Atheta (Oreostiba) abscisa, Assing & Vogel, 2017

Assing, Volker & Vogel, Jürgen, 2017, On some Athetini from Armenia and adjacent regions (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 49 (1), pp. 341-368 : 360-361

Atheta (Oreostiba) abscisa nov.sp. ( Figs 85-99 )

T y p e m a t e r i a l: Holotype 3: " ARMENIA [39] - 25 km SW Kapan, 39°04'01''N, 46°16'10''E, 2150 m, near stream, sifted, 10. VII.2016, V. Assing / Holotypus 3 Atheta abscisa sp. n. det. V. Assing 2017" (cAss) . Paratypes: 533, 13♀♀: same data as holotype (cAss) ; 1033, 7♀♀: same data, but leg. Schülke ( MNB, cVog) ; 433, 3♀♀: " ARMENIA [9] - S Martuni, Sulema Pass, 39°57'58''N, 45°14'13''E, 2340 m, near stream, 29.VI.2016, V. Assing" (cAss, cVog); 1♀: same data, but leg. Schülke ( MNB); 233: " ARMENIA [10] - S Martuni, Sulema Pass , 39°58'N, 45°14'E, 2340 m, road margin, 29.VI.2016, V. Assing " ( MNB, cAss); 1♀: " ARMENIA [11b] - 50 km NW Sisian, Jermuk, 39°50'02''N, 45°40'21''E, 2110 m, oak forest, 12.VII.2016, V. Assing " (cAss); 433: " ARMENIA [19] - 35 km NW Sisian, 39°40'59''N, 45°46'50''E, 2070 m, stream valley, sifted 3.VII.2016, V. Assing " (cAss); 13: " ARMENIA [20] - 35 km NW Sisian, 39°41'01''N, 45°46'46''E, 2080 m, swampy meadow, 3.VII.2016, V. Assing " (cAss); 1♀: " ARMENIA [20a] - 35 km NW Sisian, 39°41'01''N, 45°46'46''E, 2080 m, bushes nr. stream sifted, 3.VII.2016, V. Assing " (cAss) .

E t y m o l o g y: The specific epithet is the past participle of the Latin verb abscidere (to cut off) and alludes to the shape of the proximal end of the spermathecal capsule.

D e s c r i p t i o n: Externally indistinguishable from A. altiviva .

3: posterior margin of tergite VIII weakly convex, not projecting in the middle ( Fig. 85 ); sternite VIII ( Fig. 86 ) with strongly convex posterior margin; median lobe of aedeagus ( Figs 87-90 ) of similar size as in A. semialba , 0.30-0.35 mm long, but with broad ventral process (ventral view); parameres 0.38-0.40 mm long.

♀: tergite VIII with convex posterior margin ( Fig. 91 ); sternite VIII ( Fig. 92 ) with convex posterior margin; spermatheca of highly variable shape ( Figs 93-99 ), proximal portion nearly straight to distinctly curved.

C o m p a r a t i v e n o t e s: Among the Armenian representatives of the A. altiviva group, A. abscisa is characterized by a regularly convex posterior margin of the male tergite VIII (shared only with A. brevitheca ), a small median lobe of the aedeagus with a broad ventral process in ventral view, and a variable spermatheca with a rather short proximal portion.

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: Thespecimenswerecollected in several localities in North and South Armenia by sifting litter, debris, and grass roots in grassland, bush habitats, and near streams at altitudes of 2070-2340 m, partly together with A. altiviva , A. semialba , and/or A. brevitheca .

Figures

Figs 85-99: Atheta abscisa: (85) male tergite VIII; (86) male sternite VIII; (87-90) median lobe of aedeagus in lateral and in ventral view; (91) female tergite VIII; (92) female sternite VIII; (93-99) spermatheca. Scale bars: 85-86, 91-92: 0.2 mm; 87-90, 93-99: 0.1 mm.