A NEW SPECIES OF THE BRISTLETAIL GENUS CTENOLEPISMA (ZYGENTOMA, LEPISMATIDAE) FROM SOUTHWESTERN KAZAKHSTAN

A new bristletail species is described from Kazakhstan: Ctenolepisma capsicum sp. n. It seems to be especially similar to such congeners common in Kazakhstan and Central Asia as C. mauritanicum (Lucas 1846), C. turkestanicum Kaplin & Shakula 2022 and C. przewalsky Kaplin 1982, which all share a medium-sized and weakly to moderately pigmented body, two pairs of abdominal styli, the absence of bristle combs from abdominal sternites I and II, and of medial combs from all abdominal sternites; and urosternites III–VIII and the posterior edge of thoracic tergites each with 1 + 1 sublateral bristle combs. The first tergite of their abdomen bears 1 + 1 lateral, the second 2 + 2 or 3 + 3, terga III–VII each with 3 + 3, and tergite VIII with 2 + 2 bristle combs. These species differ well from each other in the number of sensory papillae on the apical article of the labial palps, the length ratios of the distal part of the prosternum occupied by bristle combs, and in the total length of the prosternum, the chaetotaxy of the second tergite of the abdomen, thoracic sternites, and the number of ovipositor articles.