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Кавказский энтомол. бюллетень 13(1): 41–49 © CAUCASIAN ENTOMOLOGICAL BULL. 2017
1Caspian Institute of Biological Resources of Dagestan Scientific Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences, M. Gadzhiev str., 45, Makhachkala, Republic of Dagestan 367000 Russia. E-mail: nalassus@mail.ru
2Dagestan State University, M. Gadzhiev str., 43a, Makhachkala, Republic of Dagestan 367000 Russia
3Ege University, Bornova-Izmir 35100 Turkey. E-mail: bekir.keskin.phd@gmail.com
1Прикаспийский институт биологических ресурсов ДНЦ РАН, ул. М. Гаджиева, 45, Махачкала, Республика Дагестан 367000 Россия
2Дагестанский государственный университет, ул. М. Гаджиева, 43а, Махачкала, Республика Дагестан 367000 Россия
3Эгейский университет, Борнова – Измир 35100 Турция
Key words: Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae, Helops, Turkey, taxonomy, distribution, new species.
Ключевые слова: Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae, Helops, Турция, таксономия, распространение, новый вид.
Abstract. Five species of the genus Helops s. str. Fabricius, 1775 are known from Turkey: Helops caeruleus stevenii Krynicki, 1834 (Georgia near the border of Turkey, can be found in Rize Province, Turkey), Helops rossii Germar, 1817 (Istanbul and Bursa provinces), Helops glabriventris glabriventris Reitter, 1885 (Izmir and Isparta provinces; Taurus Mts.: Mugla, Antalya, Konya, Mersin provinces), Helops cyanipes Allard, 1877 (Amanos and Central Taurus Mts.: Mersin, Kahramanmaraş, Gaziantep and Hatay provinces), Helops punctatissimus sp. n. (Bitlis Province). A new synonymy is established: Helops Fabricius, 1775 = Mesohelops Reitter, 1922, syn. n. Bionomics, morphology of male genitalia and key to the Turkish species are given.
Резюме. Из Турции известно 5 видов рода Helops s. str. Fabricius, 1775: Helops caeruleus stevenii Krynicki, 1834 (Грузия, возле турецкой границы, может быть найден в провинции Ризе Турции), Helops rossii Germar, 1817 (провинции Стамбул и Бурса), Helops glabriventris Reitter, 1885 (провинции Измир и Ыспарта; горы Тавр: провинции Мугла, Анталья, Конья и Мерсин), Helops cyanipes Allard, 1877 (Аманос и Центральный Тавр: провинции Мерсин, Караманмараш, Газиантеп и Хатай), Helops punctatissimus sp. n. (провинция Битлис). Установлена новая синонимия: Helops Fabricius, 1775 = Mesohelops Reitter, 1922, syn. n. Приведены экология, морфология гениталий самца и определительная таблица для турецких видов.
Helops s. str. Fabricius, 1775 is a small genus (the type genus of the tribe Helopini) with 6 species and 4 subspecies distributed in the Mediterranean region, Central Europe, Crimea, the Caucasus and Northern Iran [Nabozhenko, Löbl, 2008]. Helops caeruleus (Linnaeus, 1758) was conservated as the type species of the genus [Nabozhenko et al., 2008]. The greatest diversity of Helops is observed in
DOI: 10.23885/1814-3326-2017-13-1-41-49
Anatolia (4 species). Two subspecies of Helops caeruleus are known from the Caucasus and Northern Iran. Two species are distributed in Europe and 2 endemic subspecies in the Maghreb. American species of the genus Helops must be transferred to the other genera of the tribe Helopini after an accurate revision; the genus Helops is a polyphyletic group with the inclusion of the New World species [Nabozhenko et al., 2016b].
The genus Helops is very broadly defined until the 20th century. It included almost all known Helopini without subgeneric division [Küster, 1850, 1851] or with multiple subgenera and sections [Laporte, 1840; Seidlitz, 1896]. Allard [1876, 1877] included to the genus species of Helops and Probaticus Seidlitz, 1896 sensu Reitter [1922]. The last revision was made by Reitter [1922] who reduced the genus to 7 species and 1 subspecies and synonymized the genus Anteros Laporte, 1840 with Helops. The Reitter’s system of Palaearctic Helops was supported by other entomologists and it is used to the present time. Reitter [1922] also described the subgenus Mesohelops Reitter, 1922 with two species: Helops cyanipes Allard, 1877 and
H. valdani Guérin-Méneville, 1859. Later Grimm [1991] added Helops thoracicus Grimm, 1991 to the subgenus. Helops valdani belongs to the genus Probaticus Seidlitz, 1896 (the subgenus Pelorinus Vauloger de Beaupré, 1900) [Nabozhenko, Löbl, 2008]. Differential characters used by Reitter for Mesohelops are doubtful for a subgeneric level: punctation of elytra, lesser size of elevated protrusion on mentum, colour of cuticule. First two characters are sutable only for interspecies diagnostics, and colour of Helops (Mesohelops) cyanipes is very variable from black to blue. All characters of two species of the subgenus Mesohelops are identical to the nominatypical subgenus. As a result, the following synonymy is established: Helops Fabricius, 1775 = Mesohelops Reitter, 1922, syn. n.
42 M.V. Nabozhenko, B. Keskin
Further species of Helops with images of genitalia and keys were revised in the taxonomic works of Antoine [1949] and Español [1963] for Maghreb and Ardoine [1958] for France. Bogatchev [1949] described a new subspecies Helops caeruleus talyshensis from Hyrcan forests of South Precaspian region. Picka [1984] added one new subspecies of Helops glabriventris Reitter, 1885 from Crete (Greece). Grimm [1991] described a new species from Cyprus. Taxonomic review of Caucasian and Iranian Helops was made by Abdurakhmanov and Nabozhenko [2011]. Larvae and pupae are known (excluding old work with non- informative figures and descriptions) for Helops caeruleus stevenii Krynicki, 1834 [Byzova, Gilyarov, 1956; Cherney, 2005] and Helops insignis maroccanus Fairmaire, 1873 [Pardo Alcaide, 1942].
The Middle East species of the genus Helops are poorly studied. In addition to the above-mentioned works only some faunistic records were published by Koch [1935] and Finkel at al. [2002] for Israel and by Kaszab [1968], Ferrer and Soldati [1999] for Turkey.
Bionomics of species of the genus Helops is well studied only for H. caeruleus и H. rossi Germar, 1817 (see bibliography in Gebien [1943], Hellrigl et al. [2012] etc.). All species of Helops s. str. are lichenophagous beetles and feed on epiphytic foliose and fruticose lichens. Beetles are active at night. Species of Helops hide in the daytime in mouldering wood, under the flacking bark of large old trees or stumps, while many other Helopini hide in the daytime in soil under trees. Larvae and pupae also develope in mouldering wood [Byzova, Gilyarov, 1956]. Within Palaearctic Helopini only larvae of some species of Deretus Gahan, 1900 [Purchart, Nabozhenko, 2012] and Allardius Ragusa, 1898 [Bellavista, Sparacio, 2012] develope in mouldering trees, while the most of other species of the tribe have soil-dwelling larvae [Nabozhenko at al., 2016a]. In Turkey two species, Helops caeruleus and H. rossii, are distributed in low mountain and plain oak forests, and the species H. cyanipes and
H. glabriventris inhabit coniferous forests. Helops cyanipes
occurs on old mouldering Pinus nigra and Cedrus libani;
H. glabriventris can be found on Abies cilicica, rarely on old Juniperus excelsa. Maghreb species Helops insignis Lucas, 1846 inhabits Cedrus atlantica и Abies maroccana.
Below we describe a new species of the genus Helops s. str. from South Eastern Anatolia which was found in woodland of old Juniperus excelsa.
This study is based on the examination of adult beetles from the following institutions and private collections:
ZIN – Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences (St. Petersburg, Russia, Mark Volkovitsh);
HNHM – Hungarian Natural History Museum (Budapest, Hungary, Ottó Merkl);
ZDEU – Zoological Department of Ege University (Bornova-Izmir, Turkey, Bekir Keskin);
CN – private collection of Maxim Nabozhenko (Rostov-on-Don, Russia);
AL – private collection of Andrzej Lasoń (Białystok, Poland);
VT – private collection of Vladimír Tichý (Třeboň, Czech Rupublic).
Bibliography for each species is completed only for regional faunistic works.
Photographs of Helops caeruleus stevenii were made by K.V. Makarov (Moscow State University of Education, Moscow, Russia) and taken from the site www.zin.ru\ Animalia\Coleoptera. Other photographs were made by
D.G. Kasatkin (Rostov Branch of All-Russian Center for Plant Quarantine, Rostov-on-Don, Russia).
Genus Helops s. str. Fabricius, 1775
Type species Helops caeruleus (Linnaeus, 1875).
General morphology of adults. Body large (length 14– 27 mm), slender, weakly or moderately convex, completely or partly with blue, purple or green-blue shade (Color plate 1: 1–6; Color plate 2: 7–9). Eyes large, strongly transverse. Punctation of head often dense and very coarse. Mentum with strongly protruded elevation at middle. Antennae long, reaching elytral third or quarter. Male antennomere 11 larger than 10th one, female antennomere 11 smaller or subequal to 10th one. Pronotum cordiform, margins with thickened bead, disc with coarse and dense punctation. Prothoracic hypomera with coarse large punctures, with punctures and wrinkles or with only coarse short irregular wrinkles. Elytra with protruded humoral angles, distinct striae. Epipleura not reaching thickened (not flattened) apex. Flightless, wings strongly reduced, very small, without costal and rarely radial veins. Mesocoxal cavities closed externally by mesepimera and metaventrite, trochantin presented. Abdominal ventrites with coarse and dense punctation, without hair brush; ventrite 5 beaded apically, without long and strong suberected setae near apex. Legs slender. Pro- and mesotibiae of male with very dense line of erected brush. Male protarsomeres 1–3 weakly widened. Male genitalia and terminalia (Figs 19–23, 24–28, 29–
33, 34–38, 39–43). Aedeagus long; apical piece lanceolate, without longitudinal impression dorsally, covered with short spines only at widest apical part. Ventral alae of apical piece merged and completely conceal penis. Basal piece near 2 times longer than apical piece. Penis with two narrow baculi merged and broadened at basal third and with pair sclerotized part at middle. Apical lobes of gastral spicula large, pubescent apically; rods of gastral spicula straight, not merged apically and with long, often involute processes near base of lobes. Inner sternite VIII densely pubescent with long strong setae marginally; lobes with dense fine punctation and structures for rigidity of construction: pair sclerite at middle and additional sclerotized parts at middle, coming from lateral sides to middle.
Female genital tubes. Spermatheca long, strongly branched, main duct with 3 additional long branched ducts and 2–3 short not branched ducts; basal duct short. Accessory gland long, with one-way valve, which has very short branch externally.
Note. Male genitalia of Helops poorly differ because species of the genus Helops are allopatric (at least in the Middle East).
Taxonomic review of the genus Helops Fabricius, 1775 (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) of Turkey Color plate 1
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Figs 1–6. Helops spp., habitus.
1 – H. caeruleus stevenii, male; 2 – the same, female; 3 – H. rossii, male; 4 – the same, female; 5 – H. glabriventris glabriventris, male; 6 – the same, female.
Рис. 1–6. Helops spp., габитус.
1 – H. caeruleus stevenii, самец; 2 – то же, самка; 3 – H. rossii, самец; 4 – то же, самка; 5 – H. glabriventris glabriventris, самец; 6 – то же, самка.
Color plate 2 Taxonomic review of the genus Helops Fabricius, 1775 (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) of Turkey
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Figs 7–18. Helops spp., habitus, details of structure.
7 – H. cyanipes, male, habitus (Çamlıyayla, Mersin Province); 8 – the same, female (south of Hatay Province); 9 – H. punctatissimus sp. n., male; 10 –
H. caeruleus stevenii, head; 11 – H. punctatissimus sp. n., head; 12 – H. cyanipes, punctation of metatibia; 13 – H. punctatissimus sp. n., the same; 14–18 – punctation and sculpture of elytra: 14 – H. caeruleus stevenii, 15 – H. rossii, 16 – H. glabriventris glabriventris, 17 – H. cyanipes, 18 – H. punctatissimus sp. n.
Рис. 7–18. Helops spp., габитус, детали строения.
7 – H. cyanipes, самец, габитус (Чамлыяйла, провинция Мерсин); 8 – то же, самка (юг провинции Хатай); 9 – H. punctatissimus sp. n., самец; 10 – H. caeruleus stevenii, голова; 11 – H. punctatissimus sp. n., голова; 12 – H. cyanipes, пунктировка задней голени; 13 – H. punctatissimus sp. n., то же; 14–18 – пунктировка и скульптура надкрылий: 14 – H. caeruleus stevenii, 15 – H. rossii, 16 – H. glabriventris glabriventris, 17 – H. cyanipes, 18 – H. punctatissimus sp. n.
_8_Nabozhenko_Keskin/Image_004.gif)
Figs 19–23. Helops caeruleus sevenii, male genitalia and terminalia.
19 – aedeagus, ventral view; 20 – median piece (penis); 21 – aedeagus, lateral view; 22 – lobe of gastral spicula, lateral view; 23 – male inner sternite VIII, ventrally.
Рис. 19–23. Helops caeruleus sevenii, гениталии и терминалии самца.
19 – эдеагус вентрально; 20 – пенис; 21 – эдеагус латерально; 22 – лопасть гастральной спикулы, латерально; 23 – VIII внутренний стернит самца, вентрально.
Helops caeruleus stevenii Krynicki, 1834 (Color plate 1: 1, 2; Color plate 2: 10, 14; Figs 19–23)
Reitter, 1922: 31; Abdurakhmanov, Nabozhenko, 2011: 305.
Material. Georgia, Batumi, 1♂, 1♀ (ZIN).
Notes. The nominotypical subspecies was listed for Anatolia by Nabozhenko and Löbl [2008]. Reitter [1922] recorded H. caeruleus stevenii for “Kleinasien”. Later Abdurakhmanov and Nabozhenko [2011] corrected that H. caeruleus stevenii is distributed in North Eastern Anatolia. We have not any material from Turkey, but the subspecies is known from Batum in Georgia [Radde, 1899;
ZIN collection], near the border of Turkey and can be found in Rize Province.
Helops rossii Germar, 1817
(Color plate 1: 3, 4; Color plate 2: 15; Figs 24–28)
Kaszab, 1968: 460; Ferrer, Soldati, 1999: 64.
Material. 3♂, Turkey, Bursa Prov., Cumalıkızık, 23–25.05.2008, on Quercus cerris (leg. I.V. Shokhin) (CN); 1♀ (CN), 5♂, 6♀ (ZDEU, in ethanol), Turkey, Istanbul Prov., Alem Dağ, near Ömerli, 150–170 m, 41°05′13.6″N / 29°22′10.0″E, 10.04.2014, on Quercus robur (leg. M.V. and S.V. Nabozhenko,
B. Keskin).
_8_Nabozhenko_Keskin/Image_005.gif)
Figs 24–28. Helops rossii, male genitalia and terminalia.
24 – aedeagus, ventral view; 25 – median piece (penis); 26 – aedeagus, lateral view; 27 – lobe of gastral spicula, lateral view; 28 – male inner sternite VIII, dorsally.
Рис. 24–28. Helops rossii, гениталии и терминалии самца.
24 – эдеагус вентрально; 25 – пенис; 26 – эдеагус латерально; 27 – лопасть гастральной спикулы, латерально; 28 – VIII внутренний стернит самца, дорсально.
Notes. Ferrer and Soldati [1999] listed this species for Yarpuz (Antalya Province). We collected only numerous Helops glabriventris in this place. This record must be supported by additional material.
Helops glabriventris glabriventris Reitter, 1885 (Color plate 1: 5, 6; Color plate 2: 16; Figs 29–33)
Reitter, 1885: 382; Seidlitz, 1896: 702; Reitter, 1922: 31; Ferrer,
Soldati, 1999: 64.
Material. 3♂, 1♀, Turkey, İzmir Prov., Balçova District, 38°22.108ʹN / 27°1.934ʹE, 150 m, 2.03.1996 (leg. B. Keskin) (ZDEU); 1♂, 1♀, Turkey, Muğla Prov., Fethiye District, 1.07.1997 (leg. D. Keith) (ZDEU); 1♂, 1♀, Turkey, Antalya Prov., Akşeki, Irmazan Pass, 27.05.2001 (leg. Snižek) (VT); 1♂, Turkey, Mersin Prov., N Erdemli, 28.05.2001 (coll. P. Bialooki) (VT); 1♀, Turkey, Mersin Prov., Orta Toroslar, 700 m, 8 km N Erdemli, 2.04.2004 (N. Rahmé, L. Nádai, K. Székely) (HNHM); 1♂, 2♀, Turkey, Mugla Prov., Babadağ Mts., Fethiye District, above Ovacik, 1300 m, on Cedrus libani, 13–15.04.2008 (leg. M.V. Nabozhenko, B. Keskin) (CN); 2♂, 2♀, Turkey, Isparta Prov., Davraz Dağı, 37°48′744″N / 30°46′912″E, 1586 m, 11.05.2009 (leg. M.V. and S.V. Nabozhenko, B. Keskin) (CN); 11♂, 7♀ (CN), 4♂, 3♀ (ZDEU), Turkey, Antalya Prov., Akseki District, Yarpuz Pass, 37°10′246″N / 31°55′324″E, 1821 m, 15.05.2009, on Abies cilicica and Juniperus excelsa (leg. M.V. and S.V. Nabozhenko, B. Keskin); 5♂, 3♀ (CN), 4♂ (ZDEU), Turkey, Konya Prov., Kartal Dağı, Hadim District, Küplüce, 36°59′081″N / 32°43′102″E, 1688 m, 16.05.2009 (leg. M.V. and S.V. Nabozhenko, B. Keskin);
_8_Nabozhenko_Keskin/Image_006.gif)
Figs 29–33. Helops glabriventris glabriventris, male genitalia and terminalia.
29 – aedeagus, ventral view; 30 – median piece (penis); 31 – aedeagus, lateral view; 32 – lobe of gastral spicula, lateral view; 33 – male inner sternite VIII, ventrally.
Рис. 29–33. Helops glabriventris glabriventris, гениталии и терминалии самца.
29 – эдеагус вентрально; 30 – пенис; 31 – эдеагус латерально; 32 – лопасть гастральной спикулы, латерально; 33 – VIII внутренний стернит самца, вентрально.
4♂, Turkey, Antalya Prov., Akseki District, 11.07.2011 (leg. A. Üzüm,
R. Kundrata) (ZDEU); 1♀, Turkey, İzmir Prov., Buca District, Kaynaklar, 38°21.808ʹN / 27° 18.503ʹE, 150 m, 30.04.2015 (leg. B. Keskin) (ZDEU).
Helops cyanipes Allard, 1877 (Color plate 2: 7, 8, 12, 17; Figs 34–38)
Allard, 1877: 256; Seidlitz, 1896: 701 (Helops (Anteros));
Reitter, 1902: 209 (Helops (Raiboscelis)); Reitter, 1922: 31 (Helops
(Mesohelops)); Kaszab, 1968: 460; Ferrer, Soldati, 1999: 64 (Helops (Mesohelops)).
= carinimentum Reitter, 1885: 383.
Material. 1♀, Turkey, Mersin Prov., Namrun (Çamlıyayla), 18.07.1984 (leg. C. Can) (ZDEU); 2♂, 3♀, Turkey, Mersin Prov., Tarsus, E of Çamlıyayla, 30.05.2001 (leg. Snižek) (VT); 1♂, Turkey, Hatay Prov., Topaktaş, 36°49′N / 36°20′E, 1170 m, 21–22.07.2006 (leg. R. Królik) (AL); 1♀, Turkey, Mersin Prov., above Arslanköy, 1800 m, 16.04.2007, on Abies cilicica (leg. M.V. Nabozhenko) (CN); 1♂, 1♀, Turkey, Mersin Prov., Güzeloluk, 1400 m, 16–18.05.2008 (leg. I.V. Shokhin) (CN); 2♂, 1♀, Turkey, Mersin Prov., above Arslanköy, 1800 m, 18.05.2009, on Abies cilicica (leg. M.V. and S.V. Nabozhenko, B. Keskin) (ZDEU); 1♂ (CN), 3♂, 1♀ (ZDEU), Turkey, Mersin Prov., Çamlıyayla, 37°10′307″N / 34°31′239″E, 1900 m, 18.05.2009 (leg. M.V. and S.V. Nabozhenko, B. Keskin); 1♂, 1♀, Turkey, Hatay Prov., W Antakya, S Amanos Dağları, 36°18′36.6″N /
_8_Nabozhenko_Keskin/Image_007.gif)
Figs 34–38. Helops cyanipes, male genitalia and terminalia.
34 – aedeagus, ventral view; 35 – median piece (penis); 36 – aedeagus, lateral view; 37 – lobe of gastral spicula, lateral view; 38 – male inner sternite VIII, ventrally.
Рис. 34–38. Helops cyanipes, гениталии и терминалии самца.
34 – эдеагус вентрально; 35 – пенис; 36 – эдеагус латерально; 37 – лопасть гастральной спикулы, латерально; 38 – VIII внутренний стернит самца, вентрально.
36°03′12.7″E, 1480 m, 18.05.2010 (leg. M.V. and S.V. Nabozhenko, B. Keskin) (CN); 1♂, Turkey, Gaziantep Prov., Islahiye District, W Tandır Köyü, Huzurlu Yaylası, 36°58′25.7″N / 36°29′14.2″E, 1730 m, 19.05.2010 (leg.
M.V. and S.V. Nabozhenko, B. Keskin) (CN); 1♀, Turkey, Kahramanmaraş Prov., Göksun District, Püren Geçidi, 37°57′16.5″N / 36°33′36.2″E, 1404 m, 20.05.2010 (leg. M.V. and S.V. Nabozhenko, B. Keskin) (CN); 1♂, the same locality, 15.04.2014 (leg. B. Keskin) (ZDEU); 1♂, Turkey, Mersin Prov., Çamlıyayla District, Sibil, 30.05.2010 (leg. D.G. Kasatkin) (CN); 1♂, Turkey, Mersin Prov., Mut District, Sertavul Pass, 36°51.231ʹN / 33°17.889ʹE, 1450 m, 30.05.2011 (leg. B. Keskin) (ZDEU); 3♂, 3♀, Turkey, Mersin Prov., Erdemli District, Toros, 36°54.369ʹN / 34°6.119ʹE, 1735 m, 31.05.2011 (leg.
B. Keskin) (ZDEU).
Helops punctatissimus sp. n.
(Color plate 2: 9, 11, 13, 18; Figs 39–43)
Material. Holotype, ♂ (will be deposited in ZIN): Turkey, Bitlis Prov., E Tatvan, 38°28ʹ18.06ʺN / 42°19ʹ13.54ʺE, 23.04.2009 (leg.
M.V. and S.V. Nabozhenko).
_8_Nabozhenko_Keskin/Image_008.gif)
Figs 39–43. Helops punctatissimus sp. n., male genitalia and terminalia.
39 – aedeagus, ventral view; 40 – median piece (penis); 41 – aedeagus, lateral view; 42 – male inner sternite VIII, ventrally; 43 – gastral spicula. Рис. 39–43. Helops punctatissimus sp. n., гениталии и терминалии самца.
39 – эдеагус вентрально; 40 – пенис; 41 – эдеагус латерально; 42 – VIII внутренний стернит самца, вентрально; 43 – гастральная спикула.
Punctation of head dorsally very coarse and dense (puncture diameter 3–4 times as long as interpuncture distance), punctures not merged; vertex with dense merged punctation. Antennomeres long, with 3 apical antennomeres extending beyond base of pronotum, antennomeres 2–8 with blue shine, antennomeres 1 and 9–11 black.
Pronotum weakly transverse (1.14 times wide as long), cordiform, widest before middle, 1.6 times wider than head. Lateral margins weakly rounded, emarginated in basal quarter. Anterior margin weakly broadly emarginated, base straight.
Anterior angles weakly obtuse, posterior ones right. Disc of pronotum regularly convex, without impressions, all margins with simple, not thickened bead (excluding middle of anterior and basal margins, where bead more widened). Punctation of disc the same as on head, sparser at middle and merged on side, punctures round. Outer margins of prothoracic hypomera not flattened; hypomera with coarse, very dense not merged punctures, without wrinkles. Prosternal process smooth, without punctation, beaded, with short cone apically.
Elytra elongate (1.6 times as long as wide), 1.2 times wider and 2.24 times longer than pronotum, 1.96 times wider than head. Elytral interstriae flat, with dense punctation (puncture diameter subequal to distance between punctures) of small deep punctures and sparse, not depressed transverse wrinkles. Strial punctures round, deep, not connecting. Epipleura not impressed, with very coarse irregular wrinkles.
Meso- and metaventrite, mesepimera, mes- and metepisterna with very dense and coarse merged punctation. Abdominal ventrites with very dense punctation, from coarse on 1th ventrite to fine on 5th ventrite, without wrinkles. Ventrite 5 completely beaded.
Pro- and mesotibiae curved, weakly club-shaped, with very dense brush of long black setae on inner side. Protibiae longitudinally impressed along middle of inner side. Tarsi with dense brush of black hairs on ventral side. Protarsi transverse, mesotarsi longitudinal.
Body length 15 mm, width 5.7 mm.
Differential diagnosis. This new species is similar to Helops caeruleus, from which it differs in the structure of elytral striae (in Helops caeruleus strial punctures are connected to continuous grooves, in
H. punctatissimus sp. n. strial punctures consist of not merged round punctures), less elevated protrusion on mentum, which weakly visible at lateral view, denser and coarser punctation and black colour of the body.
1(2). Prothoracic hypomera with coarse irregular wrinkles. Elytra with strongly depressed coarse and dense transverse wrinkles, rarely without depressed wrinkles (population from Kartal Dağ, Konya). Frons strongly convex, transverse depression between frons and frontoclypeus divided into two lateral impressions by frons ........................................................... H. glabriventris
2(1). Prothoracis hypomera with coarse, sometimes merged punctures. Elytra without wrinkles or with weakly depressed wrinkles. Frons weakly convex, transverse depression between frons and frontoclypeus continuous.
3(7). Head with long recumbent reddish or white hairs. 5(6). Elytral interstriae flat. Scutellum with short recumbent
setae. Pronotum with acute posterior angles .................
............................................................ H. caeruleus stevenii
6(5). Elytral interstriae convex. Scutellum not setated. Pronotum with obtuse or right posterior angles ...........
................................................................................... H. rossii
7(3). Head only with very short fine setae.
8(9). Protrusion of mentum strongly elevated and distinctly visible at lateral view. Punctation of elytral interstriae fine and sparse, punctures at apical half 3–4 times shorter than strial punctures. Punctation of femora and tibiae moderately coarse, not dense, puncture diameter equal or less than interpuncture distance ......
............................................................................. H. cyanipes
9(8). Protrusion of mentum strongly elevated and distinctly visible at lateral view. Punctation of elytral interstriae coarser and denser, punctures at apical half subequal to strial punctures. Punctation of femora and tibiae very dense and coarse, puncture diameter 2–3 times as long as interpuncture distance ........ H. punctatissimus sp. n.
The authors are much obliged to Svetlana Nabozhenko, Igor Shokhin (Institute of Arid Zones of Southern Scientific Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Rostov-on-Don, Russia) and Denis Kasatkin (Rostov Branch of All-Russian Center for Plant Quarantine, Rostov-on-Don, Russia) for their help in collecting beetles during expeditions, to Denis Kasatkin for preparation of photographs, to Vladimír Tichý (Třeboň, Czech Rupublic) for the paper of C. Koch and provided material, to Mark Volkovitsh (ZIN), Ottó Merkl (HNHM), Andrzej Lasoń (Białystok, Poland) for provided material.
This work was supported by grant from the Russian Foundation for Basic Research 15-04-02971A for the first author and by Ege University Research Found projects of 2013 BIL 010 and 2009 BIL 005 for the second author.
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Received / Поступила: 13.05.2017 Accepted / Принята: 7.07.2017