Geostiba (Sipalotricha) zerchei PACE, 1996 (Figs 8-12)

M a t e r i a l e x a m i n e d: GEORGIA: S a m t s k h e - J a v a k h e t i: 3♂♂, 5♀♀, Trialeti Range, S Bakuriani, 41°42'21''N, 43°30'08''E, 2090 m, birch trees at tree line, litter and grass sifted, 6.VII.2019, leg. Assing & Schülke (MNB, cAss) ; 1♂, 4♀♀, same data, but 10.VII.2019, leg. Assing (cAss) .

C o m m e n t: In the original description, which is based on a unique female (erroneously sexed as a male) from "Cauc. Min. Bor., Trialetskij Chreb, Bakuriani, 1800-2200 m ", PACE (1996) assigned the species to Lioglutosipalia SCHEERPELTZ, 1951, now a synonym of Sipalotricha SCHEERPELTZ, 1931. Based on a revision of the holotype, Assing (2005) treated G. zerchei as a species of doubtful status and moved it to Sibiota .

During a field trip to Southwest Georgia, Michael Schülke and the author succeeded in collecting a series of specimens including males in the environs of the type locality, thus rendering a clarification of the identity of G. zerchei finally possible. An examination of the males revealed that the species does not belong to Sibiota, but to Sipalotricha. The male is characterized by a pronounced sutural carina on the elytra (unique in the subgenus) (Fig. 9). The external and sexual characters are illustrated in Figs 8-12.