New species of Malthodes Kiesenwetter, 1852 from the Caucasus, with taxonomic notes on Malthininae (Coleoptera: Cantharidae) of Russia

Abstract

Three new species of malthinine soldier-beetles, Malthodes seregiusi sp. n., M. vikhrevi sp. n. and M. vladimiri sp. n., are described from the Caucasus (the first two from Krasnodar Region of Russia, the third from Adzharia, Georgia). The following new synonymy is established: Malthinus flaveolus (Herbst, 1786) = Malthinus robustus Motschulsky, 1853, syn. n., Malthodes brevicollis (Paykull, 1798) = Malthodes viridiventris (Motschulsky, 1853), syn. n., and Malthodes obscuricollis (Motschulsky, 1853) = Malthodes moczarskii Ganglbauer, 1912, syn. n. = Malthodes tauricus Pic, 1917, syn. n. A neotype is designated for Malthodes obscuricollis (Motschulsky, 1853) to be deposited at the Zoological Museum of Moscow University (Moscow, Russia).

Keywords

• coleoptera
• cantharidae
• malthininae
• new species
• taxonomy
• palaearctic region