Podistra (Hemipodistra) motschulskyi Kazantsev, 2001

Kazantsev, Sergey V., 2025, A review of Podistra subgen. Hemipodistra Ganglbauer, 1922 (Coleoptera: Cantharidae), with description of a new species from the Caucasus, Zootaxa 5660 (3), pp. 351-370 : 355-357

Podistra (Hemipodistra) motschulskyi Kazantsev, 2001

( Figs 2, 6B, 6C, 7A, 8A, 9A, 9B, 11E).

Podistra (Hemipodistra) motschulskyi Kazantsev, 2001: 1079 .

Type material. Holotype, ♂, ‘ Russia, W Daghestan, Bogoss Ridge, Addala Mt. , 2800–3100 m, 3.VIII.1997, A. Gusakov leg.’ ( ZMMU); paratypes, 2 ♀♀, same label ( ZMMU and ICM).

Redescription. Male. Dark brown to black; clypeus and labrum distally, as well palps and knees testaceous ( Fig. 2A).

Head slightly wider than pronotum, slightly narrowed posteriorly, glabrous, behind eyes convex, roughly rugulose. Eyes small, somewhat flattened, interocular distance ca. 2 times greater than eye diameter. Clypeus transverse, weakly triangularly convex. Vertex with dense, coarse punctation. Ultimate maxillary and labial palpomeres subequal in size and shape, gradually widening to middle and tapering distally, ca. 2.5 times longer than wide. Antennae filiform, relatively short, not quite attaining to hind coxae; pedicel ca. 1.6 times shorter than antennomere 3; antennomere 4 somewhat narrower and ca. 1.3 times longer than antennomere 3; antennal pubescence on antennomeres 3–11 dense and semi-erect ( Fig. 2A).

Pronotum subquadrate, slightly longer than wide, widest behind the middle, almost straight, only slightly convex at sides, with weakly convex anterior and straight posterior margins, rounded anterior and blunt posterior angles; lateral bordering complete; punctation fine and scarce; pubescence long and erect. Scutellum triangular, rounded at apex, with median impression ( Fig. 2A).

Elytra relatively short, ca. 1.6 times longer than pronotum and ca. 1.6 times longer than wide at humeri, leaving most of the abdomen uncovered, separate from scutellar area, each tapering distally and rounded at apex, roughly granulose, without traces of longitudinal costae; elytral pubescence uniform, long and erect ( Fig. 2A).

Legs relatively long; femurs robust, tibiae weakly proximally curved and narrow; tarsi long, metatarsomere length ratio 1.7: 1.1: 1: 0.9: 1.5; tarsomeres 1–3 narrow, tarsomere 4 deeply cut, widened; all claws simple ( Fig. 2A).

Aedeagus elongate, slightly narrowing distally, with elongate, distally narrowed and slightly inwardly inclined parameres, not much surpassing dorsal plate in length; laterophyses almost straight at sides and abruptly narrowed and rounded distally; in ventro-dorsal view, ca. 1.5 times more narrow than dorsal plate at its infuscated transverse line; dorsal plate, in apical view, with median denticle and a pair of roundish lateral bulbs ( Figs 6B, 6C, 7A, 8A).

Female. Similar to male, but eyes less convex, antennae shorter, attaining only to front coxae ( Fig. 2B). Ultimate ventrite (sternite 8) distally with approximate paired median distal projections and deep emargination between them ( Figs 9A, 9B). Genital tract structure (studied in 2 females) as in P. (H.) lakorum sp. nov., but with duct of spermathecal gland relatively longer ( Fig. 11E).

Length: 7.7 mm (male) and 9.0– 9.5 mm (females); width at humeri: 1.1 mm (male) and 1.8–2.0 mm (females).

Distribution. The species lived in the alpine zone of the Northeastern Caucasus (western Dagestan: Addala Mt.) at 2,800 –3,100 m ( Fig. 12A). Only three (all typical) specimens of P. (H.) motschulskyi are known.