Geostiba (Tropogastrosipalia) elmaica, 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) elmaica sp.n. ( Figs 71-77 , Map 4 )

Holotype 3: TR - SE Ankara, N-Elma Dağı , 1200 m, Crataegus litter, 31.X.1995, leg. S. Vit / Holotypus 3 Geostiba elmaica sp.n. det. V. Assing 2006 (cAss). Paratypes: 13, 1♀: same data as holotype (cAss).

D e s c r i p t i o n: Relatively small species, 2.5-2.8 mm. Coloration: head dark brown; pronotum and elytra reddish brown; abdomen reddish brown to brown, with segments V-VI or V-VII somewhat infuscate; legs yellowish brown; antennae reddish brown.

Facies as in Fig. 71 . Head with very shallow microreticulation, shiny ( Fig. 72 ); puncturation very fine and very sparse, barely noticeable. Eyes relatively small ( Fig. 73 ), very weakly protruding from lateral outline of head, slightly less than half the length of postocular region in dorsal view.

Pronotum with moderate sexual dimorphism; puncturation very sparse and very fine; microsculpture shallow, surface with some shine. Elytra with distinct sexual dimorphism, less than 0.6 times as long as pronotum.

Abdomen with shallow microsculpture, with fine and sparse puncturation; anterior tergites without sexual dimorphism; posterior margin of tergite VII without palisade fringe.

3: pronotum weakly oblong, approximatly 1.05 times as long as wide, posterior margin broadly truncate to indistinctly concave ( Fig. 72 ); elytra with rather sparse and fine puncturation, near apex of scutellum with few small tubercles, without sutural carina, lateral margins with long, slightly diagonal folds ( Fig. 72 ); process of tergite VII moderately long, in lateral view rather massive, and in antero-dorsal view slender and apically acute ( Figs 74-75 ); posterior margin of tergite VIII truncate, that of sternite VIII broadly convex to indistinctly obtuse in the middle; median lobe of aedeagus small, with short and slender cristal process ( Fig. 76 ); apical lobe of paramere shaped as in other species of the subgenus.

♀: pronotum approximately as wide as long, posterior margin broadly convex; posterior margins of tergite and sternite VIII weakly convex; spermatheca with relatively large capsule ( Fig. 77 ).

E t y m o l o g y: The name (Lat., adj.) is derived from Elma Dağı, where the type locality is situated.

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C o m p a r a t i v e n o t e s: Using the key in ASSING (2005a), G. elmaica would key out at couplet 69, together with G. iconiensis PACE. To account for the new species,

the key is modified as follows:

69 3: elytra with distinctly elevated (bulging) lateral margins or with distinct lateral folds. Species from Konya and Ankara provinces ....................................................69a

- 3: lateral margins of elytra not distinctly modified. Species from northern Turkey (Thrace, northern Anatolia).........................................................................................70

69a 3: pronotum (in large 33!) distinctly oblong, more or less extensively depressed, strongly projecting posteriorly, and with broadly and distinctly concave hind margin ( Fig. P83b : 1); elytra with distinctly elevated (bulging) lateral margins; process of tergite VII wide-based, apically rounded, and in lateral view rather slender; aedeagus: Figs. P83b : 2-3. Southern Anatolia (Konya)....... G. iconiensis PACE

- 3: pronotum not depressed, weakly oblong, and with truncate or indistinctly concave posterior margin ( Fig. 72 ); process of tergite VII in antero-dorsal view slender and apically somewhat acute, in lateral view rather massive ( Figs 74-75 ); median lobe of aedeagus as in Fig. 76 . Ankara: Elma Dağı ( Map 4 ).... G. elmaica 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 elmaica is the first representative of the subgenus to become known from the surroundings of Ankara and one of the few Turkish Tropogastrosipalia species recorded at some distance from the coastal areas. The type specimens were discovered in the Elma Dağı to the southeast of Ankara ( Map 4 ) at an altitude of 1200 m, where they were sifted from Crataegus leaf litter.

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Figures

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

Figs 71-77: Geostiba elmaica sp.n.: (71) 3 habitus; (72) 3 forebody; (73) head in lateral view; (74) 3 abdominal tergites VI-VII in lateral view; (75) process of 3 tergite VII in antero-dorsal view; (76) median lobe of aedeagus in lateral view; (77) spermatheca. Scale bars: 71: 1.0 mm; 72: 0.5 mm; 73-75: 0.2 mm; 76-77: 0.1 mm.

Figs 78-84: Geostiba priva sp.n.: (78) 3 habitus; (79) 3 forebody; (80) head in lateral view; (81) 3 abdominal tergites VII-VIII in lateral view; (82) 3 tergite VII in antero-dorsal view; (83) median lobe of aedeagus in lateral view; (84) spermatheca. Scale bars: 78: 1.0 mm; 79-82: 0.2 mm; 83-84: 0.1 mm.