Leiopus kharazii Holzschuh, 1974 Figs. 1, 2, 41, 48, 57, 71, 85. The combination of very fine and slender antennae, large eyes and brownish colour is unique to this species. The elytra have a transversal, oblique whitish band on the middle, followed by large spots, which form an oblique band below the middle. There are 4 relatively weak costae on each elytron, with short whitish pubescence and small dark brown spots. A weak swelling between shoulder and scutellum on each elytron sometimes forms a very weak ridge. Elytra densely covered with coarse punctures. Pronotum without tubercles, and covered with relatively fine and dense punctures. The lateral spines located a little below the middle, similar to the European species L. nebulosus L. The spines acutely narrowed towards the edges, almost “needle sharp”, and projecting slightly backwards. The presence of longitudinal costae on elytra (although weak), and a swelling near base of elytra, constituting a resemblance with many species from China. The distal sclerites inside the internal sac unique to L. kharazii, and the aedeagus, parameres and spermatheca resembling those of L. syriacus (Ganglbauer, 1884), instead of the Chinese species of Carinopus subgen. nov. Two other characters separate L. kharazii from Carinopus subgen. nov.: the first tarsal segment of hind legs much shorter than the remaining segments combined, and the last visible sternite very short. L. kharazii represents a species with an extended geographical southern distribution from SE Europe to the Middle East. Examined males: length 8.5–9.0 mm, width 2.5–3.0 mm; female: length 9.0 mm, width 3.0 mm. Aedeagus: Approx. 1.5 mm long, relatively slender, narrowed and strongly curved towards apex, dorsal ridge as wide as ventral ridge (Fig. 57). The crescent-shaped sclerites at the proximal end of the basal segment very fine and rounded, and the two median short sclerites inside the internal sac forming a less sclerotized and folded structure and a very short curved sclerite; surrounding intersegmental membrane with very fine, square-shaped micro-reticulation (Fig. 41). Tegmen: Approx. 1.8 mm long, parameres slender and flattened dorso-ventrally, well separated medially along inner margin and towards apex (Fig. 71). Apex evenly rounded along entire posterior margin (sharp in L. syriacus), with fringes of short, yellowish hairs well concentrated at edge of apex. No micro-reticulation on parameres. Base of tegmen, at lower part of median lobe, extended and weakly curved dorso-ventrally on middle. Tergite VIII: Approx. 0.8 mm long, with fine, yellowish pigmentation, more or less elongated and rounded at the posterior margin (with no trace of a concave or notched posterior margin as in L. syriacus), and covered with short, very fine yellowish hairs distally towards the posterior margin (Fig. 85). Surface with weak micro-reticulation medially. Spermatheca: Yellow to brown, relatively long, widened at base, and curved almost 90° towards apex (Fig. 48). Apex with an elongated head, similar in shape to L. syriacus. Remarks: Known from Iran and Azerbaijan but the species may have a wider distribution. Reared from small branches of Tilia sp. in Iran.

Published as part of Wallin, Henrik, Kvamme, Torstein & Lin, Meiying, 2012, A review of the genera Leiopus Audinet-Serville, 1835 and Acanthocinus, Dejean, 1821 (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae, Lamiinae, Acanthocinini) in Asia, with descriptions of six new species of Leiopus from China, pp. 1-36 in Zootaxa 3326 on pages 5-6, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.281207