Materials to the knowledge of darkling beetles (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) from mountain Ingushetia (Russia) and comparison of tenebrionid fauna of semiarid basins in the North Caucasus

Abstract

Sixteen species of darkling beetles (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) in mountainous Ingushetia (Russia, the North Caucasus) were collected during two years in different seasons and habitats. The new species Mycetochara (Ernocharis) ingushetica sp. n. (close to M. abschasica Pic, 1925) is described from an oak grove in the Assa River valley. Te following new synonymy is established: Opatrum sabulosum sabulosum (Linnaeus, 1758) = Opatrum sabulosum amauropterum Reichardt, 1936, syn. n.; both, typical and smooth forms were collected during copulation in one habitat and the latter cannot be saved as a valid subspecies. Isomira murina murina (Linnaeus, 1758) is recorded for the Caucasus for the frst time. Comparative analysis of the North Caucasian mountain arid basins showed that the tenebrionid fauna in the Dzheyrakh and Targim basins of Ingushetia is distinguished by its ordinariness, low taxonomic diversity and the absence of local endemics. The occurrence of Nаlassus dissonus Nabozhenko, 2001 in the Targim and Dzheyrakh basins, as well as Omophlus subalpinus (Ménétriés, 1832) in the Targim basin brings the xerophilic fauna of darkling beetles of mountain Ingushetia closer to that of the Central Caucasus. Comparative diagnosis of Mycetochara (Ernocharis) ingushetica sp. n. The species belongs to the group with unicolour black or dark-brown body and light legs (from yellowish to dark ochreous and reddish) and most similar to M. abschasica by the body, dorsally pubescent by black setae and parameres of the aedeagus with strong spines on lateral sides, directed backward. Externally, the new species looks similar to two close species M. zolotareffi Reitter, 1896 and M. nabozhenkoi Novák, 2020, which like a new species, have spines on the sides of the parameres, but both difer from M. abschasica and M. ingushetica sp. n. in having yellowish, ochreous or light brown dorsal pubescence, narrow, not serrate antennae with cylindrical and not thickened middle antennomeres, the narrower pronotum and the shape of the aedeagus. Externally, a new species is also similar to M. maura (Fabricius, 1792), which also pubescent by black setae, but the latter has strongly diferent shape of the parameres with strong constriction in basal half and without spines. Mycetochara ingushetica sp. n. difers from M. abschasica by eyes smaller and less close together dorsally (ocular index = 45.45 in M. ingushetica sp. n. and 39.57 in M. abschasica), less coarse and dense puncturation of the pronotum and the elytra, widely emarginated lateral edges of the pronotum in the basal half (straight, slightly divergent in M. abschasica), more elongate elytra (2.25 times as long as wide in the new species and 2.1 times in M. abschasica) and also much narrower parameres dorsally, than in M. abschasica.

Keywords

• fauna
• new species
• new synonym
• tenebrionidae
• north caucasus
• semiarid basins