Meotica caucasica BENICK, 1953

(Figs 86-89)

Meotica caucasica BENICK, 1953: 74 .

Meotica decolor ASSING, 2004b: 710 f.; nov.syn.

Type material examined: M. caucasica: Holotype ♂: " ♂ / Caucasus. Araxestal. Leder. Reitter. / Meotica caucasica ♂ G. Bck Typus / Coll. G. Benick / Meotica caucasica Benick, det. V. Assing 2018" (MHNG).

M. decolor: see ASSING (2004b).

Additional material examined: TURKEY:Adana: 1♂,SWHasandede Geçidi, NE Kayadili, 37°30'N, 35°23'E, 1230 m, 26.IV.2007, leg. Brachat & Meybohm (cAss); 1♂, 3♀♀, Belemedik, 37°20'N, 34°55'E, 690 m, 16.IV.2011, leg. Brachat & Meybohm (cAss); 2♀♀, N Kozan, S Eskiyen Geçidi, 37°38'N, 35°51'E, 630 m, 3.V.2002, leg. Brachat & Meybohm (cAss). Kahramanmaraş: 1♀, Andırın-Geben, 11 km from Geben, 37°42'N, 36°27'E, 1320 m, 27.IV.2007, leg. Brachat & Meybohm (cAss); 1♂, 1♀, Geben-Göksun, 17 km from Göksun, 37°53'N, 36°27'E, 1550 m, 27.IV.2007, leg. Brachat & Meybohm (cAss); 1♀, Çinarpınar, 37°39'N, 36°35'E, 575 m, 22.IV.2009, leg. Brachat & Meybohm (cAss); 1♀, Çinarpınar, 37°40'N, 36°35'E, 960 m, 22.IV.2009, leg. Brachat & Meybohm (cAss); 1♀, SW Imalı, 37°20'N, 36°42'E, 1050-1100 m, 21.IV.2009, leg. Brachat & Meybohm (cAss); 1♂, 1♀, Tekir, 900-1400 m, 5.V.1978, leg. Besuchet and Löbl (cVog). O s m a n i y e: 1♀, Kaypak-Yarpuz, 37°06'N, 36°27'E, 990 m, 3.V.2007, leg. Brachat & Meybohm (cAss); 1♀, N Bahçe, Bekdemir, 37°16'N, 36°36'E, 1200 m, 21.IV.2007, leg. Brachat & Meybohm (cAss). H a t a y: 1♂, Antakya, Urabat, 6.V.1967, leg. Besuchet (cVog).

Comment: The original description of M. caucasica is based on a unique male from "Caucasus, Araxestal" (BENICK 1953). An examination of the aedeagus revealed that it is conspecific with M. decolor, whose description is based on type material from the Turkish provinces Hatay, KahramanmaraŞ, and Adana (ASSING 2004b). The species was subsequently recorded (as M. decolor) from KahramanmaraŞ, Adana, Kocaeli, and Gaziantep provinces (ASSING 2006, 2009, 2013).

Diagnosis: ♂: sternite VIII (Fig. 86) moderately transverse, posterior margin obtusely angled in the middle; median lobe of aedeagus (Figs 87-88) 0.24-0.25 mm long, with large crista apicalis; apical lobe of paramere yellowish.

♀: posterior margin of sternite VIII strongly convex, in the middle often shallowly concave; spermatheca (Fig. 89) minute, of the M. parasita type, but with much stouter proximal portion.

For a detailed description and additional illustrations see ASSING (2004b).

Confirmed distribution: Turkey (Kocaeli, Adana, Kahramanmaraş, Osmaniye, Hatay, Gaziantep); Azerbaijan.