Malthinus kaszabi Wittmer, 1974

Kazantsev, S. V., 2025, A new species of Malthinus Latreille, 1806 of the M. biguttatus group from the Eastern Caucasus, with description of the female of M. kaszabi Wittmer, 1974 (Coleoptera: Cantharidae), Russian Entomological Journal 34 (1), pp. 76-81 : 79-80

publication ID	https://doi.org/10.15298/rusentj.34.1.07
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/F947EF59-FFF9-7A1F-FC56-F997FBD94CF2
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Malthinus kaszabi Wittmer, 1974
status

Treatment

Figs 5, 6 View Figs 3–6 , 10 View Figs 7–10 , 18, 19, 28, 29.

Malthinus kaszabi Wittmer, 1974: 418 .

MATERIAL. ♂, ‘ Georgia, Adjara, S Bobokvati Station , 27.V.1928, D. Romashov leg.’ ( ZMMU) ; 2 ♂♂, ‘ Georgia, env. Bakuriani , S Borzhomi, 1–2 km W Sadgeri, 1050–1150 m, 41.80°N 43.41°E, 16.VII.2024, S. Kazantsev leg. GoogleMaps ’; ♂, ’ Georgia, env. Bakuriani, env. Patara Mitarbi , 1350–1440 m, 41.76°N 43.57°E, 17–19.VII.2024, S. Kazantsev leg. GoogleMaps ’; 2 ♂♂ and ♀, ‘ Georgia, env. Bakuriani , 2–3 km ESE Patara Mitarbi, 1500–1770 m, 41.77°N 43.59°E, 19.VII.2024, S. Kazantsev leg.’ ( ICM) GoogleMaps .

DESCRIPTION. Female. Similar to male, but antennae shorter, attaining only to elytral three fifths. Ultimate ventrite transverse, with elongate roundish emargination medially, distal part of coxites broad and obliquely truncate at apex, in lateral view with acute long ventral process ( Figs 6 View Figs 3–6 , 28–29). Body length: 5.8 mm; width (at humeri): 1.1 mm.

REMARKS. As in M. melniki sp.n., the anterior pronotal margin appears to be variable in M. kaszabi , from slightly bisinuate and more or less straight ( Fig. 5 View Figs 3–6 ) to conspicuously convex ( Fig. 6 View Figs 3–6 ).

Malthinus kaszabi has until recently been known only by two male specimens, the Holotype labelled ‘Caucasus, Meskhisches Gebirge, leg. Leder, Reitter’ (deposited in MB) and a paratype from ‘ Turkei, Anatolien, Prov. Trabzon, Macka, Hamsikoy, 1200 m, 14-15.VI. 1972 ’ (deposited in NHMB) [ Wittmer, 1974]. A third specimen, also a male, from a location near Batumi, was found in the ZMMU collection [ Kazantsev, 2024]. It was collected back in 1928 by a Moscow amateur entomologist Dmitry Romashov, future prominent geneticist. Last summer, however, after a 50 year search, further material on this enigmatic species was finally acquired. Six specimens, including one female, were collected during the 2024 expedition to the Borzhomi and Bakuriani region in Georgia. They were taken by beating and sweeping foliage in damp habitats on forest roads.