Contribution to the knowledge of jewel beetles (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) of the Aras River valley, Northeastern Turkey

Check list of seventy-eight species of jewel beetles (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) belonging to 21 genera of 12 tribes in five subfamilies, recorded from the Turkish part of Aras River valley is presented. Compared with the fauna of adjacent areas of Armenia and Nakhichevan (Azerbaijan), the diversity of jewel beetles is significantly impoverished as result of strong anthropogenic impact. Aras valley jewel beetles are rather poorly known and that may also explain a relatively small number of species in the area. The core of the buprestid fauna of the Turkish part of Aras valley is mainly formed by Irano-Turanian (including nine endemic or subendemic Kuro-Araxian species), Irano-Turanian-East-Mediterranean, and European-Mediterranean elements with insignificant participation of Transpalaearctic, West Palaearctic and European elements. Based on the distributional patterns of buprestid species, it can be concluded that the border between Kura-Araxian and Front-Asian provinces of Irano-Turanian subregion in the Aras valley passes between the town of Kagizman and Karakurt village in Kars province, up to 1400-1500 m altitude. Some unique habitats, such as the Calligonum polygonoides L. dominated sandy desert at the foot of the Agri Dagi Mts in the vicinity of Aralik town, should be taken under state protection. Sphenoptera exarata (Fischer von Waldheim, 1824) and Anthaxia (Cratomerus) diadema shelkovnikovi Obenberger, 1940 are first country records for Turkey.