 Mandibles with dense and coarse puncturation ( Fig. 9B ). Pronotum with rounded antero-lateral corners ( Fig. 9A ). Mesoventrite with smaller, longitudinal, foveolate punctures (near four rows with 14–17 punctures each) ( Fig. 9C ). Strial punctures on elytra large, not impressed; puncturation of interstriae fine and sparse, but coarser, punctures distinct ( Fig. 8C ). Elytra shiny ( Fig. 8A ). Abdominal ventrites 1–4 with fine and sparse puncturation in middle; ventrite 5 with much coarser and denser puncturation ( Fig. 9D ). ........................ ..................................... P. bayeri bayeri Koch, 1943

– Mandibles with sparse smoothed puncturation ( Fig. 11B ). Pronotum with pointed antero-lateral corners ( Fig. 11A ). Mesoventrite with very large, longitudinal, foveolate punctures (near four rows with 9–12 punctures each) ( Fig. 11C ). Strial punctures on elytra small, impressed; puncturation of interstriae very fine and sparse, weakly visible ( Fig. 10C ). Elytra matt ( Fig. 10A ). Abdominal ventrites completely with very fine and sparse puncturation ( Fig. 11D ). ............ P. bayeri vachshianus Nabozhenko & Chigray , subsp. nov.

Figures

Fig. 14. Psammocryptus prosternalis Koch, 1943, female, habitus, details of structure.A – holotype of P. semenovi Bogatchev, 1946, dorsally; B – ditto, labels; C – habitus ventrally; D – head and anterior margin of pronotum; E – head and prothorax, ventrally (arrow:conical tubercle of prosternal process); F – mesoventrite; G – abdomen (arrow: rounded apex).

Fig. 4. Psammocryptus minutus (Tauscher, 1812), details of structure. A – head and anterior margin of pronotum (arrows: absence of emargination on head; pointed angles of pronotum); B – head and prothorax, laterally (arrow: conical tubercle); C – mesoventrite; D – abdomen (arrow: rounded apex); E – aedeagus, ventrally (non-inverted position); F – male inner tergite VIII; G – male inner sternite VIII.

Fig. 6. Psammocryptus bogatchevi sp. nov., details of structure. A – head and anterior margin of pronotum (arrows: emargination of head; rounded angles of pronotum); B – head and prothorax, laterally (arrow: absence of conical tubercle); C – mesoventrite; D – abdomen (arrow: rounded apex); E – aedeagus, ventrally (non-inverted position); F – spiculum gastrale; G – male inner tergite VIII; H – male inner sternite VIII.

Fig. 9. Psammocryptus bayeri bayeri Koch, 1943, details of structure.A – head and anterior margin of pronotum (arrows: emargination of head; rounded angles of pronotum); B – head and prothorax, laterally (arrows: dense puncturation on head; conical tubercle of prosternal process); C – mesoventrite; D – abdomen (arrow: rounded apex); E – tegmen, ventrally (non-inverted position); F – median lobe of aedeagus; G – spiculum gastrale; H – male inner sternite VIII.

Fig. 11. Psammocryptus bayeri vachshianus subsp. nov., details of structure. A – head and anterior margin of pronotum (arrows: emargination of head; pointed angles of pronotum); B – head and prothorax, laterally (arrows: sparse puncturation on head; conical tubercle of prosternal process); C – mesoventrite; D – abdomen (arrow: rounded apex); E – aedeagus, ventrally (non-inverted position); F – spiculum gastrale; G – male inner tergite VIII; H – male inner sternite VIII.

Fig. 13. Psammocryptus kompantsevae sp. nov., details of structure.A – head and anterior margin of pronotum; B – head and prothorax, laterally; C – apex of elytra and abdomen dorsally (arrow: truncated apex of ventrite 5); D – abdomen ventrally; E – mesoventrite; F – spiculum gastrale and IX tergite; G – median lobe of the aedeagus; H – aedeagus; I – male inner sternite VIII.

Fig. 12. Psammocryptus kompantsevae sp. nov., female, habitus, legs. A – dorsally; B – ventrally; C – profemur, flexion side; D – metatibia.

Fig. 3. Psammocryptus minutus (Tauscher, 1812), habitus, profemur.A – female, dorsally; B – male, ventrally; C – male profemur, flexion side.

Fig. 5. Psammocryptus bogatchevi sp. nov., male, habitus, profemur. A – dorsally; B – ventrally; C – profemur, flexion side.

Fig. 8. Psammocryptus bayeri bayeri Koch, 1943, habitus, elytral puncturation. A – male, dorsally; B – male, ventrally; C – elytral puncturation.

Fig. 10. Psammocryptus bayeri vachshianus subsp. nov., habitus, elytral puncturation. A – male, dorsally; B – male, ventrally; C – elytral puncturation.