Geostiba (Tropogastrosipalia) atromontis, 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) atromontis sp.n. ( Figs 30-35 , Map 3 )

Holotype 3: TR [30] - Manisa, 10 km S Manisa, Karadağ , 1200 m, roadside, 38°33'26N, 27°23'13E, 15.IV.2006, V. Assing / Holotypus 3 Geostiba atromontis sp.n. det. V. Assing 2006 (cAss). Paratypes: 3♀♀: same data as holotype (cAss) ; 2♀♀: same data, but leg. P. Wunderle (cWun) ; 3♀♀: N38°32'31, E027°27'44, (21), Türkei, Manisa, Sipil Dagi, Milli Parki , 1080 m, 25.4.2006, l. Brachat & Meybohm (cAss) ; 233: TR Prov.: Manisa (21), Umgeb.: Manisa, Nat. Park Sipil Dagi , 1250 m, N38°32'32", E027°27'44", leg. Meybohm & Brachat (cAss) ; 333, 6♀♀: N38°32'51, E027°25'14 (20), Türkei, Manisa, Sipil Dagi, Milli Parki , 1250 m, 25.4.2006, l. Brachat & Meybohm ( OÖLL, cAss) ; 13, 1♀: TR Prov.: Manisa (20), Umgeb.: Manisa, Nat. Park Sipil Dagi , 1250 m, N38°32'51", E027°25'14", leg. Meybohm & Brachat (cAss) .

D e s c r i p t i o n: This species is extremely similar to G. nifica , so that a detailed description would be redundant. Instead, only the primary and secondary sexual characters are described:

3 (large): pronotum weakly oblong, up to 1.1 times as long as wide ( Fig. 30 ); elytra with similar modifications as in G. nifica , but the carinae in posterior angles broader, of more irregular shape, and covered with more or less coarse granules ( Figs 30-31 ); process of

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tergite VII of similar shape as in G. nifica , but slightly less erect ( Fig. 32 ); aedeagus similar to that of G. nifica ( Fig. 33 ).

♀: spermatheca as in Fig. 34. E t y m o l o g y : The name (Lat.: of the black mountain) refers to the Turkish name of the mountain range, where the species was discovered.

I n t r a s p e c i f i c v a r i a t i o n: The male secondary sexual characters are subject to considerable intraspecific variation; they are fully developed only in four of the seven male type specimens.

C o m p a r a t i v e n o t e s: As indicated above, G. atromontis is extremely similar to G. nifica ; both species can be distinguished only based on the modifications of the elytra and tergite VII of large males with pronounced secondary sexual characters. Although these differences are slight, they are interpreted as evidence of interspecific rather than intraspecific variation, not only because they seem to be constant, but also because the ranges of both populations are separated by a considerable stretch of low-altitude plain. Using the key in ASSING (2005a), both G. nifica and G. atromontis would key out at couplet 77 (see supplementary key in section on G. renneri 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: Thespeciesisprobablyendemictothe Karadağ range (Spil [=Sipil] nature reserve) to the south of Manisa ( Map 3 ). The types were found under stones on limestone grassland ( Fig. 35 ) and sifted from litter below bushes and near rocks at altitudes of 1080-1250 m.

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Figures

Map 3: Distributions of Geostiba nifica (black circles), G. atromontis (white circles), G. aydinica (grey circles), G. anlasi (large black square), G. biformis (small black squares), and G. renneri (white square) in western and southwestern Anatolia.

Figs 30-34: Geostiba atromontis sp.n. 30-33: holotype): (30) 3 forebody; (31) 3 elytra in lateral view; (32) process of 3 tergite VII in lateral view; (33) median lobe of aedeagus in lateral view; (34) spermatheca. Scale bars: 30: 0.5 mm; 31-32: 0.2 mm; 33-34: 0.1 mm.

Fig. 35: Locality where the holotype and some paratypes of Geostiba atromontis sp.n. were found. Photo by P. Wunderle.