Geostiba (Sibiota) kalavanica, Assing, 2017

Assing, Volker, 2017, On the Geostiba fauna of Armenia (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 49 (2), pp. 1075-1092 : 1087

Geostiba (Sibiota) kalavanica nov.sp. ( Figs 39-49 , Map 4 )

T y p e m a t e r i a l: Holotype 3: " ARMENIA [13] – WSW Dilijan, Kalavan, 40°38'40''N, 45°06'04''E, 1700 m, oak forest, 29.VI.2017, V. Assing / Holotypus 3 Geostiba kalavanica sp. n. det. V. Assing 2017 " (cAss). Paratypes: 433, 8 ♀♀: same data as holotype (cAss).

E t y m o l o g y: The specific epithet is derived from the name of the mountain where this species was discovered.

D e s c r i p t i o n: Body length 1.9-2.4 mm; length of forebody 0.85-1.00 mm. Coloration: body dark-yellowish to pale-reddish. Eyes small, with pigmentation, and composed of approximately five ommatidia. Pronotum with a shallow longitudinal impression on either side of midline. Hind wings completely reduced.

3: elytra ( Fig. 39 ) with pronounced, narrow, anteriorly slightly broader and posteriorly sharply edged carina extending along whole suture, disc with usually extensive and more or less pronounced impression; abdominal tergite VII ( Fig. 40 ) with a pair of moderately pronounced carinae posteriorly; posterior margins of tergite and sternite VIII broadly and weakly convex; median lobe of aedeagus ( Figs 41-44 ) 0.24 mm long, without distinct semi-transparent spines in internal sac; ventral process weakly curved in lateral view; paramere not distinctive.

♀: elytra and abdominal tergite VII without modifications; tergite VIII ( Fig. 45 ) shaped as in male; posterior margin of sternite VIII ( Fig. 46 ) convex, in the middle usually very shallowly concave; spermathecal capsule ( Figs 47-49 ) with strongly dilated distal portion and short proximal portion.

I n t r a s p e c i f i c v a r i a t i o n: As in G. tigrani , the male secondary sexual characters may be reduced to various degrees in smaller males.

C o m p a r a t i v e n o t e s: In external characters (coloration, body size, eye size, etc.), including the male secondary sexual characters, G. kalavanica is highly similar to G. pambakica . It is distinguished from this species above all by the strongly dilated distal portion of the spermatheca. Regarding the shape of the spermatheca, G. kalavanica is most similar to G. unituber , from which it differs by the different modifications of the male tergite VII, a slightly different shape of the median lobe of the aedeagus (lateral view), and a slightly shorter proximal portion of the spermatheca.

D i s t r i b u t i o n a n d n a t u r a l h i s t o r y: The type locality is situated near Kalavan village in Kalavan mountain, to the north of the northwestern tip of Sevan lake ( Map 4 ). The specimens were sifted from litter and roots on a calcareous south slope with oak forest at an altitude of 1700 m. The head of one of the males from the type locality is infested with Laboulbeniales.

Figures

Map 4: Distribution of Sibiota and Tropogastrosipalia species in Armenia: G.unituber (white circles); G. kalavanica (black circle); G. khnzoriani (black triangles).

Figs 39-49: Geostiba kalavanica: (39) male elytra; (40) male tergite VII; (41-44) median lobe of aedeagus in lateral and in ventral view; (45) female tergite VIII; (46) female sternite VIII; (47-49) spermatheca. Scale bars: 39-40: 0.2 mm; 41-49: 0.1 mm.