Forum Entomologi Italiani

I have received a pair of this species of Rhantus sp. from Eastern Romania. Unfortunately I have not a key for Rhantus in this area or for Europe. In this page (http://coleoptera.ksib.pl/search.php?l=en) there are good pictures, but not aedeagi provided.
I think it is Rh. latitans Sharp, 1882, but I need a confirmation.
Unfortunately, the specimens were killed in 98% alcohol, then kept dry in a glass tube, so no specimen has antennae and the anterior and middle tarses of the male are missing.
Thank you in advance.


Male dorsal view


Aedeagus - lateral view


Aedeagus ventral view


Left paramour


Female dorsal view


Female ventral view

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Ciao
Adrian

Hi!
...for me R.suturellus ,but i have only old key to the Polish species......(Galewski ,1971)(old nomenclature!)

Regards
Rafał

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My photo-galery
http://www.flickr.com/photos/109379666@N08/

Thank you Rafał. I have to verify too. If it is Rh. suturellus, it would be a new species for Romania.

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Ciao
Adrian

Genus Rhantus is everything but good to identify by photo. You Need a lot of small characters one can't see on a photo, even on those good ones you made, Adrian. Maybe colouring got damaged more or less by using the alcohol, but I can't see any black colouring ventral. Rhantus suturellus Shows bigger parts coloured black, what I can't find in These photos. In my mind it is R. latitans, possibly R. exsoletus. But without having a view on the beetle itself I can't tell for sure.

Ciao
Klaas

Unfortunately I don't have the forelegs claws of the male. The male came with the both protarses broken. The all ventral part is yellow-brown without black spots or parts. It was hard for me to etalate and to take the pictures, the both specimens are extremely fragile, because of the strong alcohol.

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Ciao
Adrian

So Rhantus suturellus is no Option. I'm most of all into R. latitans, but can't exclude R. exsoletus.

Ciao
Klaas