On the Geostiba fauna of Armenia (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae) Author Assing, Volker text Linzer biologische Beiträge 2017 2017-12-11 49 2 1075 1092 journal article 10.5281/zenodo.5409928 0253-116X 5409928 Geostiba ( Geostiba ) sororcula ASSING , 2001 ( Map 1 ) M a t e r i a l e x a m i n e d: Armenia : 2 exs. , N Yerevan , W Hrazdan , 40°32'N , 44°33'E , 2130 m , secondary forest margin, litter and roots sifted, 25. VI .2016 , leg. Schülke (MNB) ; 13, 4♀♀ , 9 exs. , N Yerevan , W Hrazdan , 40°30'N , 44°34'E , 1870 m , meadow, roots of grass and herbs sifted, 25. VI .2016 , leg. Assing & Schülke (cAss, MNB) ; 13, S Martuni , Sulema Pass , 39°58'N , 45°14'E , 2340 m , slope with small stream and scattered bushes, litter and roots near stream sifted, 29. VI .2016 , leg. Assing (cAss) ; 1833, 29 ♀♀ , 21 exs. , 35 km NW Sisian , 39°41'N , 45°47'E , 2070 m , stream valley, litter beneath bushes near stream sifted 3.VII.2016 , leg. Assing & Schülke (cAss, MNB) ; 1♀ , WSW Kapan , Meghri Pass , 39°07'N , 46°10'E , 2520 m , moist grassy slope with scattered bushes, litter and grass roots sifted, 6.VII.2016 , leg. Assing (cAss) ; 333, 7♀♀ [ 4 ♀♀ macropterous], 15 exs. , Gavar , 40°21'N , 45°08'E , 1950 m , old poplar trees near river, litter and roots of herbs sifted, 25. VI .2017 , leg. Assing & Schülke (cAss, MNB) ; 833, 12♀♀ , 4 exs. , mountain range W Gavar , 40°21'N , 45°01'E , 2330 m , grassy slope, litter and roots sifted, 26. VI .2017 , leg. Assing & Schülke (cAss, MNB) ; 1 ex. , mountain range W Gavar , 40°20'N , 44°59'E , 2490 m , grassy slope, litter and roots sifted, 26. VI .2017 , leg. Schülke (MNB) ; 1 ex. , mountain range W Gavar , 40°21'N , 45°01'E , 2250 m , grassy slope, tall herbs and roses, roots and debris sifted, 26. VI .2017 , leg. Schülke (MNB) ; 733, 9♀♀ , 5 exs. , Vardenis mountain range SE Vardenis , 40°05'N , 45°49'E , 2330 m , stream valley with Salix , litter and roots beneath Salix sifted, 27. VI .2017 , leg. Assing (cAss) ; 733, 11 ♀♀ , 1 ex. , NE Sevan Lake , Karmir pass, 40°34'N , 45°18'E , 2150 m , debris, grass, and roots beneath scattered Sorbus sifted, 30. VI .2017 , leg. Assing (cAss) ; 13, S Martuni , Sulema Pass , 39°58'N , 45°14'E , 2340 m , slope with small stream and scattered bushes, litter and roots near stream sifted, 8.VII.2017 , leg. Assing (cAss) ; 233, 6 ♀♀ , 2 exs. , 40 km NW Sisian , Vorotan Pass , 39°42'N , 45°41'E , 2090 m , grassy slope with scattered bushes, litter, debris, and moss sifted, 8.VII.2017 , leg. Assing (cAss) ; 1♀ , pass N Goris , 39°35'N , 46°20'E , 2110 m , grassy slope with stones, under stones, 9.VII.2017 , leg. Assing (cAss) ; 833, 10♀♀ , pass N Goris , 39°36'N , 46°19'E , 1990 m , N-slope with small stream valleys with water, litter, debris, and moss sifted, 10.VII.2017 , leg. Assing (cAss) ; 333, 4 ♀♀ , 10 exs. , 40 km NW Sisian , Vorotan Pass , 39°41'N , 45°45'E , 2140 m , stream valley with Salix , litter and roots sifted, 10.VII.2017 , leg. Assing (cAss) . Map 1 : Distribution of Geostiba sororcula . C o m m e n t: Geostiba sororcula was originally described based on four specimens from a locality in the south of Gümüşhane province and subsequently recorded also from a locality in Ardahan province , Northeast Turkey ( ASSING 2001 , 2003 ). The currently known distribution is illustrated in Map 1 . The above material represents the first records from outside Turkey and from Armenia , where the species appears to be rather common at higher elevations. The altitudes of the Armenian localities range from 1870 to 2730 m . The specimens were usually sifted from litter and roots in forest margins, bush habitats (often near streams), floodplain forests, and various types of montane grassland. Interestingly, like G. circellaris , G. sororcula is wing-dimorphic: four females collected in Gavar are macropterous, whereas the remaining specimens collected by myself are micropterous. Aside from G. circellaris and G. sororcula , wing dimorphism has been observed in only three other species of the genus, G. oertzeni (EPPELSHEIM, 1888) , G. maxiana (TIKHOMIROVA, 1973) , and G. lucens (BENICK, 1970) ( ASSING 2009 , 2015 ).