Lesteva longoelytrata

Lesteva (s.str.) longoelytrata cretica Lohse & Steel, 1961

Lesteva longoelytrata cretica Lohse & Steel, 1961: 76

Type material examined: Paratypes of Lesteva soror, 11 ♂, 16 ♀: ‘Yeniköy, Toros [handwritten by black pen] | Anat. 30.VIII.[19]47 [handwritten by black pen] | Exp. N. Mus. ČSR’ <rectangular label, printed>, ‘ PARATYPUS [printed] Lesteva soror m. [handwritten by black pen]’ <red small rectangular label>, ‘1965 [handwritten by black pen] Smetana det. [printed]’ <red small rectangular label>, ‘ Lesteva (s.str.) longoelytata | longoelytrata (Goeze, 1777) | A.V. Shavrin det. 2014’ <printed rectangular label> (NMPC); 2 ♂, 3 ♀: ‘Yeniköy, Toros [handwritten by black pen] | Anat. 2.IX.47 [handwritten by black pen] | Exp. N. Mus. ČSR’ <rectangular label, printed>, ‘ PARATYPUS [printed] Lesteva soror m. [handwritten by black pen]’ <red small rectangular label>, ‘1965 [handwritten by black pen] Smetana det. [printed]’ <red small rectangular label>, ‘ Lesteva (s.str.) longoelytata | longoelytrata (Goeze, 1777) | A.V. Shavrin det. 2014’ <printed rectangular label> (NMPC).

Material examined: RUSSIA: Karachay-Cherkessia: 1 ♂: upper flow of Dukka river, 16.07.1996, E.A.Khachikov (cKh); 1 ♂: same data, Dukka mountain path, 17.07.1996, E.A.Khachikov (cKh); 1 ♂: env. Pkhiya vill., 14.08.1996, E.A.Khachikov (cKh); Adygea: 1 ♂, 1 ♀: Lagonaki [Plateau], Azish-Tau Mts., h= 1800 m, subalpica, under stone, 14.06.1995, A.Yu.Solodovnikov (ZMUC); 1 ♂: Apsheroncskiy district, Mezmay, 19- 25.vi.1996, E.A. Khachikov (cKh); Dagestan: 1 ♂, 4 ♀: oberh. Kurush, 3000 m, 6.07.1991, [J.]Martens, [W.]Schawaller & all. (SMNS); GEORGIA: 1 ♀: Avadkhara camp., Avadkhara Mt., 28.08.2000, Yu.Arzanov & I.Shokhin (cKh); Shida-Kartli Territory: ♂: Caucasus centr., Krestovyj pereval [pass], 25.06.[19]57, dr. [J.]Maøan (NMPC); Adzharia Autonomous Republic: 2 ♂ [one specimen is identified as L. luctuosa]: ‘Caucasus | Meskisches Geb. | Leder (Reitter)’ (NHMW); AZERBAIJAN: 1 ♂: ‘Caspi. – M. – Gebiet | Liryk [Lerik] | Leder (Reitter)’ [Lesteva | longoelytrata | Goeze], [Lesteva | longoelytrata [handwritten] | det. Rambousek], [Coll. Stenius] (MZHF); TURKEY: Bursa province [Bursa ili]: 1 ♂: Uludag s Bursa, (48) 01.08.1988, [M.] Jäch (NHMW); Bolu province: 8 ♂, 1♀: Abant Dagh., [h=] 1400–1550 m, 05.1967, G.Fagel (MHNG); Afyonkarahisar province [Afyonkarahisar ili]: 1 ♂: Sinanpaşa, Ulukõy 2 km N, [h=] 1590 m, 38°45'28''N, 30°00'43''E, 23.04.2010, S.Anlaş (cAn); Mersin province [Mersin ili]: 1 ♂: Klikischer Taurus, Sertavul-Pass, ca. 1600 m, 13.05.1970, [P.]Zwick (MHNG); Kahramanmaraş province [Kahramanmaraş ili]: 1 ♂: östl. Taurus h. Göksun, 16.05.1970, [P.]Zwick (MHNG); Rize province [Rize ili]: 1 ♂: Ovitdagi Pass, [h=] 2500 m, 31.05.1989, [H.]Schönmann & [H.]Schillhammer (NHMW); Gümüşhane Province [Gümüşhane ili]: 1 ♀: ca. 50 km SW Trabzon, [h=] 2000 m, 9–10 km S Dikkaya, ca. 40°36'N 39°29'E, 09.06.1998, A.Yu.Solodovnikov (cAs); Erzurum province [Erzurum ili]: 1 ♂: vil. Erzurum, Kopdagii, h= 2400 m, 18.06.1968, V.Sbordoni (cB); 1 ♀: vil.

Erzurum, Kopdagi geçidi, h=2390, 18.06.68, V.Sbordoni (cB); Muş Province [Muş ili]: 8 ♂, 3 ♀: Buglan Pass, 29– 30.05.2011, E.A.Khachikov (cKh, cS); Ardahan province [Ardahan ili]: 1 ♂: Yalnizçam, 08.07.1971, G.Osella [Lesteva artvinica n. sp. Det. A.Bordoni 1982] (cB); 1 ♂: Artvin Col entre, Savcat-Ardahan, [h=] 2650 m, 12.06.1986, [C.] Besuchet, [I.] Löbl & [D.] Burckhardt (MHNG); Şırnak province [Şırnak ili]: 1 ♂, 2 ♀: Uludere Pass, 31.5.1987, (46), [M.] Jäch [Lesteva soror Smet. Det. A. Zanetti 1989] (NHMW); LEBANON: 1 ♂, Kartaba, [h=] 1200–1400 m, 06.05.1964, G.Fagel [Lesteva longelytrata Smetana det. 1960] (MHNG); IRAN: Tehran province [Ostān-e Tehrān]: 17 ♂, 11 ♀: C. Elburz, Kandavan, Val. [h=] 2545 m, 10– 11.08.1970 (NMPC); 1 ♀: C Elburz, Kuhha-ye Tu-Chal, [h=] 3600–3900 m, 18– 19.07.1970 (NMPC); Fars Province [Ostân e Fârs]: 1 ♂, Semirom-Abadeh rd: 22 km NO Khosrow-Shirin, [h=] 2480 m, N 30°58'30'' E 052° 06'45'', 13.05.2007, [J.] Frisch & [S.] Serri (MNHUB); 3 ♂, 4 ♀, Sepidan-Komehr rd: 3 km NW Sepidan, [h=] 2850 m, N 30°20'34'' E 051°56'57'', 08.05.2007, [J.] Frisch & [S.] Serri (MNHUB); Esfahan Province [Ostān-e Esfahān]: 2 ♂: S Semirom: Komeh, h= 2810 m N 31°00'47'' E 051°35'28'', 11.05.2007, lg. [J.] Frisch & [S.] Serri (MNHUB); Kerman province [Ostān-e Kermān]: 1 ♂, Qohrud Mts., 15 km E Korin, h= 3500 m, 05.2008, A.Anistshenko (cS).

Remarks. L. soror was described by Smetana (1967) based on 71 specimens from Western Turkey, Mersin province (Yeniköy, Toros). Smetana (1967) compared his new species with " L. longelytata Gze. " based on habitual and aedeagal similarity, and noted that the new species could be distinguished by coloration, by the wider and shorter coarsely punctured elytra, by the less convex eyes, and by the shorter and thicker labial palpi. I have studied thousands of specimens of L. longoelytrata longoelytrata from North Africa, Europe and other regions, and observed wide range of variabilities in coloration, punctation, body size and proportions. Therefore, after studying 32 paratypes of L. soror from the collection of Prague museum, I have come to the conclusion, that L. soror is a junior synonym of the common European subspecies L. longoelytrata longoelytrata. Additionally, I prepared the aedeagus of one paratype and its shape is within the range of variability of this subspecies (Fig. 33−41). The aedeagus of L. longoelytrata longoelytrata (as aedeagi of other species of the genus Lesteva) are weakly sclerotized, so the median lobe can be narrower or wide, parameres may be slightly shorter or longer than the apex of the aedeagus and the median keel on the lobe of aedeagus, which is well defined in dry preparations, may be visiblly wider in cleared preparations. Parameral surfaces of median lobe of aedeagi are given in Fig. 35, 38, 41.

This is a West Palaearctic subspecies, distributed between N Africa (Morocco, Algeria), Orkney Islands, Faroe Islands, Iceland and Great Britain through all Europe and C and N part of European Russia and Caucasus, Turkey, Lebanon, Cyprus, Turkmenia and Iran. For the Caucasus it was recorded as L. bicolor and L. obscurus by Kolenati (1846) without exact localities, as L. bicolor from "...Caucaso et trans illum, Klti" by Hochhuth (1849), as L. longelytrata by Leder (1879) from "Michailowo [now Khashuri in Georgia]...; Dumanisz [?Dmanisi (=Borgalo), Georgia]...", and as L. longelytrata var. dorsalis by Reitter (1909) from "Araxestale" (? Turkey, Armenia or Azerbaijan). From Turkey it is known from "Asie Mineure" (Fauvel, 1874a [= 1874b]), "Col Soganli, 2 600 m " (Coiffait 1978), Mersin (Smetana 1967), Izmir (Anlas 2009), Gümüşhane (Bordoni 2010), and Afyon and Isparta provinces (Assing 2013). The species was recorded from Lebanon ("Caza Bcharré, Kadicha...;...Caza Metn, Nabeh Sannin (Jabal Sannine)") by Bordoni (1984) and from "Turcm.[Turkmenistan]" by Eppelsheim (1892). It is here for the first time recorded from Karachay-Cherkessia and Dagestan republics of Russia, Azerbaijan, from several provinces of Turkey (Bursa, Bolu, Kahramanmaraş, Erzurum, Muş, Ardahan, Şırnak) and Iran.