Agapanthia (Epoptes) badenkoi, Danilevsky, Mikhail L., 2024

Danilevsky, Mikhail L., 2024, Two new species of the genus Agapanthia Audinet-Serville, 1835 (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) from Kazakhstan, Russian Entomological Journal 33 (4), pp. 457-462 : 458-461

Agapanthia (Epoptes) badenkoi sp.n.

Figs 3, 10–11.

MATERIAL. Holotype, male, Kazakhstan, Ulytau Region , Zhanaarka District , Karaagash environs, Karaagash forest farm, 48°53′N, 70°47′E, 490 m., 18.7.1963, A.S. Badenko — ZIN.

TYPE LOCALITY. Kazakhstan, Ulytau Region , Zhanaarka District , Karaagash environs, Karaagash forest farm, 48°53′N, 70°47′E, 490 m.

DESCRIPTION. Only one male available; body black, elytra without bronze luster; moderately wide; head with dense yellow pubescence, whitish setae are condensed in front of eyes; genae a little shorter than lower eye lobes, covered with yellow and white pubescence; eyes about as long as wide, a little convex, about flat, with deep emargination; the distance between upper eye lobes less than the width of 1 st antennal joint; frons a little longer than as wide; antennae rather thin, protruding beyond elytral apices with 5 joints; 1 st and 2 nd joints black, other joints red basally and black distally; 3 rd joint black for about one fourth of its length, with about 10 apical setae; others antennal joints with a few long apical setae; prothorax about 1.1 times shorter than basal width; pronotum with wide, dense and bright yellow central stripe; scutellum semicircular, covered with dense yellow pubescence; elytra about 2.8 times longer than wide, densely pubescent, with scattered setae patches; grey humeral elytral stripe absent; elytral apices angulated, black oblique elytral setae very short poorly visible along basal third; ventral body side with very dense yellow pubescence; median lobe of aedeagus ( Fig. 10) relatively narrow, strongly sharpened; parameres ( Fig. 11) moderately elongated, rounded apically; body length: 17.0 mm; body width: 4.6 mm.

DISTRIBUTION. Only one locality known in Central Kazakhstan: Ulytau Region , Zhanaarka District , Karaagash environs, Karaagash forest farm, 48°53′N, 70°47′E, 490 m.

ETYMOLOGY. The new taxon is dedicated to Askold Sergeevich Badenko, who collected the holotype. He was a long-term employee of the Kazakh Institute of Zoology, a coworker of many entomological expeditions, a collector of a huge number of rare insects, a talented illustrator of I.A. Kostin's publications, a participant in military operations against the Japanese army in Manchuria.

DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS. Both new species belong to a very compact desert group of small Central Asian taxa connected with Eremurus inderiensis (M. Bieb.) Regel. The group includes fore more unrelated, but similar species: A. (E.) shovkuni Shapovalov, 2009 from south-west Kazakhstan, A. (E.) auliensis Pic, 1907 (= amabilis Holzschuh, 1981) distributed from Muiunkum desert to Ily River valley and also discovered far northwards Balkhash near Akchatau and A. (E.) parauliensis Danilevsky, 2017 described from “Golodnaya Stepp” at the border-line between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. A. (E.) obydovi Danilevsky, 2000 is also connected with Eremurus inderiensis , but rather far from others and nearly identic to A. (E.) detrita Kraatz, 1882 with its regular even elytral pubescence, but much smaller. It is known from near Konshengel only (between Almaty and Balkhash).

A. plewai sp.n. and A. badenkoi sp.n. are very similar to the geographically quite distant A. parauliensis ( Figs 4–5), but differ by narrower body, a little narrower prothorax, elytral setae patches larger, usually conjugated, glabrous elytral interspaces indistinct.

The group of 6 species mentioned above can be characterized inside the genus with the absence of metallic luster, red basal parts of 3 rd- 12 th antennal joints, absence of setae tufts of 3 rd antennal joints.

THE KEY FOR SIX SPECIES SIMILAR TO AGAPANTHIA PLEWAI

SP.N. AND A. BADENKOI SP.N.

1(2) Elytra evenly pubescent, setae patches indistinct; body length 10.7–15.0 mm. ...................................... A. obydovi Danilevsky, 2000 [South Kazakhstan, sandy desert between Almaty and Balkhash Lake].

2(1) Elytra spotted, with distinct setae patches.

3(4) Elytra with distinct grey humeral stripe; body length 9.2– 18.0 mm. ........................................................ A. auliensis Pic, 1907 [South Kazakhstan, sandy deserts from Muiunkum to Ily River Valley].

4(3) Grey humeral elytral stripe indistinct.

5(6) Elytral setae patches large, conjugated, usually without glabrous cuticula in between; body length 14.9–19.6 mm. .................................................................. A. parauliensis Danilevsky, 2017 [South Kazakhstan at border line with Uzbekistan].

6(5) Elytral setae patches small, scattered, with distinct glabrous interspaces in between.

7(8) 3 rd antennal joint with small number of apical setae, up to 8; body length 11.6–16.0 mm ................................... A. shovkuni Shapovalov, 2009 [Western Kazakhstan from Mangyshlak Peninsula to Aktobe Region].

8(7) Apical setae of 3 rd antennal joint rather numerous, from 15 to 20.

9(10) Median lobe of aedeagus obtuse; parameres moderately elongated; body length 9–20 mm ............................. A. plewai sp.n. [South Kazakhstan, sandy desert at northern shore of Balkhash Lake].

10(9) Median lobe of aedeagus strongly sharpened; parameres elongated; body length 17 mm ............................. A. badenkoi sp.n. [Central Kazakhstan: Ulytau Region, Zhanaarka District, Karaagash environs].

Acknowledgements. I am very grateful to Radosław Plewa (Forest Research Institute, Sękocin Stary, Poland) for the supplying me with the specimens for study and for several important corrections; two more persons also took part in the collecting of the type series and sent me some important data: Jacek Hilszczański (Forest Research Institute, Sękocin Stary , Poland) and Krzysztof Łoś ( Łomianki Dolne , Poland). I am deeply appreciative to Dmitriy Milko (Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan) for the identification of Eremurus inderiensis (M. Bieb.) Regel .