Notes on taxonomy and distribution of the subgenus Heloponotus Reitter, 1922, genus Odocnemis Allard, 1876 (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), with a key to species and subspecies

A brief review of the subgenus Heloponotus Reitter, 1922 (genus Odocnemis Allard, 1876) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae: Helopini) is presented. This group was probably formed on the Crimean Peninsula, since the high diversity and endemism are observed here, including the most archaic representative of the subgenus. In total, two species are known: forest O. arborea (Fischer von Waldheim, 1823) (endemic of Crimea) and steppe O. gracilis (Fischer von Waldheim, 1823). The latter species is divided into two subspecies: O. gracilis gracilis, widespread from southwestern Ukraine through northern Cis-Azov region and steppe foothills of Crimea to north of the Caspian depression in Western Kazakhstan and Southern Ural and O. gracilis montanosteppensis Nabozhenko et Arefyev, subsp. n. having the very narrow range on treeless peaks (so called yayla) of Crimean Mountains. The new subspecies differs from the nomynotypical one by the sexual dimorphism in the structure of ultimate maxillar palpomere, flattened lateral side of male prothoracic hypomera, the shape of the female pronotum, the larger black body. A key to Heloponotus spp. and maps of distribution for O. gracilis are given.