Meotica caucasica BENICK , 1953

Assing, Volker & Vogel, Jürgen, 2019, The mother of synonyms: on the Meotica species of the Palaearctic Region (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Aleocharinae, Oxypodini), Linzer biologische Beiträge 51 (2), pp. 731-772 : 764-765

Meotica caucasica BENICK, 1953

( Figs 86-89 )

Meotica caucasica BENICK, 1953: 74 .

Meotica decolor ASSING, 2004b: 710 f.; nov.syn.

Type material examined: M. caucasica : Holotype ♂: " ♂ / Caucasus. Araxestal. Leder. Reitter. / Meotica caucasica ♂ G. Bck Typus / Coll. G. Benick / Meotica caucasica Benick , det. V. Assing 2018" ( MHNG).

M. decolor : see ASSING (2004b).

Additional material examined: TURKEY:Adana: 1♂,SWHasandede Geçidi, NE Kayadili , 37°30'N, 35°23'E, 1230 m, 26.IV.2007, leg. Brachat & Meybohm (cAss); 1♂, 3♀♀, Belemedik , 37°20'N, 34°55'E, 690 m, 16.IV.2011, leg. Brachat & Meybohm (cAss); 2♀♀, N Kozan, S Eskiyen Geçidi , 37°38'N, 35°51'E, 630 m, 3.V.2002, leg. Brachat & Meybohm (cAss). Kahramanmaraş: 1♀, Andırın-Geben, 11 km from Geben , 37°42'N, 36°27'E, 1320 m, 27.IV.2007, leg. Brachat & Meybohm (cAss); 1♂, 1♀, Geben-Göksun, 17 km from Göksun , 37°53'N, 36°27'E, 1550 m, 27.IV.2007, leg. Brachat & Meybohm (cAss); 1♀, Çinarpınar , 37°39'N, 36°35'E, 575 m, 22.IV.2009, leg. Brachat & Meybohm (cAss); 1♀, Çinarpınar , 37°40'N, 36°35'E, 960 m, 22.IV.2009, leg. Brachat & Meybohm (cAss); 1♀, SW Imalı , 37°20'N, 36°42'E, 1050-1100 m, 21.IV.2009, leg. Brachat & Meybohm (cAss); 1♂, 1♀, Tekir , 900-1400 m, 5.V.1978, leg. Besuchet and Löbl (cVog). O s m a n i y e: 1♀, Kaypak-Yarpuz , 37°06'N, 36°27'E, 990 m, 3.V.2007, leg. Brachat & Meybohm (cAss); 1♀, N Bahçe, Bekdemir , 37°16'N, 36°36'E, 1200 m, 21.IV.2007, leg. Brachat & Meybohm (cAss). H a t a y: 1♂, Antakya, Urabat , 6.V.1967, leg. Besuchet (cVog).

Comment: The original description of M. caucasica is based on a unique male from "Caucasus, Araxestal" ( BENICK 1953). An examination of the aedeagus revealed that it is conspecific with M. decolor, whose description is based on type material from the Turkish provinces Hatay, KahramanmaraŞ, and Adana ( ASSING 2004b). The species was subsequently recorded (as M. decolor) from KahramanmaraŞ, Adana, Kocaeli, and Gaziantep provinces ( ASSING 2006, 2009, 2013).

Diagnosis: ♂: sternite VIII ( Fig. 86 ) moderately transverse, posterior margin obtusely angled in the middle; median lobe of aedeagus ( Figs 87-88 ) 0.24-0.25 mm long, with large crista apicalis; apical lobe of paramere yellowish.

♀: posterior margin of sternite VIII strongly convex, in the middle often shallowly concave; spermatheca ( Fig. 89 ) minute, of the M. parasita type, but with much stouter proximal portion.

For a detailed description and additional illustrations see ASSING (2004b).

Confirmed distribution: Turkey (Kocaeli, Adana, Kahramanmaraş, Osmaniye, Hatay, Gaziantep); Azerbaijan.

Figures

Figs 80-90: Meotica normandi (80-84; 80-81: lectotype), M. arasensis (85), M. caucasica (86-89), and M. subnigra (90): (80-83, 87-88) median lobe of aedeagus in lateral and in ventral view; (84- 85, 89) spermatheca; (86, 90) male sternite VIII. Scale bars: 0.1 mm.