Geostiba (Tropogastrosipalia) aydinica, 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) aydinica sp.n. ( Figs 45-53 , Map 3 )

Holotype 3: TR Prov.: Aydin (8), N Aydin, Str. -> Pasayaylasi, 1460 m, 20.IV.2006, N37°56'47", E27°53'53", leg. Meybohm & Brachat / Holotypus 3 Geostiba aydinica sp.n. det. V. Assing 2006 (cAss). Paratypes: 13, 3♀♀: same data as holotype (cAss) ; 13, 4♀♀: N37°56'47, E027°53'53 (8), Türkei, Aydin, Pasayaylasi , 1460 m, 20.4.2006, l. Brachat & Meybohm (cAss) ; 13, 4♀♀: N37°55'45, E027°53'46 (9), Türkei, Aydin, Pasayaylasi , 1115 m, 20.4.2006, l. Brachat & Meybohm ( OÖLL, cAss) ; 1♀: TR Prov.: Aydin (9), N Aydin, Str. -> Pasayaylasi , 1115 m, 20.IV.2006, N37°55'46", E27°53'46", leg. Meybohm & Brachat (cAss) ; 13, 2♀♀: TR [5], Aydın, 15 km NNE Aydın, Imambaba T., 1410 m, 37°56'38N, 27°53'40E, 5.IV.2006, V. Assing (cAss) ; 2♀♀: same data, but leg. Wunderle (cWun) ; 1♀: TR [7], Aydın, 15 km NNE Aydın, Imambaba T., 1480 m, 37°56'29N, 27°53'55E, 5.IV.2006, V. Assing (cAss) ; 233: TR [6] - Aydın, 15 km NNE Aydın, Imambaba T., 1420 m, under stones, 37°56'43N, 27°53'45E, 5.IV.2006, P. Wunderle (cWun) .

D e s c r i p t i o n: Species of moderately large size, 2.5-3.2 mm (abdomen fully extended). Coloration: head dark brown to blackish; pronotum brown to dark brown; elytra yellowish brown to reddish brown; abdomen blackish, often with the apex and segments III-IV partly paler; legs testaceous; antennae reddish brown to dark brown.

Facies as in Fig. 45 . Head and pronotum with shallow microreticulation ( Fig. 46 ). Eyes relatively small ( Fig. 47 ), weakly protruding from lateral outline of head, less than half – usually slightly more than one third – the length of postocular region in dorsal view.

Pronotum with pronounced sexual dimorphism. Elytra, too, with pronounced sexual dimorphism, less than 0.6 times as long as pronotum.

Abdomen moderately glossy; puncturation fine, moderately dense on tergites III-V, sparse on posterior tergites; microsculpture moderately distinct; posterior margin of tergite VII without or with very narrow rudiment of a palisade fringe.

3 (large): pronotum large and oblong, 1.15-1.20 times as wide as head and up to 1.26 times as long as wide, distinctly elongated posteriorly and covering scutellum, lateral margins not sinuate, posterior margin truncate to weakly concave ( Fig. 46 ); elytra with pronounced (i. e. distinctly elevated) sutural carina extending almost over full length of suture ( Fig. 48 ); elytral surface with distinct and relatively extensive impression, punctu-

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ration coarsely granulose ( Fig. 46 ); anterior abdominal tergites unmodified; process of tergite VII short and stout ( Figs 49-50 ); posterior margin of tergite VIII often somewhat pointed in the middle; sternite VIII broadly convex posteriorly; median lobe of aedeagus as in Fig. 51 ; apical lobe of paramere shaped as in other species of the subgenus.

♀: pronotum approximately 1.15 times as wide as head and approximately as wide as long or weakly oblong; elytra unmodified, without carina, without impressions, and with fine puncturation; posterior margins of tergite and sternite VIII weakly convex; spermatheca as in Fig. 52.

E t y m o l o g y: The name (Lat., adj.) is derived from the name of the mountain range (Aydın Dağları) where the species is probably endemic.

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 variability. They are fully developed in two of the seven male type specimens. While the elytral suture is at least weakly modified (slightly elevated) in all of them, the process of tergite VII is completely absent in two males. Also, the elytral impressions may be absent, the elytral puncturation may not be distinctly granulose, and the pronotum may be only weakly modified in smaller males.

C o m p a r a t i v e n o t e s: Using the key in ASSING (2005a), G. aydinica would

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key out at couplets (69-71). For a supplementary key see comparative notes in section on G. biformis 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 aydinica is currently known only from the Imambaba Tepesi (synonym: Paşayaylası), NNE Aydın, in the Aydın Dağları ( Map 3 ). The type specimens were collected under stones, by sifting grass roots and litter at the margin of pine forests ( Fig. 53 ), and by sifting litter below bushes on grassy slopes at altitudes of 1115-1460 m ; one specimen was found in a nest of Camponotus sp. ( Formicidae ).

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 45-52: Geostiba aydinica sp.n.: (45) 3 habitus; (46) 3 forebody; (47) head in lateral view; (48) 3 elytra in lateral view; (49) 3 abdominal segments VII-VIII in lateral view; (50) process of 3 tergite VII in antero-dorsal view; (51) median lobe of aedeagus in lateral view; (52) spermatheca. Scale bars: 45: 1.0 mm; 46-50: 0.2 mm; 51-52: 0.1 mm.

Fig. 53: Locality where several paratypes of Geostiba aydinica sp.n. were found (photo by P. Wunderle).