Geostiba (Tropogastrosipalia) solodovnikovi, 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) solodovnikovi sp.n. ( Figs 20-29 , Map 4 )

Holotype 3: TR - Erzurum, 35-40 km NW Tortum, 2600 m, Mescit Dağları , ca. 40°30N, 41°17E, 19.VI.1998, leg. Solodovnikov / Holotypus 3 Geostiba solodovnikovi sp.n. det. V. Assing 2006 (cAss). Paratypes: 433, 2♀♀: same data as holotype (cAss).

D e s c r i p t i o n: Small species, 2.1-2.6 mm (abdomen fully extended). Coloration: forebody yellowish red to reddish brown; abdomen reddish brown to brown, with segment VI and the anterior half of segment VII infuscate; legs testaceous; antennae rufous, with the basal 2-3 antennomeres yellowish to pale reddish.

Facies as in Fig. 20 . Head and pronotum with shallow fine microreticulation. Eyes small, not protruding from lateral outline of head, approximately one third the length of postocular region in dorsal view ( Fig. 21 ).

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Pronotum with weakly pronounced sexual dimorphism, weakly oblong (3) ( Fig. 22 ) to weakly transverse (♀). Elytra with moderate sexual dimorphism, 0.51 (3) to 0.57 (♀) times as long as pronotum; puncturation fine, shallow, and relatively sparse; microsculpture very shallow.

Abdomen rather shining; puncturation moderately sparse on tergite III-V, very sparse on tergites VI-VIII; microsculpture present, but very shallow; tergites III-IV and VII with sexual dimorphism; posterior margin of tergite VII with indistinct narrow rudiment of a palisade fringe.

3: pronotum weakly elongated posteriorly, posterior margin broadly and shallowly concave, occasionally truncate; elytra with relatively short and weakly elevated sutural carina extending along anterior half of suture; each elytron with extensive, but ill-defined and shallow impression; elytral puncturation weakly granulose ( Fig. 22 ); abdominal tergites III-IV each with moderately pronounced median tubercle ( Fig. 23 ); tergite VII with relatively short, stout (lateral view), slender (antero-dorsal view), erect, and apically rounded (antero-dorsal view) process ( Figs 24-25 ); posterior margin of sternite VIII indistinctly angled in middle ( Fig. 26 ); median lobe of aedeagus with dagger-shaped cristal process ( Fig. 27 ).

♀: posterior margin of pronotum more or less truncate in the middle; elytra without impressions and with very fine sparse puncturation; sternite VIII broadly convex posteriorly ( Fig. 28 ); spermatheca as in Fig. 29.

E t y m o l o g y: This species is dedicated to Alexey Solodovnikov, Chicago, who collected the type series.

C o m p a r a t i v e n o t e s: Geostiba solodovnikovi is readily separated from most other Turkish representatives of Tropogastrosipalia by its small size, the pale coloration, and the small eyes. From all its consubgeners it is distinguished by the male primary and secondary sexual characters. For a supplementary key see the comparative notes in section on G. biformis sp.n.

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 solodovnikovi is known only from one locality in the Mescit Dağları (Erzurum) in northeastern Anatolia ( Map 4 ), where the types were collected at an altitude of 2600 m.

Figures

Map 4: Distributions of Geostiba solodovnikovi (square), G. elmaica (open circle), and G. priva (filled circle) in Turkey.

Figs 20-29: Geostiba solodovnikovi sp.n. (20-23: holotype): (20) 3 habitus; (21) head in lateral view; (22) 3 pronotum and elytra; (23) anterior part of 3 abdomen; (24) 3 abdominal segment VII in lateral view; (25) 3 tergite VII in antero-dorsal view; (26) 3 sternite VIII; (27) median lobe of aedeagus in lateral view; (28) ♀ sternite VIII; (29) spermatheca. Scale bars: 20: 1.0 mm; 21-26, 28: 0.2 mm; 27, 29: 0.1 mm.