Geostiba (Tropogastrosipalia) renneri, 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) renneri sp.n. ( Figs 36-44 , Map 3 )

Holotype 3: TR [25] - Muğla, 12 km NNE Muğla, 1620 m, grass roots, pine litter, 37°19'02N, 28°22'26E, 12.IV.2006, P. Wunderle / Holotypus 3 Geostiba renneri sp.n. det. V. Assing 2006 (cAss).

D e s c r i p t i o n: Species of relatively small size, 2.8 mm (abdomen fully extended). Coloration: head dark brown; pronotum and elytra light brown; abdomen blackish, with the apex and the anterior segments indistinctly paler; legs testaceous; antennae brown, with the basal two antennomeres light brown.

Facies as in Fig. 36 . Head with very shallow microreticulation ( Fig. 37 ). Eyes moderately small ( Fig. 39 ), weakly protruding from lateral outline of head, approximately half the length of postocular region in dorsal view. Antenna as in Fig. 38 .

Pronotum apparently with weakly pronounced sexual dimorphism, approximately 1.15 times as wide as head ( Fig. 37 ). Microreticulation slightly more distinct than that of head. Elytra with moderately pronounced sexual dimorphism, less than 0.6 times as long as pronotum.

Abdomen shiny; puncturation moderately dense and relatively coarse on tergites III-V, sparse and fine on posterior tergites; microsculpture composed of transverse striae and transverse meshes, more distinct on tergites VI and VII than on tergites III-V; posterior margin of tergite VII without palisade fringe; tergites III-VI without sexual dimorphism.

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3: pronotum approximately as long as wide, posterior margin distinctly convex ( Fig. 37 ); elytra flat, with rather dense and coarse granulose puncturation, without sutural carina, but with distinct lateral carinae ( Figs 37, 39 ); anterior abdominal tergites unmodified; process of tergite VII stout, massive, and short ( Figs 41-42 ); sternite VIII with broadly convex posterior margin; median lobe of aedeagus as in Fig. 43 ; apical lobe of paramere shaped as in other species of the subgenus.

♀: unknown

E t y m o l o g y: The species is dedicated to Klaus Renner, Bielefeld, in appreciation of his life-long enthusiasm as a coleopterist and friend. Paul Wunderle discovered the holotype on 13 April, 2006, Klaus Renner´s 70 th birthday, in a sample collected on the previous day.

C o m p a r a t i v e n o t e s: Using the key in ASSING (2005a), G. renneri , as well as G. nifica and G. atromontis would key out at couplet 77:

77 3: elytra with fold-like elevation or tubercle near posterior angles, or with bulging lateral margins...........................................................................................................77a

- 3: elytra without fold-like elevation or tubercle, lateral margins not bulging............80

77a Pronotum without or with weakly pronounced sexual dimorphism (up to 1.15 times as long as wide, posterior margin broadly convex) in large males, posterior margin more or less distinctly convex ( Figs 2 , 30 , 37 ). Western Anatolia............................77b

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- Pronotum with more pronounced sexual dimorphism, either distinctly elongated posteriorly (and covering scutellum) or posterior margin pointed in the middle. Southern Anatolia (Antalya, Mersin)..........................................................................78

77b 3: process of tergite VII short, stout, and apically obtuse ( Figs 41-42 ); aedeagus with larger cristal process ( Fig. 43 ). Muğla: Oyuklu Dağ ( Map 3 )........ G. renneri sp.n.

- 3: process of tergite VII long, slender, and apically acute ( Figs 5 , 32 ). median lobe of aedeagus with smaller and more slender cristal process ( Figs 8-9 , 33 ). Distribution different ................................................................................................77c

77c Pronotum without appreciable sexual dimorphism ( Fig. 2 ). 3: carina in posterior angles of elytra narrow and not covered with coarse granula ( Figs 2, 4 ); process of tergite VII more erect ( Fig. 5 ). Izmir: Nif Dağı ( Map 3 ) ......................... G. nifica sp.n.

- 3: pronotum in large 3 weakly oblong ( Fig. 30 ); carina in posterior angles of elytra broader, of more irregular shape, and usually with more or less coarse granula ( Figs 30-31 ); process of tergite VII less erect ( Fig. 32 ). Manisa: Karadağ (Spil Dag) ( Map 3 )........................................................................... G. atromontis 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 renneri is probably endemic to the Oyuklu Dağ, north of Muğla ( Map 3 ), and possibly also adjacent mountain ranges. The holotype was collected by sifting grass roots and pine litter in a limestone cirque at an altitude of slightly more than 1600 m ( Fig. 44 ).

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 36-43: Geostiba renneri sp.n. (holotype): (36) 3 habitus; (37) 3 forebody; (38) antenna; (39) head in lateral view; (40) 3 left elytron in lateral view; (41) 3 abdominal segments VII-VIII in lateral view; (42) process of 3 tergite VII in antero-dorsal view; (43) median lobe of aedeagus in lateral view. Scale bars: 36: 1.0 mm; 37-42: 0.2 mm; 8-9, 43: 0.1 mm.

Fig. 44: Type locality of Geostiba renneri sp.n. (photo by P. Wunderle).

Figs 1-12: Geostiba nifica sp.n. (1-8: holotype): (1) 3 habitus; (2) 3 forebody; (3) head in lateral view; (4) 3 right elytron in lateral view; (5) 3 abdominal tergites VII-VIII in lateral view; (6) process of 3 tergite VII in antero-dorsal view; (7) 3 sternite VIII; (8) median lobe of aedeagus in lateral view; (9) cristal process of median lobe of aedeagus in lateral view (3 without pronounced secondary sexual characters); (10) ♀ sternite VIII; (11-12) spermatheca. Scale bars: 1: 1.0 mm; 2- 4: 0.5 mm; 5-7, 10: 0.2 mm; 8-9, 11-12: 0.1 mm.

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.