Leptusa (Neopisalia) diecki PACE 1983

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 : 429-430

Leptusa (Neopisalia) diecki PACE 1983 ( Map 3 )

M a t e r i a l e x a m i n e d: Turkey: O r d u: 3 exs., ca. 30 km SW Ordu, 1 km NE Gölköy, 40°43'N, 37°37'E, 1050 m, Fagus forest with Rhododendron and Ilex undergrowth, sifted, 13.VII.2008 (cAss) ; 37 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 (cAss, cSch) ; 1 ex., 11 km W Gölköy, 40°41'N, 37°30'E, 1040 m, wet stream valley, Carpinus forest with Rhododendron , moist litter near stream bank sifted, 22.VII.2008, leg. Assing & Schülke (cAss, cSch) ; 8 exs., 15 km S Gölköy, Harçbeli Geç., 40°35'N, 37°38'E, 1610 m, Fagus forest with Rhododendron, litter and mushrooms sifted, 22.VII.2008, leg. Assing (cAss). S a m s u n: 103 exs., 33 km SW Samsun, road Kavak-Asarcık , 7 km SE Kavak, 41°03'N, 36°07'E, 470 m, Quercus-Carpinus forest , litter sifted, 20.VII.2008, leg. Assing & Schülke (cAss, cFel, cSch, cWun) ; 12 exs., 25 km S Samsun, NE Asarcık, 41°05'N, 36°16'E, 880 m, Fagus-Quercus- Carpinus forest, litter in dry stream sifted, 20.VII.2008, leg. Assing & Schülke (cAss, cSch) ; 28 exs., 20 km S Samsun, NE Asarcık, 41°07'N, 36°17'E, 840 m, Quercus-Carpinus forest with Rhododendron , litter sifted, 20.VII.2008, leg. Assing & Schülke (cAss, cSch) .

C o m m e n t: The distribution ranges from Trabzon in the east to Samsun in the west, from where the species is here reported for the first time. For previous records see ASSING (2002, 2003, 2007) and PACE (1983, 1989). The western limit of its distribution appears to be approximately at the Hacılar Geçidi, i. e., the national road (no. 795) between Samsun and Amasya. To the west of this line, L. diecki is apparently replaced by the vicariant sister species L. confinis ( Map 3 ).

Several of the above specimens, all of them collected in July, are teneral.

Figures

Map 3: Distributions of L. confinis PACE (open circles) and L. diecki PACE (filled circles) in northeastern Turkey.