Penthicus similis ( Schuster, 1937 )

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 : 61

Penthicus similis ( Schuster, 1937)

( Fig. 47 )

Schuster 1937: 80 ( Lobodera (s. str.)); Kühnelt 1957: 78 ( Lobodera ).

Type material. Lectotype, ♂ ( NMB), designated here ( Figs 47A, B ): “ Persia s. Elburs mts.s. Tacht i Suleiman Hasankif 10-1600 m 30.VI 36”, “E. Pfeiffer- München leg.”, “ Lobothorax s. str. similis m. n. sp.”, “ similis ”, “Frey”, “TYPUS” (red), “Sammlung Adr. Schuster” . Paralectotype, ♀ ( HNHM) ( Figs 47C, D ): “ Persia s. Elburs mts.s. Tacht i Suleiman Hasankif 10-1600 m 30.VI 36”, “E. Pfeiffer- München leg.”, “ Paratypus 1937 Lobodera similis Schuster ” (curator’s label) . Paralectotype, 1 specimen ( NHML): “ Paratype ” [printed, label circular, yellow frame], “ Persia s. Elbrus mts. s. Tacht I Suleimah Hasankif 10-1600 m 30.VI 36” [printed], “E.Pfeiffer- München leg.” [printed], “ PARATYPE ” [printed, label red], “Brit.Mus. 1961-449.” [printed], “ Lobodera similis Schust. [handwritten] det. H.Kulzer 195 [printed] 9 [handwritten]” . Three paralectotypes with the same geographical labels as the lectotype are deposited in NMB.

Note. This species is very similar to and sympatric with P. freyi . Both species are different only in the shape of protibiae (the same wide at apex as profemur in P. freyi and much narrower than profemur in P. similis ). Despite this, Schuster placed both species in different subgenera: P. freyi to Discotus and P. similis to the nomynotypical one (as Lobodera ).

Distribution. Iran: Central Alborz Mts.

Figures

FIGURE 47. Penthicus (Stonavus) similis, habitus, details, labels. A = male, lectotype; B = labels of the lectotype; C = female, paralectotype; D = labels of paralectotype; E = head and pronotum dorsally, paralectotype. Images A and B courtesy Christoph Germann (NHMB).