A review of the genus Psammocrуptus (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae: Tentyriini)
Nabozhenko Maxim V., Chigray Ivan A., Bekchanov Norbek Kh.
Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 62(1): 165-184, 2022
Published online: 8th October 2022
Views: 1739
Abstract: A taxonomic review of the tenebrionid genus Psammocryptus Kraatz, 1865
(Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae: Pimeliinae: Tentyriini) is given. Species of this
genus are distributed in the south of Russia (Caspian depression),
Transcaucasia, Kazakhstan and Central Asia, Afghanistan and Pakistan, occurring
in areas with salty soil, often in tugay forests of river basins. Two new
species and one new subspecies are described: P. bogatchevi Nabozhenko, Chigray
& Bekchanov, sp. nov. (Kazakhstan: Syrdarya basin, Kyzylkum desert;
Uzbekistan: Amudarya lower reaches and delta, Syrdarya basin, Kyzylkum desert);
P. kompantsevae Nabozhenko & Chigray, sp. nov. (Uzbekistan and Tajikistan:
Amudarya, upper river basin); P. bayeri vachshianus Nabozhenko & Chigray,
subsp. nov. (Tajikistan: Vakhsh River valley). The nominotypical subspecies P.
bayeri bayeri Koch, 1943 occurs in Turkmenistan (Tejen valley and Amudarya
valley middle river course) and Tajikistan (a new record for the country:
Kafirnigan River valley). Psammocryptus minutus (Tauscher, 1812) is recorded for
Armenia for the first time, but the population from Yerevan has become extinct
due to urbanization. The following synonymy is restituted: Psammocryptus minutus
(Tauscher, 1812) = P. bergi Kuzin 1934, syn. restit.
Key words: Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae, Pimeliinae, Tentyriini, Psammocryptus, darkling beetles, new record, new species, new subspecies, Palaearctic Region