Geostiba (Sipalotricha) soganlica, 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 (Sipalotricha) soganlica sp.n. ( Figs 108-118 , Map 8 )

Holotype 3: TR [34] - Trabzon, ca. 40 km S Of , S Uzungöl, 2050 m, grass, moss, sift., 40°35'57N, 40°16'56E, 4.VIII.2006, V. Assing / Holotypus 3 Geostiba soganlica sp.n. det. V. Assing 2006 (cAss). Paratypes: 633, 7♀♀: same data as holotype ( OÖLL, cAss) ; 2 exs.: same data, but leg. Schülke (cSch) ; 13, 6♀♀: TR [35] - Trabzon, ca. 40 km S Of , S Uzungöl, 2280 m, grass & herbs, 40°36N, 40°16E, 4.VIII.2006, V. Assing (cAss) .

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D e s c r i p t i o n: Small species, 1.8-2.3 mm (abdomen extended). Coloration: body reddish brown to brown, with abdominal segment VI and adjacent segments more or less extensively infuscate and occasionally also the head slightly darker; legs yellowish; antennae light brown to dark brown.

Facies as in Fig. 108 . Head with distinct microreticulation and reduced shine ( Fig. 109 ); puncturation very fine and very sparse, barely noticeable. Eyes small ( Fig. 110 ), not projecting from lateral outline of head, approximately 1/4 the length of postocular region in dorsal view.

Pronotum weakly transverse, 1.10-1.15 times as wide as long and approximately 1.1 times as wide as head ( Fig. 109 ); microsculpture similar to that of head; puncturation similar to that of head.

Elytra 0.55-0.60 times as long as pronotum ( Fig. 109 ), without sexual dimorphism; microsculpture less pronounced than that of head and pronotum; puncturation very fine, but more distinct than that of head and pronotum.

Abdomen approximately 1.15 times as wide as elytra ( Fig. 108 ), with distinct microsculpture, and with sparse fine puncturation; posterior margin of tergite VII without palisade fringe.

3: posterior margin of tergite VIII convex, in the middle indistinctly concave ( Fig. 111 ); posterior margin of sternite VIII convex ( Fig. 112 ); median lobe of aedeagus as in Fig. 113 ; apical lobe of paramere with one very long and three short setae ( Fig. 114 ).

♀: posterior margin of tergite VIII convex ( Fig. 115 ); posterior margin of sternite VIII weakly convex and with row of numerous long modified marginal seta, in the middle not distinctly concave ( Fig. 116 ); spermatheca as in Figs 117-118.

E t y m o l o g y: The name (adj.) is derived from Soğanlı Dağları, the mountain range where the type specimens were found.

C o m p a r a t i v e n o t e s: From the geographically closest consubgeners, G. euxina and G. macronorum , G. soganlica is separated by smaller size, darker coloration (especially of the antennae), smaller eyes, and additionally by the following characters:

from G. macronorum by shorter antennae, a distinctly smaller median lobe of the aedeagus, shorter apical and subapical setae of the paramere, and a much more slender spermathecal capsule;

from G. euxina by a smaller median lobe of the aedeagus, shorter apical and subapical setae of the paramere, as well as by a longer, distally more slender, and proximally more strongly dilated spermathecal duct.

In order to account for both G. soganlica and G. orduica , the following modifications of the key in ASSING (2005a) are suggested:

135 Posterior margin of tergite VIII concave in the middle, especially in 3 ( Figs 101, 105 ). 3: median lobe of aedeagus with strongly reduced crista apicalis ( Fig. 103 ); apical lobe of paramere as in Fig. 104 . ♀: spermatheca as in Fig. 107 . Ordu ( Map 8 )........................................................................................................... G. orduica sp.n.

- Posterior margin of tergite VIII even in 3 not or only very indistinctly concave in the middle. 3: crista apicalis of median lobe not reduced. Trabzon .......................135a

135a Smaller, width of pronotum <0.35 mm; coloration of antennae darker, usually brown to dark brown; eyes smaller, composed of few ommatidia ( Fig. 110 ), at most about 1/4 the length of postocular region in dorsal view. 3: median lobe of aedeagus smaller, 0.25-0.26 mm long ( Fig. 113 ); apical lobe of paramere with very

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short apical and subapical setae ( Fig. 114 ). ♀: spermatheca with longer, distally more slender, and proximally more strongly dilated duct ( Figs 117-118 ). Trabzon: Soğanlı Dağları ( Map 8 ) .................................................................... G. soganlica sp.n.

- Larger, width of pronotum> 0.35 mm; coloration of antennae paler, usually yellowish to yellowish brown; eyes larger, more than 1/4 the length of postocular region in dorsal view. 3: median lobe of aedeagus larger,> 0.26 mm long; apical lobe of paramere with longer apical and subapical setae. ♀: spermatheca with shorter, distally less slender, and proximally less strongly dilated duct. Trabzon: surroundings of Maçka............................................................................................135b

135a Eyes slightly larger, maximal diameter approximately equal to the length of antennomere III; antennomere III only slightly shorter than antennomere II. ♀: capsule of spermatheca distally enlarged (Figs. P02: 36) ............ G. macronorum PACE

- Eyes slightly smaller, maximal diameter shorter than antennomere III; antennomere III distinctly shorter than antennomere II. ♀: spermathecal capsule somewhat coniform ( Fig. P83b : 173)..................................................... G. euxina PACE

D i s t r i b u t i o n a n d b i o n o m i c s: The type locality is situated in the eastern part of the Soğanlı Dağları, near the pass between Of and Bayburt. The specimens were collected by sifting the roots of grass and herbs, moss, and fern litter, mostly near rocks, at altitudes of 2050 and 2280 m.

Figures

Map 8: Distributions of Geostiba aucta (filled circles), G. orduica (square), and G. soganlica (open circle) in Turkey.

Figs 108-118: Geostiba soganlica sp.n.: (108) habitus; (109) forebody; (110) head in lateral view; (111) – 3 tergite VIII; (112) posterior margin of 3 sternite VIII; (113) – median lobe of aedeagus in lateral view; (114) apical lobe of paramere; (115) ♀ tergite VIII; (116) posterior margin of ♀ sternite VIII; (117-118) spermatheca. Scale bars: 108: 1.0 mm; 109: 0.5 mm; 110-112, 115-116: 0.2 mm; 113-114, 117-118: 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.

Figs 78-84: Geostiba priva sp.n.: (78) 3 habitus; (79) 3 forebody; (80) head in lateral view; (81) 3 abdominal tergites VII-VIII in lateral view; (82) 3 tergite VII in antero-dorsal view; (83) median lobe of aedeagus in lateral view; (84) spermatheca. Scale bars: 78: 1.0 mm; 79-82: 0.2 mm; 83-84: 0.1 mm.