Ammostyphrus cerberus Reichardt, 1924

(Figs. 14, 48, 82, 110, 198–214)

Ammostyphrus cerberus Reichardt, 1924: 165 .

Ammostyphrus cerberus: REICHARDT (1941): 337, Fig. 174; KRYZHANOVSKIJ & REICHARDT (1976): 241, Fig. 469; MAZUR (1984): 103; MAZUR (1997): 266; MAZUR (2004): 90.

Type locality. Kazakhstan, Perovskiy uezd, Chirkeili.

Type material examined. HOLOTYPE: spec., ‘Perovskij u. / Peschannaya Pustina / Chirkeili / 23.iv.[19]09 [printed] // Type / Ammostyphrus / cerberus m. / A. Reichardt det. [printed-written] // Holotypus [red label, printed]’ (ZIN).

Additional material examined. UZBEKISTAN: 1 ♁, 1 spec., Buchara, Kyzylkum, 27.iv.1978, A. Olexa lgt .; 1 spec., ditto, but 30.vi.1976; 2 spec., Karakum, Chiva [= Khiva] / 1.–5.v.1979, A. Olexa lgt .; 1 ♁, Buchara, Shafrikan, 29.iv.1979, A. Olexa lgt. (TLAN) .

Redescription. Body length: PEL: 2.0– 2.25 mm; APW: 0.625–0.75 mm; PPW: 1.5–1.625 mm; EL: 1.45–1.625 mm; EW: 1.375 –1.875 mm.

Body (Figs. 198–199) ovoid, strongly convex, cuticle dark brown with a stark bronze metallic luster; legs, antennae and mouthparts reddish-brown.

Antennal scape (Fig. 201) slightly thickened, with several short setae; club rather large, oval, without visible articulation, with thick short sensilla becoming slightly sparser basally, basal fourth of surface glabrous; sensory structures of antennal club (Fig. 14) in form of stipe-shaped vesicle situated under a large circular sensory area on internal distal margin of the ventral side of antennal club.

Mouthparts. Mandibles (Fig. 82) stout, outer margin straight, strongly curved inwardly; acutely pointed, sub-apical tooth on left mandible moderately large, obtuse; labrum (Fig. 48) sparsely punctate; labral pits present, with two setae; anterior margin medially with prominent convexity interrupting concavity; terminal labial palpomere thickened, its width about half its length; mentum (Fig. 204) sub-trapezoid, anterior margin (Fig. 110) shallowly emarginate, disc of mentum setose; cardo of maxilla with several moderately long setae; stipes triangular, with three moderately long setae; terminal maxillary palpomere thickened, its width about half its length; about three times as long as penultimate.

Clypeus (Fig. 201) flat, rounded laterally, rectangular, almost smooth, only with scattered microscopic punctation; frontal stria (Fig. 201) well impressed, carinate, somewhat curved outwardly, continued as well impressed and carinate supraorbital stria; frontal disc slightly convex; frontal disc almost smooth, with scattered fine punctures; eyes flattened, visible from above.

Pronotal sides (Fig. 198) strongly convergent forwardly; apical angles blunt; marginal pronotal stria complete, well impressed and carinate; lateral pronotal stria carinate, posteriorly and anteriorly shortened, somewhat distant from lateral pronotal margin, on both ends curved inwardly; pronotal disc convex, almost smooth, only antero-lateral angles inside of the lateral pronotal stria with inconspicuous scattered shallow punctures; base of pronotal disc with a row of round punctures; pronotal hypomeron with short amber setae; scutellum small, but visible.

Elytral humeri gently prominent; epipleura almost smooth, only with scattered microscopic punctation; marginal epipleural stria complete; marginal elytral stria strongly impressed, carinate, continued as complete apical elytral stria. Humeral elytral stria distinctly impressed on basal third, occasionally doubled; inner subhumeral stria present medially, shortened; elytra with four dorsal striae 1–4, in fine punctures, increasing in length from first to fourth, fourth stria surpasses elytral half apically, basally connected with sutural elytral stria; sutural stria well impressed, apically connected with apical elytral stria. Elytral disc almost smooth, punctation confined to apical third, along sutural stria reaching about one-third of elytral length anteriorly, punctures separated by about their own to twice their diameter.

Propygidium partially covered by elytra, with dense shallow punctures; pygidium convex, about as long as broad, with coarser and denser elongate punctures than those of propygidium, forming longitudinal rugae.

Anterior margin of median portion of prosternum (Fig. 203) rounded; pre-apical foveae absent; marginal prosternal stria absent anteriorly; prosternal process slightly compressed, setose, rounded dorsally; carinal prosternal striae absent (in some specimens vaguely present between procoxae, as in Chivaenius); lateral prosternal striae well impressed, carinate, convergent anteriorly, vaguely united in front.

Anterior margin of mesoventrite almost straight, somewhat curved outwardly; discal marginal mesoventral stria laterally well impressed, carinate, somewhat weakened medially; disc of mesoventrite convex, with dense deep punctures separated about their own to twice their diameter, posteriorly growing in size; meso-metaventral sutural stria formed by a row of large punctures; intercoxal disc of metaventrite flat, almost smooth, only with microscopic punctation, along posterior margin with three rows of deep punctures; lateral metaventral stria (Fig. 200) well impressed, carinate, curved outwardly, almost attaining meso-metepisternal suture. Lateral disc of metaventrite (Fig. 200) slightly concave, with scattered shallow punctures, fringed with short setae; metepisternum on apical two-thirds with sparse shallow punctures fringed with short setae, basal third + fused metepimeron almost glabrous, only with several shallow punctures.

Intercoxal disc of first abdominal sternite almost completely striate laterally; anterior half of disc with coarse punctures separated by about their own diameter, posteriorly punctures replaced by very fine scattered microscopic punctation; along posterior margin row of larger punctures present; lateral disc of all visible abdominal sternites laterally setose.

Protibia (Fig. 205) on outer margin with two large triangular teeth topped with large triangular denticle, followed by one low tooth topped with minuscule denticle, followed by another microscopic denticle; protarsal groove shallow; tarsi shortened, but not rudimentary; anterior protibial stria shortened apically; protibial spur short, growing out from apical protibial margin; outer part of posterior surface of protibia smooth; median part of posterior surface with irregular setae; posterior protibial stria vaguely impressed; inner margin of protibia with dense row of setae.

Mesotibia not particularly dilated, outer margin with two rows of stout short denticles growing in size in proximal direction; posterior surface with sparse brush of two – outer and median – rows of setae; posterior mesotibial stria reaching half length of mesotibia apically, next evanescent; anterior surface of mesotibia almost smooth, with microscopic wrinkles; anterior mesotibial stria shortened apically; apical margin of mesotibia anteriorly with numerous inner anterior denticles; mesotibial spur short, stout; claws of apical tarsomere longer than half its length.

Metatibia (Figs. 206–207) slightly dilated and thickened, outer margin with two rows of short denticles, one row situated above the other, second row somewhat shifted from outer margin, observable only from ventral view; posterior surface of metatibia with rows of setae similar to those of mesotibia; anterior surface and apical margin of metatibia (Fig. 207) similar to that of mesotibia; claws of apical tarsomere gently bent, longer that half its length.

Male genitalia. Eighth sternite (Figs. 208–209) longitudinally separated medially, apically with inconspicuous velum and sparse short setae; eighth tergite and eighth sternite not fused laterally (Fig. 210), spiculum gastrale (Figs. 211–212) expanded on both ends. Basal piece of aedeagus (Figs. 213–214) very short, ratio of its length: length of parameres approximately 1: 7; parameres (Figs. 213–214) fused almost along basal three-fourths; apex with pseudopores; aedeagus strongly curved ventrad (Fig. 214).