A checklist of the soldier beetles (Coleoptera: Elateroidea: Cantharidae) of Iran Author Fanti, Fabrizio Author Ghahari, Hassan text Zootaxa 2016 4196 4 529 551 journal article 10.11646/zootaxa.4196.4.4 85534d6d-120f-4b9d-ad24-d7a9c70d4c18 1175-5326 168319 DD76B136-1E3D-4CE2-9D6E-600EE061123B Cordicantharis cyanipennis ( Faldermann, 1835 ) Cantharis caspica Reitter, 1898 : 122 –123. Locus typicus: “Nordpersien: Alburs” (Carl Rost). [synonymized by Kazantsev 2004 : 23 ]. Cantharis Elata Faldermann in Dejean, 1833 : 106 ( nomen nudum ) and Dejean, 1836 : 119 ( nomen nudum ). [synonymized by Dejean]. Distribution in Iran . Alborz ( Reitter 1898 ). Ardabil : Bogrov Mts., 1,700 m ( Švihla 1999, as Cordicantharis caspica ). Guilan : Sheyk Mahalleh ( Švihla 1999 ), Assalem, 1,300 m ( Švihla 1999, as Cordicantharis caspica ). Mazandaran : Elburz ( Koçak & Kemal 2015, as Cordicantharis caspica ), 30 km SW Chalus, Kelardasht ( Švihla 1999 ), Central Elborz, Kelardasht, 1,700 m ( Švihla 1999, as Cordicantharis caspica ). Generic records: Iran ( Gemminger & Harold 1869 [ Persia occ.: as Telephorus violaceus var. cyanipennis and var. elatus ]; Baudi di Selve 1872 [ Persia : as Cantharis elata , thought to be a synonym of Ancistronycha violacea ]; Hicker 1925 [ Persia , as Cantharis caspia sic!]; Delkeskamp 1939 [North Persia , as Cantharis caspica and Persia , as elata , synonym of var. cyanipennis , both thought to be synonyms of Ancistronycha violacea ], 1977 [North Persia : as Cantharis caspica and Persia : as elata , synonym of var. cyanipennis , and both thought to be synonyms of Ancistronycha violacea ]; Wittmer 1972 [described for North Persia : as Cantharis caspica ]; Kazantsev 2004 ; Kazantsev & Brancucci 2007 ). Remarks. Endemic to Iran. The records for Armenia and Azerbaijan ( Švihla 1999 ; Koçak & Kemal 2015 ) are actually to be referred to Islamocantharis auroraensis Kazantsev. Cantharis elata Faldermann is a nomen nudum in Dejean (1833 : 106, 1836: 119), considered as a synonym of Cantharis cyanipennis Ziegler and indicated for “Russia merid.”. Gemminger & Harold (1869) considered elata as a synonym of var. cyanipennis Faldermann ( cyanypennis Ziegler) both thought to be synonyms of Ancistronycha violacea Paykull. Baudi di Selve (1872) and Delkeskamp (1939 , 1977 ) also considered this species as a synonym of A. violacea . It is possible that, over the years, the name Cantharis cyanipennis Faldermann , would have been confused with Telephorus cyanipennis Bach , now synonym of Ancistronycha abdominalis . Furthermore, there are three species similar and prone to being confused with each other, mainly due to blue metallic elytra (see also Švihla 1999 ): Ancistronycha abdominalis (Fabricius) , Ancistronycha violacea (Paykull) and Cordicantharis cyanipennis (Faldermann) . No Ancistronycha species are currently recorded for Iran and Transcaucasia ( Švihla 1999 ); thus, we believe that all specimens with blue metallic elytra (named cyanipennis in literature) are to be referred to Cordicantharis cyanipennis (Faldermann) .