Geostiba (Sibiota) unicuneata, Assing, 2016

Assing, Volker, 2018, A revision of Geostiba of the West Palaearctic region. XXVI. New species and additional records, primarily from the Caucasus region (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 50 (2), pp. 1033-1054 : 1041-1042

Geostiba (Sibiota) unicuneata ASSING, 2016 ( Map 2 )

M a t e r i a l e x a m i n e d: Nagorno-Karabakh: 13♂♂, 3♀♀, ca. 50 km WNW Stepanakert, S Dadivank, 39°59'N, 46°15'E, 1610 m, mixed deciduous forest margin, litter and roots sifted, 5.VII.2018, leg. Assing & Schülke (cAss, MNB). Armenia: 4♂♂, 5♀♀, ca. 30 km W Kapan, 39°15'N, 46°04'E, 2040 m, N-slope, margin of mixed deciduous forest, litter and grass roots sifted, 11.VII.2018, leg. Assing (cAss).

C o m m e n t: Geostiba unicuneata was originally described based on material from the environs of Jermuk and subsequently recorded also from two localities to the north and northwest of Goris in Armenia ( ASSING 2016b, 2017a). The above records reveal that this species is remarkably widespread in the Qarabag range ( Armenia, Nagorno- Karabakh) and present also in the Barkushati range in South Armenia; they considerably expand the known distribution towards the north and south ( Map 2 ).

The material from different localities is distinguished by slight differences in the shape of the spermatheca and the aedeagus, but otherwise no convincing evidence was found suggesting that these populations should represent distinct species.

Figures

Map 2: Distributions of Geostiba unicuneata (black circles), G. deliqua (white circle), and G. meghruica (black diamonds).