Levizonus circularis

Levizonus circularis (Takakuwa, 1942) Figs 3C, 15 Levizonus circularis Takakuwa, 1942c: 43–44, fig. 8; “Zyônanri (Korea)” (= North Korea, Pyeongannam-do province, Yeonweon-gun county, Sangnam-ri village, according to Mikhaljova 2021: 167) Levizonus variabilis Lokshina & Golovatch, 1977: 76–77, fig. 3. Levizonus circularis – Lim 2001: 131–132, fig. 146. Levizonus variabilis – Lim 2001: 132–133, figs 147–149. — Mikhaljova 2021: 163–167, figs 1–3 (synonymyzation). Diagnosis “The main distinguishing characters are: apex of gonopod telopodite not like two plates placed perpendicular to each other as in L. malewitschi; gonopod solenomere, more or less strongly curved mesad (vs not strongly curved mesad in other congeners); the central edge of the gonopod telopodite apex with outgrowths and spinules (vs without outgrowths and spinules in other congeners excluding L. thaumasius, L. nakhodka and L. malewitschi); metaterga with low bosses either everywhere or only laterally (vs smooth in other congeners).” (after Mikhaljova 2021: 165, omitting references to her figures). Type material (not examined) NORTH KOREA • 1 ♂; “ Zyônanri (Korea)”; Takakuwa’s private collection, including type material of many species, considered lost (Tanabe & Shinohara 1996; Chao & Chang 2008). Remarks Levizonus circularis only occurs in Far East Russia, North-East China and North Korea (Mikhaljova 2021). In addition to the type locality (Sangnam-ri, Yeonweon-gun) Lim (2001: 132) mentioned two females collected by the expedition of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Jueul, Hamgyongbukdo Prov., 5. Sep. 1970, leg. R. Bielawski and M. Mroczkowski (Bańkowska & Sterzyńska 1997). Mikhaljova (2021) added one more in North Korea: Hamgyongnamdo Prov., Lake Čangdžin-ho, 9 Jun. 1965, leg. M. Mroczkowski and A. Riedel (also from the Polish Academy of Sciences). Unfortunately, no material was available for us to study, so in the characterization of L. circularis, we can only rely on Mikhaljova (2021) whose Korean specimens (the same as mentioned above) were first considered as L. variabilis Lokshina & Golovatch, 1977 (Mikhaljova et al. 2000), then later synonymized with L. circularis (Mikhaljova 2021). The two female specimens of L. circularis mentioned by Lim (2001) from the 1970 Polish expedition is probably a mistake as was clarified by Lim Kil-Young in a personal discussion (2024 pers. comm.). Thus, until new and abundant material from North Korea becomes available, it is difficult to estimate the population variability and hence the taxonomic status of the Korean L. circularis, so we keep it as it is, following Mikhaljova (2021).