Geostiba (Tropogastrosipalia) anlasi, Assing, 2006

Assing, V., 2006, Thirteen new species and additional records of Eastern Mediterranean Geostiba THOMSON (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae, Aleocharinae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 38 (2), pp. 1179-1215 : 1179-1215

Geostiba (Tropogastrosipalia) anlasi sp.n. ( Figs 13-19 , Map 3 )

Holotype 3: TR - Izmir [14], ca. 60 km WNW Izmir, 420 m SW Karaburun , meadow, 38°37'40N, 26°29'26E, 27.XII.2005, leg. Anlaş / Holotypus 3 Geostiba anlasi sp.n. det. V. Assing 2005 (cAss).

D e s c r i p t i o n: Large species, 3.9 mm (abdomen fully extended). Coloration: head blackish; pronotum and elytra reddish brown; abdomen blackish, with the apex and segments III-IV slightly paler; legs testaceous; antennae dark brown.

Facies as in Fig. 13 . Head and pronotum with shallow fine microreticulation ( Fig. 14 ). Eyes moderately small, weakly protruding from lateral outline of head, slightly less than half the length of postocular region in dorsal view.

Pronotum apparently without appreciable sexual dimorphism, distinctly convex in crosssection, approximately 1.15 times as wide as head and 1.05 times as long as wide ( Fig. 14 ). Elytra with pronounced sexual dimorphism, approximately 0.55 times as long as pronotum.

1185

Abdomen rather shining; puncturation relatively sparse and fine on anterior tergites, very sparse and very fine on posterior tergites; microsculpture on tergites VI-VII very shallow, barely noticeable, on tergites III-V obsolete; segment III conspicuously elongated, ratio of width (across posterior margin) and length (from anterior margin of paratergite to posterior margin of tergite): 1.23 ( Fig. 15 ); posterior margin of tergite VII with very indistinct narrow rudiment of a palisade fringe.

3: elytra with ill-defined, somewhat granulose puncturation ( Fig. 14 ); laterally with pronounced (long and strongly elevated, especially posteriorly) fold ( Fig. 16 ); suture slightly elevated ( Fig. 14 ); abdominal tergites III-V without tubercles; tergite VII without process; tergite VIII highly distinctive: posterior margin with pair of pronounced processes ( Fig. 17 ); sternite VIII as in Fig. 18 ; median lobe of aedeagus with dagger-shaped cristal process ( Fig. 19 ); apical lobe of paramere shaped as in other species of the subgenus.

♀: unknown.

E t y m o l o g y: This remarkable species is dedicated to Sinan Anlaş, Izmir, who discovered the holotype.

C o m m e n t: The question whether the conspicuously long abdominal segment III is a character shared by both sexes or confined to males can be clarified only when females become available for examination.

C o m p a r a t i v e n o t e s: This highly distinctive species is easily identified among its congeners by several unique characters: the morphology of the male elytra (pronounced lateral folds, absence of pronounced sutural carinae), the elongated abdominal segment III, the absence of a process on the male tergite VII, and the shape of the male tergite VIII with a pair of pronounced processes at the posterior margin.

In order to account for this species, the key in ASSING (2005a) is modified as follows:

107 Abdominal segment III conspicuously elongated, ratio of width (across posterior margin) and length (from anterior margin of paratergite to posterior margin of tergite): <1.3 ( Fig. 15 ). 3: elytra with pronounced lateral folds ( Figs 14, 16 ); posterior margin of tergite VIII with pair of pronounced processes ( Fig. 17 ); median lobe of aedeagus as in Fig. 19 . Western Anatolia: Izmir province ( Map 3 ) ....... ................................................................................................................. G. anlasi sp.n.

- Abdominal segment III strongly transverse, at least 1.5-1.6 times as wide as long. 3: elytra without pronounced lateral folds; tergite VIII without pair of pronounced processes; aedeagus of different morphology, without cristal process....................107a

107a 3: tergite VII near posterior margin with – often weakly defined – subcircular median tubercle (Fig. 162 in Assing 2005a and Fig. A99 : 200), which may be reduced to various degrees; elytra with distinct microsculpture and almost or completely matt. Species confined to the Taygetos range ( Greece: Pelopónnisos) or the Caucasus region ..................................................................................................108

- 3 tergite VII unmodified..........................................................................................109

D i s t r i b u t i o n a n d b i o n o m i c s: Geostiba anlasi may be endemic to the Ak Dağ and adjacent mountains on the peninsula approximately 60 km WNW Izmir ( Map 3 ), a conclusion mainly based on the restricted distributions of its Turkish consubgeners. The holotype was found under a stone on a grassy slope at an elevation of only 420 m. Subsequent sifting of the surrounding area yielded some specimens of G. euboica , but no additional material of G. anlasi .

1186

Figures

Map 3: Distributions of Geostiba nifica (black circles), G. atromontis (white circles), G. aydinica (grey circles), G. anlasi (large black square), G. biformis (small black squares), and G. renneri (white square) in western and southwestern Anatolia.

Figs 13-19: Geostiba anlasi sp.n. (holotype): (13) 3 habitus; (14) 3 forebody; (15) anterior part of 3 abdomen; (16) 3 right elytron in lateral view; (17) 3 tergite VIII; (18) 3 sternite VIII; (19) median lobe of aedeagus in lateral view. Scale bars: 13: 1.0 mm; 14-15: 0.5 mm; 16-18: 0.2 mm; 19: 0.1 mm.

Figs 98-107: Geostiba orduica sp.n.: (98) habitus; (99) forebody; (100) head in lateral view; (101) 3 tergite VIII; (102) 3 sternite VIII; (103) median lobe of aedeagus in lateral view; (104) apical lobe of paramere; (105) posterior margin of ♀ tergite VIII; (106) posterior margin of ♀ sternite VIII; (107) spermatheca. Scale bars: 98: 1.0 mm; 99: 0.5 mm; 100-102, 105-106: 0.2 mm; 103-104, 107: 0.1 mm.