Two new species of the genus Laemostenus (Pristonychus) Bonelli from Bulgaria and notes on L. (P.) euxinicus Nitzu (Coleoptera, Carabidae)

Abstract

Two new species of subgenus Pristonychus Dejean, 1828, of the genus Laemostenus Bonelli, 1810, are described and illustrated: L. stoevi n. sp. from northern Bulgaria and L. derventicus n. sp. from southeastern Bulgaria. Both new species are distinguished from the closely related L. euxinicus Nitzu, 1998, L.tichyi (Kult, 1946) and L. punctatus (Dejean, 1828). This work contributes to both the faunistics and taxonomy of L. euxinicus from Romania. The assumed adaptive trend and origin of the most modified characters of the two new species are discussed, and the systematic place, taxonomic status and formation of more divergent species of the ‘terricola’ group are presented.