A taxonomic review of the species of the genus Amara Bonelli (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Pterostichinae) from south-central Turkey

The twelve species and subspecies of the pterostichine genus Amara Bonelli living in the study area represent about 22% of the Turkish species of this genus. This study is based on material collected primarily in the province of Kahramanmara , but also in the surrounding provinces of Adana, Adıyaman, Gaziantep, Kayseri, and Malatya, situated in south-central Turkey, in the Taurus Mountains, and mostly within the Taurus refugium. The taxa are characterized by: keys; description of structural features; and photographs of habitus (male and female), and of male genitalia. For each species, the localities (many of them new), coordinates, altitudes of collection, its distribution in Turkey, and its chorotype were also given.


INTRODUCTION
This publication is the second part of a taxonomic and geographical treatment of the Pterostichinae of southcentral Turkey, with a focus on sites in the province of Kahramanmara and some of the geographically adjacent provinces.Treated here is the genus Amara Bonelli, a group that includes worldwide 562 species arranged in 46 subgenera (Lorenz, 2005).Reported from Turkey are 55 species and subspecies in 15 subgenera (Casale and Vigna Taglianti, 1999).This is the first detailed taxonomic study of some of the Turkish species of this genus.
Primarily Holarctic, the geographical range of Amara extends southward in the western hemisphere in the mountains of the northern Neotropical region to Costa Rica.In the eastern hemisphere, this genus occurs in the mountains of the northern part of the Afrotropical region (Ethiopia) and the Oriental Region (Himalaya, southern China, Indochina) (Kryzhanovskii, 1983;Hurka, 1996).
The identification of species belonging to Amara is difficult and for many species is achieved only by examining the male genitalia (Trautner and Geigenmüller, 1987).*Corresponding author.E-mail:serapavgin@hotmail.com.

THE STUDY AREA
For details, see Avgın and Emre (2009).

Vegetation
The three common biomes represented, from higher elevations to lower elevations are the steppe, the macchie, and the forest.(Salicaceae) on the sides of mountains, the high areas and near rivers (Avgın, 2006a).
2005 from different altitudes (465 to1810 m) and habitats including steppe, forest, agricultural areas, and in the vicinity of a reservoir and lakes, principally in Kahramanmara Province, but also in the provinces of Adana, Adıyaman, Gaziantep, Kayseri, and Malatya.This area is part of the Taurus refugium (Casale and Vigna Taglianti, 1999).The sample that served as the basis for this study is restricted to the specimens whose measurements were made and whose morphological features were checked in detail.The specimens are deposited in the Biology Department of Çukurova University, Adana, Turkey.

Methods
The altitudes and coordinates of the localities from where the material has been collected are given in Table 1.The principal collecting devices were plastic pitfall traps containing 25% ethylene glycol, and placed in the ground.The pitfall traps at each locality were checked once every 15 days or once per month (Armstrong and Mckinlay, 1997;Magura et al., 2000).Additional specimens were collected by hand from under stones.
A few more taxonomically difficult species were identified by Prof. Augusto VignaTaglianti (Rome, Italy).
Descriptions are minimal, including limited numerical data, notes about color, and a moderately detailed treatment of the male genitalia.This publication was derived from a PhD thesis prepared by Avgın (2006b) and therein is data about worldwide distribution and more detailed descriptions.For specimen identification, much reliance is placed on the Figures, particularly those showing adult habitus.
The specimens were measured using an ocular micrometer.Some males were dissected, and the genitalia prepared.Illustrations of habitus and male genitalia are photographs, prepared with a digital camera.In the investigation, many specimens of Amara were collected but this paper is based on only the specimens whose measurements were made and those which were checked in detail.The key is based on Hurka (1996) modified by use of subgeneric features extracted from Lindroth (1968), with further modifications as necessary to cover the species included in this study.For synonymical data, see Löbl and Smetana (2003).
The distribution of each species in Turkey was characterized and analyzed using the chorotype system proposed by Vigna Taglianti et al. (1999), and applied to the Carabidae (Casale and Vigna Taglianti, 1999).

SYSTEMATIC ENTOMOLOGY
Taxonomic treatments of 12 species and subspecies of Amara, arranged in four subgenera are given below.Each treatment includes: a description, based on external features, and on details of the male genitalia; and information about geographical distribution within the study area.Most locality records given are new for the region Genus Amara Bonelli, 1810 Descriptive Notes (based on Lindroth, 1968): Size medium to rather large (ca.4-14 mm.).Color various: dorsal surface uniformly brown to black, or metallic coppery, green, or blue; antennae concolorous equeous, or bicolored, with antennomeres 1-3 testaceous, 4-11 black.Microsculpture mesh pattern isodiametric over entire dorsal surface, or slightly transverse.Dorsal surface dull or shining.Head short with stout mandibles; supraorbital setae two pair; mental tooth of labium bifid or emarginate.Pronotum (Figures 1a-b to 12a-b) in form trapezoidal, base broad, lateral margins straight basally, convergent anteriorly, or lateral margins sinuate or markedly constricted posteriorly.Prosternum: apex of intercoxal process unmargined or margined, setose or glabrous.Elytra with humeri more or less angulate, dentiform or not, posteriorlaterally with internal plica distinct; parascutellar setae present or absent, discal setae absent.Striae punctulate or smooth, stria 7 preapically with 1-4 umbilicate punctures.Legs: male fore tarsomeres 1-3 dilated, ventrally each with two rows of adhesive setae; male middle tibiae straight or bowed, not markedly dilated, or dilated internally, armed with a thick protuberant spine.
Abdominal sternum VII (last one normally exposed) bisetose in males, quadrisetose in females.

Geographical distribution:
This range exemplifies a Palaearctic chorotype.

Geographical distribution:
This range exemplifies a European chorotype.

Geographical distribution:
This range exemplifies a Sibero-European chorotype.

Geographical distribution:
This range exemplifies a Asiatic-European chorotype.

Geographical distribution:
This range exemplifies a South-European chorotype.

Published records from Turkey:
This species is doubtfully recorded for Anatolia (Casale and Vigna Taglianti, 1999).
Geographical distribution: This range exemplifies an Asiatic-European chorotype.

Geographical distribution:
This range exemplifies a European chorotype.

Geographical distribution:
This range exemplifies a Palaearctic chorotype.
): phallus short, in right lateral view (Figure4c) with shaft broad, moderately curved ventrally, ventral surface slightly sinuate; in dorsal view (Figure4d) shaft widened markedly, right side markedly curved, left side straight; apical flange with apex narrowly rounded, acute; right paramere twice as long as left paramere (Figures4 e-f).Material examined: A total of 4 specimens, from the following