Anoplistes halodendri subsp. minutus

§ Anoplistes halodendri minutus (Hammarström, 1892)

Figs 5I–L, 6A–F, 9G, H

New records. Dornogovi: 50 km SW of Khatanbulag [Хатанбулаг] [42.783, 108.550], 1129 m a.s.l., 22.05.2019, 1 ♂, 1 ♀, leg. BI (MIZ) (sand ecotype); 60 km E of Khatanbulag [Хатанбулаг] [43.166, 110.063], 1231 m a.s.l., 28.05.2019, 8 ♂♂, 6 ♀♀, 1 ♂, 1 ♀, leg. BI (MIZ) (sand ecotype); Choiriin Bogd Mountain [Чойрын Богд Уул] env., 30 km SEE of Choir [Чойр] [46.246, 108.771], 1400–1600 m a.s.l., 17– 18.07.2019, 01.08.2019, 26 ♂♂, 15 ♀♀, leg. et coll. WTS (18 exx. USMB); 17 ♂♂, 18 ♀♀, leg. LKa (MIZ); 48 exx., leg. et coll. LKr (rock ecotype); 20 ♂♂, 14 ♀♀, leg. et coll. WTS (5 exx. USMB); 11 ♂♂, 9 ♀♀, leg. LKa (MIZ); 30 exx., leg. et coll. LKr (sand ecotype); 20 km N Ulaanbadrakh [Улаанбадрах] [44.133, 110.300], 22.07.2019, larva in stem of Caragan a bungei, leg. LKa & WTS (MIZ).

Ömnögovi: 25 km SW of Khailaastyn Hudag (well) [кол. Хайластын-Худук] [ca. 42.353, 106.581], in Haloxylon, 19.06.1971, 1 ex., leg. I.M. Kerzner (MAS).

Literature data. Ömnögovi: Gurvan Saikhan Uul, 30 km S from Bulgan [ca. 43.841, 103.642], 1700 m a.s.l., 20.06.1964, exp. Dr. Z. Kaszab (Heyrovský 1965: as Asias halodendri & Asias kozlovi); Gurvan Saikhan Uul, 25 km S from Bulgan [ca. 43.908, 103.661], 1550 m a.s.l., 20.06.1964, exp. Dr. Z. Kaszab (ibid); eastern edge of Zöölön ul mountains; 58 km WSW from Bayandalai [БаЯн-Далай] [43.363, 102.806], 1500 m a.s.l., 16.06.1967, 11 exx., exp. Dr. Z. Kaszab (Heyrovský 1970: as Asias halodendri); valley of Unegtiin-Tal [ур. Унюгэтэн-Тала], 02.06.1909, 1 ex. (ibid); Tsagaan-Ders [Цаган-Дэрс], NW of Bayandalai [БаЯн-Далай] [43.571, 103.710], 16.06.1967, 10 exx. (Namhaidorzh 1972: as A. halodendri); Noyon nuruu mountains, in ravine between Dund gol and Noyon, 30–40 km SE from Salzsee [43.281, 101.058], 1600 m a.s.l., 19.06.1967, 6 exx., exp. Dr. Z. Kaszab (Heyrovský 1970: as A. halodendri); valley of Mukhar [ур. Мухор], Gurvantes [Гурван-Тэс] [ca. 43.214, 101.054], 23.06.1967, 1 ex. (Namhaidorzh 1972: as A. halodendri); Gurvan Saikhan Uul [хр. Гурван-Сайхан], 40 km S of Bulgan [Булган] [ca. 43.743, 103.592], 28– 29.07.1967, 1 ex. (ibid); 6 km S of mt. Khanbogd [г. Хан-Богд-Ула] [ca. 42.984, 107.051], on almond Prunus dulcis, 17.06.1971, 1 ex. (Namhaidorzh 1976a: as A. halodendri); 8 km NNE of Khanbogd [Хан- Богд] [ca. 43.258, 107.243], on almond Prunus dulcis, 17.06.1971, 1 ex. (ibid); 25 km SW of valey of river Undayn Gol [ур. Ундын-Гол] [ca. 43.000, 106.959], in saxaul Haloxylon, 19.06.1971, 1 ex. (ibid); 15 km E and 30 km SE of Bulgan [Булган], Gurvan Saikhan Mts. [хр. Гурван-Сайхан] [ca. 43.875, 103.049], 05.07.1970, 7 exx. (ibid).

Dornogovi: Airag [Айраг], 20 km ESE of Nuden [Нудэн] [ca. 45.337, 109.170], on blooming Caragana, 12– 13.06.1971, 8 exx., leg. Chogsomjav L., Namhaidorzh B. (Namhaidorzh 1976a: as A. halodendri); 30 km SSE of Shokhoi-Nuur Lake [оЗ. Шохой-Нур] [ca. 42.505, 109.237], on Caragana, 26.06.1971, 33 exx. leg. Namhaidorzh B. (ibid); 35 km SSE of Shokhoi-Nuur Lake [оЗ. Шохой-Нур] [ca. 42.481, 109.259], on Caragana, 27.06.1971, 1 ex., leg. Namhaidorzh B. (ibid); Sulin Kheer [Сулин-Хэрэ], valley of Agaruut [ур. Агарут], mt. Khutag [г. Хутаг] [ca. 42.968, 109.452], on Caragana, 27.06.1971, 2 exx., leg. Namhaidorzh B. (ibid); 25 km WNW of Tenger-Nuur Lake [оЗ. Тэнгэр-Нур] [ca. 42.767, 108.745], 05.08.1971, 1 ex. (ibid).

Sükhbaatar: Bayandelger soum [БаЯн-Дэлгэрэх], sands of Ongon-Els [пески Онгон-Элс] [45.705, 112.951], on Caragana, 05.07.1971, 1 ex. (Namhaidorzh 1976a: as A. halodendri); Dariganga [Дарьганга], sands of Moltsog- Els [пески Молцог-Элс] [45.288, 113.859], 08.07.1971, 1 ex. (ibid).

Remarks. Anoplistes kozlovi (Semenov & Znojko, 1934) was recently synonymised with A. halodendri minutus based on morphological, ecological, and molecular data (Karpiński et al. 2021).

Anoplistes halodendri (Pallas, 1773) is an east-Palaearctic species that is distributed between the European Russia and Japan. Within its range, it was divided into seven subspecies (Danilevsky 2020), including Mongolian A. halodendri minutus, however, the taxonomic status of some of them needs to be verified (in prep.). This applies especially to the discussed subspecies since the preliminary results of molecular and morphological studies indicate no differences between A. halodendri minutus and the nominative subspecies (Karpiński et al. 2021).

Despite the literature records of a few different host plants (e.g., Acacia Mill., Daphne mezereum L., Quercus) (Cherepanov 1990b), A. halodendri appears to be a monophage of Caragana spp. (Karpiński, Szczepański, Plewa et al. 2018). This species was discussed in previous works concerning the longhorned beetles of Mongolia (Karpiński, Szczepański, Boldgiv et al. 2018) and South and East Kazakhstan (Karpiński, Szczepański, Plewa et al. 2018).

We observed two nearly sympatric Anoplistes populations (A. halodendri minutus and “kozlovi”) in one extensive site in the environs of the Choiriin Bogd Mountain between July 17 and 19. Individuals of first population (mostly typical A. halodendri minutus; Fig. 9G) were found in a small canyon and on rocky slopes of the surrounding mountains (Fig. 9F). However, in the immediate vicinity, in the flat terrain with a gravelly-sand surface with no rocks, we found individuals almost exclusively with a reduced main black spot and predominance of pale orange on the elytra, which correspond to A. kozlovi (Fig. 9H). As it was recently explained (Karpiński et al. 2021), both “taxa” are just ecotypes of the same species. An incidence of copulation between two different forms was observed in several pairs, mainly in the transitional zone. All the individuals were found sitting on bushes of Caragana leucophloea Pojark. and C. bungei. This species was very abundant (several hundred individuals within one extensive locality) in the second half of July and seemed to be at the peak of its occurrence, although when we returned to this site on August 1, we found a noticeably smaller number of imagines. Further details were provided in Karpiński et al. (2021).