Leptusa (Stictopisalia) fibula ASSING 2003

Assing, V., 2009, On the Leptusa species of Turkey. VII. Notes on distribution, a new species, a new synonymy, and additional records (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 41 (1), pp. 427-436 : 432

Leptusa (Stictopisalia) fibula ASSING 2003 (Map 4)

M a t e r i a l e x a m i n e d: Turkey: G i r e s u n: 10 exs., 40 km S Giresun, Şehitler Geçidi, 40°34'N, 38°27'E, 1790 m, spruce forest with Rhododendron, litter sifted, 23.VII.2008, leg. Assing & Schülke (cAss, cSch). O r d u: 19 exs., 75 km S Ordu, 34 km SSE Gölköy, W Mesudiye, 40°25'N, 37°47'E, 1520 m, Fagus forest , moist litter near small stream sifted, 13.VII.2008, leg. Assing & Schülke (cAss, cFel, cSch) ; 15 exs., road Ünye-Akkuş , 18 km NE Akkuş, 40°56'N, 37°06'E, 920 m, mixed deciduous forest (predominantly Fagus), litter sifted, 15.VII.2008, leg. Assing & Schülke (cAss, cSch) ; 6 exs., 15 km S Gölköy, Harçbeli Geçidi, 40°35'N, 37°38'E, 1610 m, Fagus forest with Rhododendron, litter and mushrooms sifted, 22.VII.2008, leg. Assing & Schülke (cAss, cSch) .

Map 4: Distribution of the subgenus Stictopisalia SCHEERPELTZ in Turkey: L. merkli BERNHAUER (filled squares), L. ionopolitana PACE (open squares), L. fibula ASSING (filled circles), and L. artviniensis PACE (open circles).

C o m m e n t: The species was originally described based on few specimens from Akkuş in Ordu ( ASSING 2003) and later also recorded from Gümüşhane, Giresun, and Trabzon ( ASSING 2007) (Map 4). A comparison of the material from different regions revealed that the aedeagus is remarkably variable. In the easternmost populations (Trabzon), the length from the apex of the ventral process to the base is usually 0.45- 0.48 mm, where as in material from Ordu it is 0.38-0.42 mm. However, intermediate conditions are found in populations from Giresun and Gümüşhane, suggesting that the observed differences are an expression of clinal intraspecific variation.

Some of the above specimens are teneral.