Penthicus zarudnyi, Nabozhenko & Mofrad, 2025

Nabozhenko, Maxim V. & Mofrad, Farhad Eshraghi, 2025, Progress in the knowledge of the genus Penthicus Faldermann, 1836 (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae: Opatrini) of Iraq, Iran and Pakistan with descriptions of 17 new species, Zootaxa 5573 (1), pp. 1-100 : 87-90

Penthicus zarudnyi sp. nov.

( Figs 69 , 70 )

Reichardt 1936: 150, 151 ( Lobodera (Stonavus) persica , records for Kerman and Khorasan).

Type material. Holotype, ♂ ( ZIN): “Хорасан, стр. Не-и-БЭндан, 24–27.XI.00 H. Зарудный” (Khorasan, Ne-i-Bendan country, leg. N.A. Zarudny in 1900; now Iran, South Khorasan Prov., Nehbandan County; Zarudny (1916) collected this species around Bandaan (= Bandun) village 31°23′10″N, 60°43′47″E), “ Homotypus Lobodera persica Schust. 1963 Z. Kaszab ” (red, handwritten by N.G. Skopin); 1 paratype: blue square, “Schahrud Christoff” (yellow), “ Hopatroides saginatus Men. ” (yellow), “к. Сольского” (collection of Solsky), “ Stovanus sp. 3 Schuster det.”; 2 paratypes: “ Хорасан 14.VII.01 Н. Зарудный” [Khorasan, leg. N.A. Zarudny; Southern Khorasan, Kalateh Marg village, 13–14 km N of Gezik 33°03ʹN, 60°07ʹE; according to the route and dates of the expedition ( Zarudny 1916)], “к. А. Семенова” (collection of A.P. Semenov-Tian-Schansky); 1 paratype: “ Хорасан 15–18.VII.01 Н. Зарудный” [Khorasan, leg. N.A. Zarudny; Nikolay Zarudny collected animals in modern South Khorasan Province during 15– 18.vii.1901 between Mehmanshahr-e Ahangaran 33°27ʹ27.79E / 60°14ʹ58.69E and Mohammadabad, 33°28ʹ12.41E / 60°07ʹ31.00E (Zarudny 2016)], “к. А. Семенова” (collection of A.P. Semenov-Tian-Schansky); 1 paratype: “ Керман, стр. Мегас Н. Зарудный” (Kerman, Megas country, leg. N. Zarudny; now Sistan and Baluchistan Prov., Mehrestan County, Zaboli (= Magas): 27°07′42″N / 61°40′20″E; 1 paratype: “ Керман, стр. Куче Н. Зарудный” (Kerman, Kuche country, leg. N.A. Zarudny; Zarudny (1916) collected animals in that time around Mīr Bāzār, now Iran, Sistan and Baluchistan Prov., Polan, 25°35.42′N, 61°06′09E), “ Hopatrochides saginatus Men. G. Suvorov det.”, “ L. (s. str.) persica Schust. Reichardt det.”; 1 paratype: “Хуник, к.с. Кайна Нимбулук Хорас. Зарудный 27.VI.[18]96” (Khunik, Kayna (= Qaena), Nimbuluk (=Nimboluk) Khoras[san]. N.A. Zarudnyi; now Iran, South Khorasan Prov., Khunik-e Bala, 33°46′13.97″N, 59°21′57.33″E); 2 specimens ( HMIM): Iran, Khorasan Razavi Prov., Neishabur, Soghand village, H = 1630 m, 13– 14.6.1977 (leg. Pazuki, Abai).

Description. Male ( Figs 69A, B ). Body slender, convex, dull, black, dorsally glabrous.

Head widest at genae level. Lateral margins of genae sharply angular at midlengthof eyes and slightly rounded from widest angular portion to epistome. Head coarsely and sparsely punctured by moderate in size circular punctures; puncturation in middle of frons slightly sparser. Eye dorsally slightly longitudinal, 1.28 as long as wide. Head ventrally with dense granulation in posterior portion and with rasp-like puncturation in anterior half.

Prothorax. Pronotum slightly transverse (1.5 times as wide as long), widest at middle, 1.62–1.64 times as wide as head, slightly converging from widest portion to anterior margin, anterior margin slightly shorter than base, ratio width of pronotum at base, widest portion and anterior angles: 25.5: 27.7: 20. Anterior edge widely emarginated, almost straight in middle. Lateral edges slightly evenly rounded. Base slightly bisinuate, almost straight in middle, median portion slightly protruded backwards.Anterior angles slightly obtuse (104°), tip narrowly rounded, posterior angles more obtuse (120°), also with narrowly rounded tip. Lateral edges coarsely margined, margin of anterior edge shortly interrupted in middle, base entirely margined. Disc of pronotum convex, with groove along lateral and basal margins laterally, coarsely and sparsely punctured by circular punctures (interpuncture spaces near 3–5 times as long as puncture diameter in middle and 1.5 times on lateral sides); secondary micropuncturation very fine, almost invisible between large punctures. Lateral side of prothoracic hypomera narrowly flattened; flattened portion with the same width from base to anterior margin, finely punctured. Other surface of hypomera with sparse small and smooth elongate granules in anterior half and almost without granules in posterior half, with smooth longitudinal wrinkles; each granule bears short subrecumbent setae. Prosternum with sparse raduliform sparse puncturation and recumbent short setae. Prosternal process slightly convex, slightly or not protruded beyond procoxae.

Pterothorax. Elytra elongate, short, with slightly rounded lateral margins, widest at middle (1.39–1.4 times as long as wide), 1.76–1.77 times as wide as head, 1.05 times as wide and 2.25 times as long as pronotum. Basal margin of elytra in epipleural portion shortly oblique, humeral angles obtuse, tip pointed, lateral edge of elytra not emarginated or very slightly and shortly emarginated near humeral angles. Striae well expressed, strial punctures coarse, round, located in slightly depressed lines, 2–3 times larger than interstrial punctures; interstriae flat. Epipleuron in apical portion 2 times as wide as metepisternum. Ventral side of pterothorax sparsely pubescent with moderately recumbent setae. Mesoventrite granulated and wrinkled; intercoxal process of mesoventrite punctured and wrinkled; mesepisterna with sparse granules. Metaventrite with distinct round sparse granules on sides and smooth sparse setose puncturation medially.

Abdomen. Abdominal ventrites 1–4 sparsely and finely granulated on sides and with moderately coarse and sparse punctures in middle; ventrite 5 with simple denser and coarser puncturation, not margined apically. Genitalia ( Figs 70A–C ). Inner sternite VIII triangularly emarginated, with narrowly rounded lateral angulations. Spiculum gastrale with thickened, slightly curved rods and semicircular transverse blades with trisinuate outer margin and acute apex, sparsely and finely punctured in basal half. Parameres narrow, not truncated at apex, slightly S-shaped curved; lateral margins widely emarginated at basal half. Basal piece near 1.6 times as long as parameres.

Legs.Legs slender,profemora slightly extending beyond prothoracic margin, mesofemora shortly and metafemora strongly extending beyond elytral margin. Apices pf femora well visible dorsally. Protibiae comparatively narrow, profemur 1.24 as wide as apical width of protibia. Lateral margin of protibiae simple, not obliquely truncated near apex. Protarsomeres long, combined length of 2 proximal tarsomeres subequal to apical width of protibia.

Female ( Fig. 69C ). Body slightly more robust, femora slightly shorter, protarsi shorter (width of 2.5 proximal tarsomeres subequal to apical width of protibiae). Ovipositor ( Figs 70D, E ). Valvifer wide, widened from base to apex, baculi distinct, long, far and strongly curved towards the apical margin of the coxite; apical margin widely rounded; coxite lobes 3 sparsely covered by short setae; coxite lobes 4 comparatively narrowed, with narrowly rounded apex, gonostyli short, cylindrical, with one long and several short setae apically. Baculi of paraproct moderately widened, slightly bent after curved portion.

Body length (both sexes) 9.5–11 mm, width 4.5–5 mm.

Etymology. The species is named in honour of the famous Russian zoologist and traveler Nikolay Zarudny (1850–1919), who collected the type series and made a huge contribution to the study of the fauna of Iran, making several long expeditions in this country ( Il’yashenko 2020).

Differential diagnosis. The new species belongs to the subgroup of species with not margined abdominal ventrite 5. See the diagnoses of P. captiosus sp. nov., P. grabantae sp. nov. and P. iranensis sp. nov.

Subgenus Myladion

Unspecified species-group

Figures

FIGURE 69. Penthicus (Stonavus) zarudnyi sp. nov., habitus, details. A = male dorsally; B = female ventrally; C = female dorsally; D = head; E = pronotum dorsally; F = ditto, dorso-laterally; G = prohypomeron; H = margin of pronotal base.

FIGURE 70. Penthicus (Stonavus) zarudnyi sp. nov., genitalia. A = aedeagus ventrally; B = male inner sternite VIII; C = spiculum gastrale; D = ovipositor ventrally; E = ovipositor dorsally.