Atheta (Oreostiba) semialba, Assing & Vogel, 2017

Assing, Volker & Vogel, Jürgen, 2017, On some Athetini from Armenia and adjacent regions (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 49 (1), pp. 341-368 : 359-360

Atheta (Oreostiba) semialba nov.sp. ( Figs 71-84 )

T y p e m a t e r i a l: Holotype 3: " ARMENIA [21] - N Sisian, near Mt. Tsugh, 39°41'10''N, 46°03'13''E, 3300 m, near snow, 4. VII.2016, V. Assing / Holotypus 3 Atheta semialba sp. n. det. V. Assing 2017" (cAss) . Paratypes: 233, 1♀: same data as holotype (cAss, cVog) ; 233, 2♀♀: same data, but leg. Schülke ( MNB, cVog) ; 1♀: " ARMENIA [5] - N Yerevan, NW Hrazdan, 40°40'07''N, 44°28'22''E, 2100 m, W-slope, sifted 26.VI.2016, V. Assing " (cAss); 233, 4♀♀: " ARMENIA [8] - N Yerevan, NW Hrazdan, 40°33'45''N, 44°23'41''E, 2000 m, forest margin, 28.VI.2016, V. Assing " (cAss, cVog); 1♀: " ARMENIA [20a] - 35 km NW Sisian, 39°41'01''N, 45°46'46''E, 2080 m, bushes nr. stream sifted, 3.VII.2016, V. Assing " (cAss); 13: " ARMENIA [28a] - WSW Kapan , S Meghri Pass, 39°06'10''N, 46°10'47''E, 2310 m, Formica nest, 6.VII.2016, V. Assing " (cAss); 13, 2♀♀: " ARMENIA [39] - 25 km SW Kapan, 39°04'01''N, 46°16'10''E, 2150 m, near stream, sifted, 10.VII.2016, V. Assing " (cAss). 333, 2♀♀: " ARMENIA, Vorotan pass, sifting - grass and plant leavings, 2250 m, 23.V.2015, 39.681390N, 45.720964E, M. Kocian lgt." (cKoc, cAss); 13, 2♀♀: " ARMENIA, near Vorotan pass, sifting - grass and plant leavings, 2160 m, 27.V.2015, 39.686492N, 45.693326E, M. Kocian lgt." (cAss). For an additional paratype see the type material of A. altiviva .

E t y m o l o g y: The specific epithet (Latin, adjective: half-pale) alludes to the extensively transparent proximal portion of the spermatheca.

D e s c r i p t i o n: External characters as in A. altiviva , except that the head is on average slightly smaller in relation to the pronotum.

3: posterior margin of tergite VIII broadly projecting in the middle (slightly more so than in A. altiviva ), median portion more or less truncate ( Fig. 71 ); sternite VIII ( Fig. 72 ) with strongly convex posterior margin, relatively shorter than in A. altiviva ; median lobe of aedeagus ( Figs 73-76 ) much smaller and more slender than in A. altiviva , 0.30-0.33 mm long, with slender ventral process (ventral view), and with weakly sclerotized internal structures; parameres approximately 0.35-0.36 mm long.

♀: tergite VIII ( Figs 77-78 ) transverse, but somewhat less so than in A. altiviva , posterior margin convex (more so than in A. altiviva ); posterior margin of sternite VIII ( Fig. 79 ) convex, in the middle concave (this concavity more distinct than in A. altiviva ); spermatheca of somewhat variable shape ( Figs 80-84 ), proximal half transparent and somewhat twisted.

C o m p a r a t i v e n o t e s: For characters distinguishing A. semialba from A. altiviva and other similar Armenian consubgeners see the description above and the comparative notes in the following sections, respectively.

D i s t r i b u t i o n a n d n a t u r a l h i s t o r y: Thespecimenswerecollected in several localities (grassland, bushland, forest margins, near streams) across North and South Armenia by sifting litter, debris, and roots at altitudes of 2000-3500 m, partly together with A. altiviva , A. brevitheca , and/or A. abscisa .

Figures

Figs 71-84: Atheta semialba: (71) male tergite VIII; (72) male sternite VIII; (73-76) median lobe of aedeagus in lateral and in ventral view; (77-78) female tergite VIII; (79) female sternite VIII; (80- 84) spermatheca. Scale bars: 71-72, 77-79: 0.2 mm; 73-76, 80-84: 0.1 mm.