Ernoporus eggersi Kurentsov, 1941

Ernoporus eggersi Kurentsov, 1941 View in CoL stat.ressurr.

Figs 5–8.

The name for the species was proposed by V.N. Stark [1936], but the morphological description of the species was provided for the first time in the monograph of A.I. Kurentsov [1941]. V.N. Stark [1952] gave the following characteristics to distinguish E. eggersi from E. tiliae (Panzer, 1793) : more elongated body form and strong metallic shining luster of the body and broader elytral striae. In contemporary literature E. eggersi is considered a junior synonym of E. tiliae [ Johnson et al., 2020]. In 2024 in vicinity of Vladivostok (Bogataya River) A.V. Petrov collected a series of E. eggersi consisting of 32 specimens that allowed detailed morphological study of the species. In our opinion, features of outer morphology [ Stark, 1952] do not allow to separate the two closely related species ( Figs 5–6). The only reliable feature to distinguish E. eggersi is the structure of the male genitalia. Males of E. eggersi possess a broad tegmen of semicircular form; apophyses very short, penis body is 2.3 times as long as apophyses; penis tube elongated, 2.9 times as long as wide; supporting penis structure is located not on penis apex, but closer to penis middle ( Fig. 7). In males of E. tiliae the tegmen is narrow, apophyses are short, penis body is 2.0 times as long as apophyses; penis tube more broad, 1.7 times as long as wide; supporting penis structure is located on the penis apex ( Fig. 8). Ernoporus eggersi thus is restored as a valid species and removed from synonymy with E. tiliae .

From the long syntypic series of Ernoporus eggersi (ZIN) we selected the lectotype (sex unknown) with the geographic label: “239. Майхинский ЛПХ [ЛеспромхоЗ], Соловейцев ключ, Tilia amurensis , 20.IX. [19]31” (239. Maikhe Forestry Enterprise, Soloveytsev stream, 20.IX. [19]31”) bearing also the additional label “collected by Kurentsov on Far East” probably added by V.N. Stark.

Competing interests. The authors declare no competing interests.