Ischnosoma myops (EPPELSHEIM, 1880)

Assing, Volker & Schülke, Michael, 2017, On the Ischnosoma fauna of Georgia (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Tachyporinae), Beiträge Zur Entomologie = Contributions to Entomology (Beitr. Entomol.) 67 (2), pp. 195-206 : 197-198

Ischnosoma myops (EPPELSHEIM, 1880)

( Map 1 )

Material examined: Georgia: Adjara: 3, Skhalta valley , 41°34'N, 42°25'E, 970 m, 22.VI.2017, leg. Brachat & Meybohm (cAss); 1 , 7 km NE Batumi, 41°39'N, 41°46'E, 500–600 m, 24.VI.2017, leg. Brachat & Meybohm (cAss) .

Shida Kartli: 1 , 3 , Kvishkheti , 41°58'N, 43°30'E, 810 m, 12.V.2016, leg. Brachat & Meybohm (cAss); 1 , 8 km SW Surami, 42°02'N, 43°30'E, 960 m, 14.V.2016, leg. Brachat & Meybohm (cAss), 2, SE Rikoti pass, 42°03'N, 43°30'E, 1010 m, 14.V.2016, leg. Brachat & Meybohm (cAss); 3 , 3 , Kvishkheti, 41°57'N, 43°29'E, 1300 m, 24.VII.2016, leg. Meybohm (cAss) . Samtskhe-Javakheti: 1 , 3 , Timotesubani , 41°49'N, 43°31'E, 1144 m, 13.V.2016, leg. Brachat & Meybohm (cAss); 1 , Bakuriani, 41°44'N, 43°43'E, 1766 m, 13.V.2016, leg. Brachat & Meybohm (cAss); 1 , N Abastumani, 41°46'N, 42°50'E, 1370 m, 15.V.2016, leg. Brachat & Meybohm (cAss) .

Racha: 1 , 4 km N Nakerala, 42°24'N, 43°02'E, 1150 m, 18.V.2016, leg. Brachat & Meybohm (cAss); 1 , Nakerala pass, 42°23'N, 43°02'E, 1260 m, 18.V.2016, leg. Brachat & Meybohm (cAss); 3 , 2 , Nakerala pass, 42°22'N, 43°02'E, 1320 m, 22.V.2016, leg. Brachat & Meybohm (cAss). Locality not specified: 2 exs., “Meskisches Gebirge, Leder, Reitter” ( NMP, cSch) .

Turkey: Rize: 12 , 4 , 4 exs., 32 km SSE Ardeşen, SE Ayder, 40°56'N, 41°09'E, 1730 m, mixed forest ( Alnus , Picea ) with undergrowth (Rhododendron, Rubus ), sifted, 10.VII.2008, leg. Assing & Schülke (cAss, cSch). Artvin: 1 ex., 20 km W Borçka, Cankurtaran geçidi, 41°24'N, 41°32'E – 41°24'N, 41°31'E, 730–775 m, margin of deciduous forest with dominant Fagus and Castanea , 29.–30. VI.2004, leg. Hájek & Růžička (cRuz). Locality doubtful: 1 , 1 ex., “Helenendorf ” ( NMP, cSch).

Comment: Ischnosoma myops is the most widespread representative of the I. spelaeum group in the Caucasus region, its confirmed range extending from Northeast Anatolia (Rize, Artvin) to central Georgia, with the easternmost record at 43°42' eastern longitude ( Map 1 ). The previous and above records from Göygöl (“Helenendorf ”) in Azerbaijan (see grey circle in Map 1 ) are far outside the confirmed range and consequently doubtful (see comment above). For other previous records see KOCIAN (1997) and SCHÜLKE (2001, 2003, 2007). SAMIN & al. (2011a, b) reported the species from Ardabil and Fars provinces, Iran. These records, however, are far outside the confirmed distributions of I. myops and of the I. spelaeum group as a whole. There is little doubt that they are based on misidentification and most likely refer to I. splendidum or I. longicorne , if they refer to Ischnosoma at all.

The above male from the environs of Batumi is remarkably small (body length 2.8 mm; length of forebody 1.3 mm). The male primary and secondary sexual characters, however, are identical to those of other males of I. myops examined.

Figures

Map 1: Distributions of species of the Ischnosoma spelaeum group in the Caucasus region, based on revised and reliable records: I. caucasicum (white circles); I. barbigerum (black triangle); I. acutum (white diamonds); I. myops (black circles). Grey circle: doubtful locality “Helenendorf” (today Göygöl).