Aphanogmus karlazani Salden, Miko & Peters 2026, sp. nov.
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Aphanogmus karlazani Salden, Mikó & Peters sp. nov. Fig. 14; Suppl. material 11 Material examined. Holotype: Georgia • ♂; Kakheti, Vashlovani, near Alazani river; 41.1241°N, 46.6523°E; ca. 100 m a. s. l.; 21–28 Jun. 2021; G. Japoshvili leg.; Malaise trap; ECAUG; ZFMK -HYM-00042565 (without DNA barcode). Paratypes: Germany • 1 ♂; Baden-Württemberg, Karlsruhe, Östringen, NSG 2.217 Apfelberg, plot number 9836; 49.1675°N, 8.7903°E; ca. 180 m a. s. l.; 13–27 Aug. 2019; LUBW Insektenmonitoring leg.; Malaise trap; SMNS; SMNS_Hym_Cer_001034. Other material examined. Hungary • 2 ♂♂; Bács-Kiskun, Miklapuszta; 1 Oct. 1997; É. Kovács leg.; yellow pan trap; UNHC; PSUCIM_3145, IM 1079 (without DNA barcodes) • 2 ♂♂; Bács-Kiskun, Gara; 46.035°N, 19.020°E; ca. 90 m a. s. l.; 26–30 Jun. 2009; I. Mikó leg.; yellow pan trap; UNHC; UNHC_1000023, UNHC_1000024 (without DNA barcodes). Diagnostic description. Male. Body length: 0.75 mm. Colour (Fig. 14 A): Body brown except metasoma and legs lighter. Legs with lighter joints and tarsi. Antenna, head (Fig. 14 A): F 1 with sensillae arranged in three whorled rows, F 1 length longer than half of scape length. Preoccipital lunula absent. Preoccipital furrow present. Preoccipital furrow ends anteriorly at POL. Ocellar fovea margin absent. Anterior ocellar fovea slightly visible. Ocular impression and orbital carina absent. Mesosoma, fore wing, metasoma (Fig. 14 A): Scutoscutellar sulcus and transscutal articulation not adjacent, interaxillar sulcus absent. Anteromedian projection of the metanoto-propodeo-metapecto-mesopectal complex virtually absent. Mesometapleural sulcus absent. Epicnemial carina present. Epicnemial pit absent. Stigmal vein curved, tip of vein slightly oriented towards anterior wing margin. Four basal longitudinal carinae on syntergum. Male genitalia (Fig. 14 B – D): Gvc length one third of mesonotum length. Gvc width 0.69 × gvc length; harpe / gvc index 0.47. Harpe finger-shaped, oriented distoventrally, and gradually narrowing towards apex; lateral margin of harpe slightly convex in basal half, straight in apical half, and oriented distomedially; median margin of harpe concave in basal half, slightly concave in apical half, with lamella-like extension in-between, and slightly diverging distolaterally. Harpe with basomedian spine; tip of basomedian spine slightly more proximal than tip of gonossiculus and oriented distally; harpe with distinct triangular median lamella-like extension at mid-length; tip of triangular median lamella-like extension pointed and oriented medially. Proximodorsal notch of harpe U-shaped and 0.36 × as long as harpe length. Harpe width (above basomedian spine) 0.19 × gvc width, and 0.26 × harpe length. Harpe with four median setae oriented proximomedially and distomedially, restricted to apical quarter; harpe with at least four apical setae oriented distally, including one broadened seta (broadening only visible in CLSM image Suppl. material 11); harpe with one lateral seta close to apex, oriented distally. Gonossiculus length 0.48 × harpe length; gonossiculus J-shaped with knob-like apex, with indistinct digital teeth, tip oriented distolaterally. Aedeagus straight. Female. Unknown. CO 1 barcode. Unknown. Variation. Unknown. Biology. Unknown. Distribution. Palaearctic: Georgia, Germany, and Hungary. Etymology. The species name is a composition of ‘ Karlsruhe’ (Germany) and ‘ Alazani River’ (Georgia), with reference to the localities of one paratype and the holotype. Remarks. The male genitalia of A. karlazani have a distinct triangular median lamella-like extension at mid-length of the harpe (Fig. 14 D), a character shared with A. kintrishi (Fig. 15 D). However, in A. karlazani, the median margin of the triangular lamella-like extension is slightly concave in apical half (straight in A. kintrishi), the tip of the extension is pointed (rounded in A. kintrishi), and the median setae of the harpe are extending to the apical third in A. karlazani (restricted to the apical quarter in A. kintrishi). Additionally, the gonossiculus is differently shaped in both species (with indistinct digital teeth and a knob-like apex in A. karlazani (Fig. 14 D) and at least three digital teeth without a knob-like apex in A. kintrishi (Fig. 15 D)). All six examined specimens can be unambiguously assigned to A. karlazani based on morphological characters, particularly the male genitalia. Only one DNA barcode (SMNS _Hym_Cer_001034) is available for A. karlazani. The molecularly closest specimen to SMNS _Hym_Cer_001034 is ZFMK -HYM-00042561 (with only 1 % difference), which is a singleton with distinctly different male genitalia (Fig. 31 B – D, an additional undescribed putative species). Integrating the data we have at hand, we decide to describe this species based on the distinct morphological characters shared by a series of six males from three countries, resulting in a clear morphological diagnosis, and acknowledge that molecular characterization of A. karlazani (and putative additional close species) needs additional specimens and sequence data. Consequently, given the still unclear molecular characterization of A. karlazani, we do not provide the DNA barcode as part of the description and do not highlight the single specimen / sequence as belonging to A. karlazani in Fig. 1.
Institutions: Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change, University of New Hampshire, Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde Stuttgart, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, University of Cologne, Ilia State University, Agricultural University of Georgia
Language: English
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7140216238