S. Mahunka szerk.: Folia Entomologica Hungarica 44/1. (Budapest, 1983)
Nebria (Alpaeus) caucasica , Csiki, 1927: 376 Nebria (Alpaeus) caucasica , Kirshenblat, 1932: 93 MÉNÉTRIES described this species without distinct indication of the type locality: "Je trouvai cette espèce au Caucase, près des neigen éternelles a la hauteur de 9 a 10 mille pieds. Au commencement de juillet", p. 112. The short description was not enough for separation of this species from its close relative, and following the description and figure of FALDERMANN added a few useful information. Therefore in most cases old authors identified other species as N. caucasica Mén., as a rule N. tenella Mötsch., which is much more common than N. caucasioa Mén. and widely distributed in the Caucasus. Neither BANNINGER nor KIRSHENBLAT had seen the type of MÉNÉTRIES, although the latter investigated the collection of MOTSCHULSKY, where this type is kept. I have found in the MOTSCHULSKY' s collection (ZMM) one male with labels of MÉNÉTRIES' handwriting: " Al paeus caucasicus Ménétr. , Alp. Cauc", "Alp. Cauc", "type", which I designate here as lectotype. This specimen distinctly differs from all others, determined as N. caucasica Mén., which I have seen in many collections. Afterwards in the collection of V. KURNAKOV and in the collection of MB I found small series of genuin N. caucasica Mén. I give here re-description of the species. Dark piceous, shiny, head with indistinct red frontal spot, antennae, palpi and legs entirely reddish brown. Head with moderately prominent eyes, frontal furrows almost indistinct, antennae in male reaching middle of elytra, in female somewhat shorter. Submentum with 6-8 setae. Pronotum (fig. 83, 84) cordiform, rather convex, 1.33-1.38. times as wide as head, 1.381.37 times as wide as long, at sides moderately rounded and distinctly sinuated before acute, somewhat prominent backwards hind angles, apical angles short and rather narrow, rounded at apex; lateral sides narrowly reflexed, basal foveae rather deep, short and narrow, basal area and lateral reflections with small and sparse punctures, some punctures present near apical margin. Elytra elongate ovate, fairly convex, 1.41-1.46 times as wide as pronotum, 1.66-1.71 times as long as wide, widest at apical third , shoulders distinctly prominent, basal border weakly curved, forming with lateral one obtuse angle. Striae rather deep, distinctly punctate, invervals slightly convex, apical carina strongly reduced, interval 3 without or with one small setiferous pores apically, scutellar pores absent. Microsculpture very fine, visible only under magnification x50, consisting on head and pronotum of very short transverse meshes, on elytra meshes wider and longer. Metaepisterna 1.7 times as long as wide, almost smooth, with indistinct transverse wrinkles, lateral parts of prosternum in front with fine sparse punctures, lateral parts of mesosternum and abdominal segment 1 more coarsely and densely punctate. Base of hind coxae and abdominal segments 3-5 unisetose (rarely with proportion of setae 1+2, 2+2), anal sternit in male with 2, in female with 4 setae on hind margin. Segment 4 of hind tarsi hardly produced backwards from below. Aedeagus (fig. 94) rather stout, right paramere (fig. 102) wide. Length 10.6-11.3 mm. Width 3.9-4.4 mm. N. caucasica Mén. quite clearly differs from the other species of the group in the form of pronotum, which is more strongly rounded at the sides and sinuated before the hind angles. Elytra longer and narrower than in N. retrospinosa Heyd. and less narrowed towards shoulders than in N. tenella Mötsch. Material. Kabardinskaya ASSR, Kinzhal Mt, 7.VH.1948, leg. V. KURNAKOV, 8 ex. (ZIL); Kyrtyk-Aush river, 3.VIII. 1947, leg. V. KURNAKOV, 1 ex. (ZIL); "Elbrus, C. ROST", 1 ex. (MB); Bermamyt, 3.VII. 1916, 1 ex. (MB) (not typical). Nebria (Alpaeus) tenella Mötsch. Nebria tenella Motschulsky, 1850: 72 (type locality: "Tuschetia") Nebria longicornis Motschulsky, 1850: 71 (type locality: "Tuschetia"), syn.n. Nebria tenella , MARSÉUL, 1880: 44 Nebria planulat a f. tristicula Reitter, 1888: 82 (type locality: "Circassien, Fischt"),part, syn.n . Nebria planulata tristicula , K. DANIEL, 1903: 169 Nebria (Alpaeus) tenella , BANNINGER, 1925: 267 (as syn. from N. caucasica Mén.)
