taxonID	type	description	language	source
1A0D90787F1EFF84FF34365FFD1866E4.taxon	materials_examined	Examined material. IRAN: Lorestan Province, Zagros Mts., SE Dorud, Oshtoran Kuh, 33 ° 25 ' 17 '' N 49 ° 09 ' 02 '' E, 1700 m, 14. VI. 2014, leg. P. Audisio, on Trichodesma incanum (Bunge) A. DC. (Boraginaceae), 5 males, 7 females (CAR, HMIM, NMPC). This species is known (under Meligethes schilskyi) from Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, with an old and doubtful museum record from N Algeria (Audisio 1993 b; Jelínek & Audisio 2007). The species is strictly associated as larvae with members of the botanical genus Trichodesma R. Br. (Boraginaceae). New country record for Iran.	en	Audisio, Paolo, Cline, Andrew R., Lasoń, Andrzej, Jelínek, Josef, Sabatelli, Simone, Serri, Sayeh (2017): New species and records of pollen and sap beetles for Iran (Coleoptera: Kateretidae, Nitidulidae). Zootaxa 4216 (4): 369-383, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.242293
1A0D90787F1EFF84FF34346BFE1864D5.taxon	materials_examined	Examined material. IRAN: North Khorasan Province, road Quchan-Ashabad, ca. 24 km NNW Quchan, 37 ° 20 ' 25 '' N 58 ° 30 ' 11 '' E, 1930 m, 6. VI. 2014, on small red-flowering Papaver sp. (Papaveraceae), leg. P. Audisio, 1 female (CAR). This widespread but uncommon SE European and SW Asiatic species is known from Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, northern Egypt, Greece, Iran (Khorasan and Tehran), Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, southern Russia, Syria, Turkey and Turkmenistan (Reitter 1919; Jelínek 1980, 1981; Audisio 1989, 1993 b; Audisio et al. 2000; Jelínek & Audisio 2007; Lasoń & Gahari 2013). In Iran, this species appears to be confined to northern regions of the country.	en	Audisio, Paolo, Cline, Andrew R., Lasoń, Andrzej, Jelínek, Josef, Sabatelli, Simone, Serri, Sayeh (2017): New species and records of pollen and sap beetles for Iran (Coleoptera: Kateretidae, Nitidulidae). Zootaxa 4216 (4): 369-383, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.242293
1A0D90787F1EFF84FF343316FB0E6562.taxon	materials_examined	Examined material. IRAN: North Khorasan Province, road Quchan-Ashabad, ca. 24 km NNW Quchan, 37 ° 20 ' 25 '' N 58 ° 30 ' 11 '' E, 1930 m, 6. VI. 2014, on small red-flowering Papaver sp. (Papaveraceae), leg. P. Audisio, 1 female (CAR). This species has been known thus far from Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan (Audisio 1989, 1993 b; Jelínek & Audisio 2007). New country record for Iran.	en	Audisio, Paolo, Cline, Andrew R., Lasoń, Andrzej, Jelínek, Josef, Sabatelli, Simone, Serri, Sayeh (2017): New species and records of pollen and sap beetles for Iran (Coleoptera: Kateretidae, Nitidulidae). Zootaxa 4216 (4): 369-383, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.242293
1A0D90787F1DFF87FF343093FC8E6769.taxon	materials_examined	Examined material. IRAN: Kerman Province, Dehbakri, 29 ° 03 ' N 57 ° 56 ' E, 1700 – 1750 m, 30. IV / – 3. V. 1973, river bed and irrigation channel, on Mentha aquatica, (loc. no. 186), Exp. Nat. Mus. Prague, 3 males, 2 females (holotype and paratypes; NMPC, CAR); Fars Province, Tang-e Chogan, 29 ° 47´N 51 ° 38´E, 1050 – 1200 m, 10 / 11. VI. 1973, (loc. no. 234), Exp. Nat. Mus. Prague, 4 males (NMPC); Mazandaran Province, E Alborz Mts, Veresk, 35 ° 57´N 52 ° 56´E, 800 m, 2. VIII. 1970, (loc. no. 81), Exp. Nat. Mus. Prague, 1 male (NMPC); Fars Province, Mian Jangal, 29 ° 09´N 53 42´E, 30. V. – 5. VI. 1973, on Mentha aquatica and / or M. longifolia, (loc. no. 223), Exp. Nat. Mus. Prague, 3 males, 1 female (NMPC); Esfahan Province, Eskandari, near Singerd, 32 ° 49´N 50 ° 26´E, 2000 m, 1. VII. 1970, (loc. no. 36) 6 males, 24 females (NMPC, CAR); Lorestan Province, Zagros Mts, SE of Dorud, Oshtoran Kuh, small village near Chamnar, 33 ° 25 ' 05 '' N 49 ° 09 ' 44 '' E, 1695 m, 14. VI. 2014, leg. P. Audisio, on Mentha longifolia (L.) Huds. (Lamiaceae), 4 males, 5 females (CAR, HMIM, NMPC); Yazd Province, Shir-Kuh, 5 km S Taft, 1600 – 1700 m, 23. V. 2008, leg. Mühle, 1 ex. (NKME). Refer to Jelínek (1981), Audisio (1993 b), Audisio et al. (2000) and Lasoń & Ghahari (2013) for references where part of the above listed material was previously published. This taxon, described as Meligethes ahriman by Jelínek (1981) from Iran, was tentatively and doubtfully considered a possible synonym of Thymogethes klapperichi (Easton, 1957) from Afghanistan and Middle Asia by Audisio (1993 b), and later reported as T. klapperichi by Audisio et al. (2000, 2009 c), Jelínek & Audisio (2007), and Lasoń & Ghahari (2013). Comparing the recently collected specimens from W Iran, with available material in NMPC allowed the authors to conclude that Iranian populations of T. ahriman do not exhibit any significant N / S or E / W variation in the shape of male genitalia, linking them with the Afghan populations of T. klapperichi. Iranian populations, in fact, with the possible exception of a single specimen from southern Zagros Mts drawn in Audisio (1993 b; Figs 129 q-r therein), probably erroneously attributed to T. klapperichi (an immature specimen showing apparently more elongate but poorly sclerotized tegmen), appear on the contrary to be rather uniform, and also the specimens recently collected along the central-southern portion of the Zagros seem to differ distinctly from central and NE Afghan populations (Easton 1957) of the true T. klapperichi. Therefore, we are now convinced that the above cited Iranian specimen previously tentatively attributed to T. klapperichi belongs to T. ahriman, and this latter taxon should be resurrected to a specific rank. This species appears to exhibit a rather wide geographic range from the Zagros Chain and the surrounding mountain systems to the E Elborz Mts (Fig. 25). We summarized in Figs 3 – 5 and in the key to identification the diagnostic differences between these two taxa, as well as those between T. egenus Erichson, 1845 (s. l.: see comments below), T. otini Easton, 1954, and T. khorasanicus sp. nov. See Figs 3 – 24 also for a summary of the diagnostic characters separating T. ahriman from T. rebmanni Easton, 1957 (from Afghanistan and NW Pakistan: Easton 1957) and T. kassites sp. nov. (the latter taxon being syntopic with T. ahriman on the Zagros Mts). Note. According to the thus far known distributions (Easton 1954; Audisio 1993 b) of the Euro-Siberian Thymogethes lugubris (Sturm, 1845) and T. gagathinus (Erichson, 1845), both known to occur in N Turkey and Caucasus (see key to identification of the Near East Thymogethes below), the presence of these two taxa in some mountain localities of the NW Iran cannot be excluded.	en	Audisio, Paolo, Cline, Andrew R., Lasoń, Andrzej, Jelínek, Josef, Sabatelli, Simone, Serri, Sayeh (2017): New species and records of pollen and sap beetles for Iran (Coleoptera: Kateretidae, Nitidulidae). Zootaxa 4216 (4): 369-383, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.242293
1A0D90787F1DFF80FF34365BFBC06586.taxon	diagnosis	Diagnosis. Medium-sized (length 2.48), body shiny black, legs blackish with protibiae chestnut brown to blackish, and antennae chestnut brown with blackish antennal club. Maximum pronotal width near posterior angles. Similar to the widespread European species T. lugubris (Sturm, 1845), revised by Easton (1954) and re-described by Audisio (1993 b), but with interspaces between dorsal punctures on pronotum and most of elytra smooth and shining. Differentiated (see key to identification of the Near East Thymogethes below) from the closely related T. rebmanni (Easton, 1957) by the comparatively larger male genitalia, the paramera much more extruded laterad, and by the more raised and centrally-placed concave tubercle on male last abdominal ventrite (Fig. 21) (less raised, flattened, wider, not concave nor evidently bicuspid, and placed closer to the posterior edge of the ventrite in T. rebmanni: Fig. 22).	en	Audisio, Paolo, Cline, Andrew R., Lasoń, Andrzej, Jelínek, Josef, Sabatelli, Simone, Serri, Sayeh (2017): New species and records of pollen and sap beetles for Iran (Coleoptera: Kateretidae, Nitidulidae). Zootaxa 4216 (4): 369-383, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.242293
1A0D90787F1DFF80FF34365BFBC06586.taxon	materials_examined	Type material. 1 ♂, male holotype, IRAN: Lorestan Province, Zagros Mts, SE Dorud, Oshtoran Kuh, small village near Chamnar, 33 ° 25 ' 05 '' N 49 ° 09 ' 44 '' E, 1695 m, 14. VI. 2014, leg. P. Audisio, on Mentha longifolia (L.) Huds. (Lamiaceae) (CAR).	en	Audisio, Paolo, Cline, Andrew R., Lasoń, Andrzej, Jelínek, Josef, Sabatelli, Simone, Serri, Sayeh (2017): New species and records of pollen and sap beetles for Iran (Coleoptera: Kateretidae, Nitidulidae). Zootaxa 4216 (4): 369-383, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.242293
1A0D90787F1DFF80FF34365BFBC06586.taxon	description	Description. Male [holotype]. Length 2.48 mm; width (at elytral widest point) 1.28 mm. Body elongate, narrow, transversely convex and moderately parallel-sided (nearly as in Fig. 1), black and shining, with short and fine silvery to golden-olivaceous pubescence. Legs blackish with protibiae chestnut brown to blackish, and antennae chestnut brown with blackish antennal club. Head with dorsal punctures as large as or slightly smaller than an eye facet, moderately impressed, separated by one diameter or less, surface smooth and shining; front margin of clypeus regularly arcuately emarginate, completely bordered, with rather acute angles. Fronto-genal grooves narrow and shallow, but distinct. Antennae small, of normal size for group (cf. Fig. 1), with third antennomere slender, slightly longer than second; antennal club small. Pronotum markedly narrowed anteriorly, 1.68 × as wide as long, broadest close to posterior angles (cf. Fig. 1); sides narrowly bordered; posterior angles slightly obtuse but markedly distinct. Posterior base faintly sinuate on either side of scutellum; pronotal punctures and surface smooth and shining, each puncture nearly as large as an eye facet and separated by one diameter or less. Scutellar shield medium-sized, densely and uniformly punctate; surface exhibiting a faint trace of reticulate microsculpture. Elytra nearly 1.17 × as long as combined width (if length measured from posterior edge of pronotum; 1.04 × if measured from posterior apex of scutellar shield), broadest in basal fifth, distinctly wider (1.12 ×), and approximately twice as long (1.95 ×) as pronotum; humeral angle rounded, humeral striae absent. Elytral punctures in basal half as on head and pronotum, but slightly coarser and more elongate, exhibiting a feeble transverse rugosity and with a shiny surface between punctures. Elytral punctures becoming finer and shallower towards posterior end. Ventral surface black, with sparse fine silvery pubescence. Prosternal antennal furrows (at notosternal sutures) strongly raised, reaching near the middle point of the hypomeron. Prosternal process moderately long, subtruncate at apex, ventral surface (excluding predistal lateral expansions) only moderately wider before apex (as in Fig. 23), widest subdistal portion approximately 1.28 × wider than narrowest basal portion. Metaventrite moderately convex (punctures as on head and pronotum, surface shiny), with a barely distinct and posteriorly widened longitudinal impression on posterior two-thirds, and a slightly raised elongate medial tubercle. Posterior angles only slightly raised. Caudal marginal line of metacoxal cavity closely following posterior edge, turning back just before outer end. Last visible abdominal ventrite with a markedly raised obtuse projection nearly in middle, distally concave and bicuspid (Fig. 21), similar to males of T. lugubris and T. gagathinus. Protibiae (cf. Fig. 1) with outer edges finely crenulate from basal third, with subapical group of 5 sharp teeth, the first and penultimate tooth markedly bigger than the other teeth; protarsi distinctly wider than antennal club, ratio WFTA / LFTA = 0.35 – 0.36; metatibiae narrow, inner edges not sinuate (as in Fig. 1); tarsal claws simple. Genitalia. Tegmen as in Fig. 7, rather strongly sclerotized, brownish, with a moderately deep, U-shaped median excision, and paramera markedly arcuately protruded at sides in anterior half; median lobe of aedeagus elongate, narrow, about 2.4 × as long as wide (Fig. 8), nearly as sclerotized and coloured as tegmen, widest at distal three-fifths, subparallel-sided proximad, narrowed distad, apex subtruncate and minutely incised. Female. Unknown. Comparative notes. Thymogethes kassites sp. nov. exhibits a dorsal habitus similar to large specimens of T. lugubris (a rare but widespread species in Europe and N Anatolia), but with larger and slightly less elongate body size, and a much shinier dorsal surface, similar to the recently described T. foddaii Audisio, De Biase & Trizzino, 2009 from Sardinia and Corsica (Audisio et al. 2009 a). This new species is recognizable from the closely related T. rebmanni from Afghanistan chiefly by parameres more protruding laterad in distal portion of tegmen (Figs 7, 9), and the more raised and concave (bicuspidate) tubercle on the ventral side of last abdominal ventrite (Figs 21, 22). The partial morphological convergence observed in tegmen shape between Thymogethes kassites sp. nov. and T. khorasanicus sp. nov. is remarkable (Figs 7, 13); however, these two Iranian species obviously belong to two quite distinct groups of species (former in the T. lugubris - group, latter in the T. egenus - group). Geographic distribution. The single known male specimen is from SW Iran (Central Zagros Mts; Fig. 25). This species is likely rare (a single male specimen collected in company with a series of about 10 specimens of the related T. ahriman), but could be more widely distributed, in suitable habitats, throughout the Zagros Chain. Likewise, the host plant is also widespread in the region. Biological notes. The type specimen was collected from flowering apical stems of the common Mentha longifolia (L.) Huds. (Lamiaceae), a widespread species known to occur in most West Palearctic areas, in wet places near lakes and ponds, and along the edges of river banks and small springs, from sea level up to 2000 m. Based on the local host-plant flowering period, adults are probably active on mint flowers from May to September, but reproduction likely occurs mainly between early June and August.	en	Audisio, Paolo, Cline, Andrew R., Lasoń, Andrzej, Jelínek, Josef, Sabatelli, Simone, Serri, Sayeh (2017): New species and records of pollen and sap beetles for Iran (Coleoptera: Kateretidae, Nitidulidae). Zootaxa 4216 (4): 369-383, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.242293
1A0D90787F1DFF80FF34365BFBC06586.taxon	etymology	Etymology. This species is named after the Kassites, an ancient Near Eastern people who controlled Babylonia and the Zagros Mts after the fall of the Old Babylonian Empire (ca. 1531 – 1155 BC).	en	Audisio, Paolo, Cline, Andrew R., Lasoń, Andrzej, Jelínek, Josef, Sabatelli, Simone, Serri, Sayeh (2017): New species and records of pollen and sap beetles for Iran (Coleoptera: Kateretidae, Nitidulidae). Zootaxa 4216 (4): 369-383, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.242293
1A0D90787F1AFF8CFF34353AFF6C64FC.taxon	diagnosis	Diagnosis. Medium-sized (length 2.53), body shiny black, legs blackish, and antennae chestnut brown with blackish antennal club and first antennomere. Maximum pronotal width near posterior angles (similar to Fig. 2). Similar to the widespread European species T. egenus (Erichson, 1845), re-described by Audisio (1993 b), but with interspaces between dorsal punctures on pronotum and most of elytra rather smooth and shining, and distinctly narrower male protarsal plates (Ratio WFTA / LFTA = 0.31 – 0.33). Differentiated from T. egenus as well as from the closely related T. otini (Easton, 1954) from North Africa by the wider male genitalia, and the paramera being more arcuately extruded laterad in dorsal view (Fig. 13).	en	Audisio, Paolo, Cline, Andrew R., Lasoń, Andrzej, Jelínek, Josef, Sabatelli, Simone, Serri, Sayeh (2017): New species and records of pollen and sap beetles for Iran (Coleoptera: Kateretidae, Nitidulidae). Zootaxa 4216 (4): 369-383, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.242293
1A0D90787F1AFF8CFF34353AFF6C64FC.taxon	materials_examined	Type material. 1 ♂, male holotype, IRAN: North Khorasan Province, Zoshk Valley above Shandiz, Binalud Mts, 36 ° 17 ' N 59 ° 07 ' E, 1800 – 2400 m, 5. VI. 2014, leg. P. Audisio, on Mentha longifolia (L.) Huds. (CAR). Paratypes: IRAN: same data as holotype, on Mentha spicata (L.) and M. × piperita, 4 males, 4 females (NMPC, HMIM, CAR, CLA); South Khorasan Province, 25 km N Birjand, 33 ° 05´N 59 ° 18´E, 2000 m, 6 – 7. VI. 1977, (loc. no. 360), Exp. Nat. Mus. Prague, leg. J. Jelínek, on Mentha sp. (Lamiaceae), 6 males, 4 females (NMPC, HMIM, CAR, CLA); Razavi Khorasan Province, Bonarg village, Esger Mts, 33 ° 53 ' 29 '' N 58 ° 47 ' 0.1 '' E, 1850 m, 4. VI. 2014, leg. P. Audisio, 3 males, 4 females (NMPC, HMIM, CAR). Other examined material: Mazandaran Province, E Alborz Mts, Veresk, 35 ° 57´N 52 ° 56´E, 800 m, 2. VIII. 1970, Exp. Nat. Mus. Prague, 7 males, 24 females (NMPC, CAR, CLA); North Khorasan Province, Kalat 37 ° 09´N 59 ° 20´E, (loc. no. 373), Exp. Nat. Mus. Prague, 17. VI. 1977, 1 male (NMPC).	en	Audisio, Paolo, Cline, Andrew R., Lasoń, Andrzej, Jelínek, Josef, Sabatelli, Simone, Serri, Sayeh (2017): New species and records of pollen and sap beetles for Iran (Coleoptera: Kateretidae, Nitidulidae). Zootaxa 4216 (4): 369-383, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.242293
1A0D90787F1AFF8CFF34353AFF6C64FC.taxon	description	Description. Male [holotype]. Length 2.53 mm; width (at elytral widest point) 1.25 mm. Body elongate, narrow, transversely convex and moderately parallel-sided (similar to Fig. 2), black and shining, with short and fine silvery to golden-olivaceous pubescence. Legs blackish, antennae chestnut brown with blackish antennal club and first antennomere. Head with dorsal punctures as large as or slightly smaller than eye facet, markedly impressed, separated by less than one diameter, surface smooth and shining; front margin of clypeus widely arcuately emarginate, completely bordered, with moderately acute angles. Fronto-genal grooves narrow and shallow, but distinct. Antennae small, normal size for group (Fig. 1), with third antennomere slender, slightly longer than second; antennal club small, about 1.3 × as long as wide, as wide as male protarsi (excluding tarsal pubescence). Pronotum markedly narrowed anteriorly, about 1.57 × times as wide as long, broadest close to posterior angles (similar to Fig. 2); sides narrowly bordered; posterior angles slightly obtuse but distinct. Posterior base faintly sinuate on either side of scutellar shield, pronotal punctures and surface smooth and shining (near posterior base are few traces of microsculpture), each puncture nearly as large as eye facet and separated by less than one diameter. Scutellar shield medium-sized, densely and uniformly punctate; surface exhibiting faint trace of reticulate microsculpture. Elytra about 1.14 × as long as combined width (length measured from posterior edge of pronotum; 1.02 × from posterior apex of scutellar shield), broadest in basal fifth, distinctly wider (1.07 ×), and approximately 2 × longer (1.92 ×) than pronotum; humeral angle rounded, humeral striae absent. Elytral punctures in basal half as those on head and pronotum, but slightly coarser and more elongate, exhibiting a faint transverse rugosity with a shiny surface between punctures. Elytral punctures becoming finer and shallower toward posterior end. Ventral surface black, with sparse fine silvery pubescence. Prosternal antennal furrows (at notosternal sutures) strongly raised, approximating middle point of hypomeron. Prosternal process moderately long, subtruncate at apex, ventral surface (excluding predistal lateral expansions) distinctly arcuately wider before apex (as in Fig. 24), widest subdistal ventral portion about 1.58 × wider than narrowest basal portion. Metaventrite moderately convex (punctures as on head and pronotum, surface shiny), with a faintly distinct and posteriorly widened longitudinal impression on posterior two-thirds, and a slightly raised elongate medial tubercle. Posterior-outer angles strongly raised (partly turned-up). Caudal marginal line of posterior coxal cavity closely following posterior edge, turning back just before outer end. Last visible abdominal ventrite with a blunt, distinctly raised and simple (not concave and bicuspid) obtuse projection (Fig. 19), similar to males of T. egenus and T. otini. Protibiae (similar to Fig. 2) with outer edges finely crenulate from basal third, with subapical group of 4 – 5 sharp teeth, the first and penultimate tooth markedly bigger than the rest; protarsi nearly as wide as antennal club, ratio WFTA / LFTA = 0.32; metatibiae narrow, inner edges not sinuate (similar to Fig. 2); tarsal claws simple. Genitalia. Tegmen as in Fig. 13, rather strongly sclerotized, brownish, with a moderately deep, U-shaped median excision, paramera at sides arcuately projected outward; median lobe of aedeagus elongate, narrow, about 2.3 × as long as wide (Fig. 14), nearly as sclerotized and colored as tegmen, widest at base, narrowed in distal third, apex subtruncate and minutely incised. Female. Protarsi narrower, ratio WFTA / LFTA = 0.25. Metaventrite with posterior-outer angles less markedly raised, and last abdominal ventrite without tubercles. Ovipositor not significantly differing from that known to occur in T. lugubris, T. egenus, and most other species of T. lugubris species-group (see Fig. 160 l in Audisio 1993 b). Comparative notes. Thymogethes khorasanicus sp. nov. exhibits a dorsal habitus similar to T. egenus (Fig. 2; widespread in Europe and Anatolia), but with a shinier dorsal surface, chiefly on pronotum and elytra. Easily distinguishable from the closely related T. otini from N Africa and the widespread T. egenus by the proportionally wider tegmen, the parameres being more arcuately protruded laterad (dorsal view) in distal half of tegmen (Figs 11 – 17), and narrower protarsi in both sexes (ratio WFTA / LFTA in males = 0.31 – 0.33 in T. khorasanicus sp. nov., 0.38 – 0.44 in T. egenus and T. otini). Geographic distribution. This species (Fig. 25) appears to be moderately common in E Iran, and could be more widely distributed, in suitable habitats, throughout most of the North, Central, and South Khorasan, as well as in Kerman and Sistan Provinces. The species is apparently absent along the northern and central portions of the Zagros Chain. Biological notes. The type specimens were collected from apical stems of the common Mentha longifolia (L.) Huds. (Lamiaceae), a widespread species known in most West Palaearctic areas, in wet places near lakes and ponds, and at edges of river banks, streams and small springs, from sea level up to or higher than 2000 m. Also collected on M. × piperita (a widespread cultivated or semi-cultivated hybrid form of M. spicata and M. aquatica L.). Adults are probably active on host-plants from May to October, but reproduction likely occurs mainly between early June and September.	en	Audisio, Paolo, Cline, Andrew R., Lasoń, Andrzej, Jelínek, Josef, Sabatelli, Simone, Serri, Sayeh (2017): New species and records of pollen and sap beetles for Iran (Coleoptera: Kateretidae, Nitidulidae). Zootaxa 4216 (4): 369-383, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.242293
1A0D90787F1AFF8CFF34353AFF6C64FC.taxon	etymology	Etymology. This species is named after the Khorasan (alternatively transliterated as Chorasan), an ancient geographic name given to the eastern Province of Persia during the Sassanid Empire, which now corresponds with the three NE Provinces, North, central (Razavi), and South Khorasan Provinces of the Islamic Republic of Iran. FIGURE 25. Distribution of Thymogethes species in Iran: • T. ahriman, ▲ T. khorasanicus sp. nov., ̍ T. egenus, • T. kassites sp. nov.	en	Audisio, Paolo, Cline, Andrew R., Lasoń, Andrzej, Jelínek, Josef, Sabatelli, Simone, Serri, Sayeh (2017): New species and records of pollen and sap beetles for Iran (Coleoptera: Kateretidae, Nitidulidae). Zootaxa 4216 (4): 369-383, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.242293
1A0D90787F16FF8FFF3435EFFAF360C2.taxon	materials_examined	Examined material. IRAN: North Khorasan Province, Sorb Mts, above Kadkan, 35 ° 31 ' 44 '' N 58 ° 52 ' 17 '' E, 2200 m a. s. l., 4. VI. 2014, leg. P. Audisio, on Mentha longifolia (L.) Huds. (Lamiaceae), 5 males, 6 females (CAR, HMIM, NMPC); Qazvin Province, 8 km NE Ziaran 36 ° 10´N 50 ° 35´E, 2400 m, 10 – 16. VII. 1977, (loc. no. 400), Exp. Nat. Mus. Prague, 20 males, 34 females (CAR, HMIM, NMPC); Ardabil Province, 5 km NW Kolur, Shahrud river valley, 37 ° 26.1´N 48 ° 41.2´E, 1670 m, 4 – 5. VI. 2006, leg. Jiří Hájek and Pavel Chvojka, 1 male (NMPC); Razavi Khorasan Province, 2 km S Karizbalagh, 35 ° 29.6´N 60 ° 00.3´E, 1590 – 1925 m, stream valley, at light, 16 – 17. V. 2006, leg. Jiří Hájek and Pavel Chvojka, 1 male (NMPC); Tehran Province, Sangan, 1900 m (CAR); Semnan Province, Semnan, 1300 m (CAR); (see also Jelínek 1981; Audisio et al. 2000; Lasoń & Gahari 2013).	en	Audisio, Paolo, Cline, Andrew R., Lasoń, Andrzej, Jelínek, Josef, Sabatelli, Simone, Serri, Sayeh (2017): New species and records of pollen and sap beetles for Iran (Coleoptera: Kateretidae, Nitidulidae). Zootaxa 4216 (4): 369-383, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.242293
1A0D90787F15FF8FFF34351DFDD96723.taxon	materials_examined	Examined material. IRAN: Hamadan Province, Gardaneye Avaj, SE Avaj, 35 ° 29 ' N 49 ° 13 ' E, 2600 m, 12. VI. 2014, leg. P. Audisio, on the white-flowering Salvia staminea Montbret & Aucher ex Benth. (Lamiaceae), 3 males, 4 females (CAR, HMIM, NMPC). This species was only known thus far from Turkey and Armenia (Kirejtshuk 1979; Audisio 1988 b, 1993 a, b; Jelínek & Audisio 2007; Lasoń 2007). The newly collected material shows that this species in Iran is associated as larvae with Salvia staminea, one of its previously recognized larval host-plants also in NE Turkey (Audisio 1988 b, 1993 a, b). New country record for Iran.	en	Audisio, Paolo, Cline, Andrew R., Lasoń, Andrzej, Jelínek, Josef, Sabatelli, Simone, Serri, Sayeh (2017): New species and records of pollen and sap beetles for Iran (Coleoptera: Kateretidae, Nitidulidae). Zootaxa 4216 (4): 369-383, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.242293
1A0D90787F15FF8FFF34320BFAC265AD.taxon	materials_examined	Examined material. IRAN: North Khorasan Province, Koppe Mts (= Kopet Dag), Valley above the village of Mareshk, 36 ° 49 ' N 59 ° 33 ' E, 1750 m, 7. VI. 2014, leg. P. Audisio, by sweeping, 1 female (CAR). This species, associated as larva with Marrubium spp. (Lamiaceae), typically with the common M. vulgare L., was only known thus far from Western Mediterranean countries: i. e. southern France, Spain, Portugal, Sardinia, and North Africa (eastwards to Tunisia) (Easton 1956; Audisio 1988 a, 1993 b; Jelínek & Audisio 2007). This taxon was previously mentioned also from Israel and Jordan by Jelínek (1965), but subsequent analyses (Audisio 1988 a) demonstrated that these records were the closely related Middle East endemic Stachygethes syriacus (C. Brisout de Barneville, 1872). The actual presence of the true S. nigerrimus in NE Iran is quite surprising, but exhibits a biogeographic parallelism with other nitidulid species known to share more or less disjunct North-African and W Mediterranean / Iranian or Middle East distributions, e. g. Lamiogethes leati (Easton, 1956), Clypeogethes elongatus (Rosenhauer, 1856), or Afrogethes schilskyi discussed above (Easton 1956; Audisio 1993 a, b; Audisio et al. 2000). Also, some sister species pairs are known to occur in W Mediterranean areas and the Near East respectively, e. g., Xenostrongylus lateralis Chevrolat, 1861 + X. levantinus Audisio & Jelínek, 2001 (Audisio et al. 2001 a), Oxystrongylus ovulum (Fairmaire, 1875) + O. sanctissimus (Roubal, 1927), Xerogethes brisouti (Reitter, 1871) + X. kraatzi (Reitter, 1871), and Epuraea latipes Grouvelle, 1896 + E. sutcuimamun Avgın, Lasoń & Audisio, 2012. These distributions are likely associated with past (middle and late Pleistocenic) presence of these taxa or of recent common ancestors throughout previously more homogeneous biota present from eastern North Africa to the neighboring countries of Middle East (Avgin et al. 2012). New record for the Iranian and the Asiatic fauna.	en	Audisio, Paolo, Cline, Andrew R., Lasoń, Andrzej, Jelínek, Josef, Sabatelli, Simone, Serri, Sayeh (2017): New species and records of pollen and sap beetles for Iran (Coleoptera: Kateretidae, Nitidulidae). Zootaxa 4216 (4): 369-383, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.242293
1A0D90787F15FF8EFF3436AAFD5A6196.taxon	materials_examined	Examined material. IRAN: Lorestan Province, Zagros Mts, canyon joining Dorud to Sepiddašt, 33 ° 24 ' N 48 ° 58 ' E, 1400 m, 14. VI. 2014, leg. P. Audisio, on the white-flowering Salvia spinosa L. (Lamiaceae), 4 males, 5 females (CAR, HMIM, NMPC). This rare species was previously known from an unspecified locality in Northern Iran (Kirejtshuk 1984) and a few localities from SE Provinces of Turkey (Audisio 1993 a, b; Audisio et al. 2000; Jelínek & Audisio 2007; Avgin et al. 2014). The new record on Salvia spinosa (a species not closely related to the previously known larval hostplant in SE Turkey, Salvia limbata C. A. Meyer: Audisio 1993 a, b) demonstrates that this Stachygethes species is likely oligophagous on different white-flowering species of this genus, and lives in rather heterogeneous habitats (found in sandy areas along xeric, middle-altitude river flats in SE Turkey on Salvia limbata, and in xeric rocky meadows along abruptly sloping hill sides in Iran).	en	Audisio, Paolo, Cline, Andrew R., Lasoń, Andrzej, Jelínek, Josef, Sabatelli, Simone, Serri, Sayeh (2017): New species and records of pollen and sap beetles for Iran (Coleoptera: Kateretidae, Nitidulidae). Zootaxa 4216 (4): 369-383, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.242293
