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

Agapanthia (Epoptes) plewai sp.n.

Figs 1–2, 8–9.

MATERIAL. Holotype, male, South Kazakhstan, Gulshat environs northwards Balkhash Lake , 46°38'45"N, 74°19'55"E, 359 m, 5.5.2024, R. Plewa leg. — MD; 98 paratypes with the same date from the same locality; 2 males and 2 females with the same labels as holotype — MD; 30 males, 24 females, R. Plewa leg. — RP; 8 males, 12 females, J. Hilszczański leg. — JH; 9 males, 9 females, K. Łoś leg. — KŁ. GoogleMaps

TYPE LOCALITY: South Kazakhstan, Gulshat environs near Balkhash Lake , about 2 km northwards the village, 46°38'45"N 74°19'55"E GoogleMaps .

DESCRIPTION. Body black with orange-yellow pubescence; head with dense recumbent setae and numerous long erect black setae; frons vertical with deep central furrow; genae about as wide as basal width of 1 st antennal joint; eyes relatively small, a little narrower than wide; antennae in males about 2 times longer than elytra, surpassing elytral apices with 5 apical joints; female antennae about 1.2 times longer than body, surpassing elytral apices with 3 joints; with black 1 st and 2 nd joints; other joints bicolored with red basal parts (from two thirds to about a half) and black apical; red antennal parts with fine white pubescence; 3 rd antennal joint without apical setae tuft, with several long setae also distributed along its whole length; prothorax in males about 1.2 times wider posteriorly than anteriorly, in females — about 1.3 times, slightly widened medially; pronotum with wide and bright central setae stripe, without recumbent pubescence along its sides; scutellum bright orange-yellow; elytra narrow, narrowly rounded apically, male elytra about 2.9 times longer than basal width, female elytra — about 2.8 times; covered with wide patches of orange-yellow pubescence (evenly pubescent elytra in A. obydovi ), more or less scattered; glabrous spaces between setae patches can be larger or smaller, but always distinct; grey humeral elytral stripe (typical for A. auliensis ) absent; long erect elytral setae are distributed along anterior elytral third; abdomen with very dense light recumbent pubescence totally hiding cuticula; last abdominal tergite rounded or shallowly emarginated; last abdominal sternites shallowly triangularly emarginated or truncated; median lobe of aedeagus ( Fig. 8) relatively wide, obtuse; parameres ( Fig. 9) moderately elongated, rounded apically; body length in males: 9.0– 14.8 mm, width: 2.1–4.0 mm, body length in females: 10.0–17.0 mm, width: 2.5–4.6 mm.

DISTRIBUTION. Only one locality known, South Kazakhstan, Gulshat environs northwards Balkhash Lake , 46°38'45"N, 74°19'55"E, 359 m. GoogleMaps

BIONOMY. All specimens of A. (E.) plewai sp.n. were observed in sandy desert in the beginning of May feeding and copulating on Eremurus inderiensis (M. Bieb.) Regel ( Figs 6–7), where must develop its larvae.

ETYMOLOGY. The new species is dedicated to Radosław Plewa, who collected the most part of the type series.