Geostiba (Sibiota) nimbicola Lohse & Smetana, 1988

Gusarov, Vladimir I., 2002, A revision of Nearctic species of the genus Geostiba Thomson, 1858 (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae), Zootaxa 81, pp. 1-88 : 31-35

4. Geostiba (Sibiota) nimbicola Lohse & Smetana, 1988 ( Figs. 94­119 )

Geostiba nimbicola Lohse & Smetana, 1988: 275 .

Geostiba bicarinata: Lohse & Smetana, 1988: 273 , ex parte (misidentification). Geostiba nimbicola: Pace, 1997: 106 .

Type material. Holotype ,, UNITED STATES: Tennessee / North Carolina: Sevier Co. / Swain Co.: Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Clingmans Dome [35°33'46"N 83°29'55"W], 1950­2020 m, (A.Smetana) 2.vi.1986 ( CNCI); allotype,, same data as the holotype; paratypes: 3,, ditto (all – CNCI).

Additional material. UNITED STATES: Tennessee / North Carolina: Sevier Co. / Swain Co.: (with missing abdomen), same data as the holotype ( CNCI); 2, 3, ditto but (W.S.Suter) 29.v.1982 ( KSEM); Tennessee: Sevier Co.:, 4, Great Smoky Mts. National Park, Ramsey Cascade, [35°42'30"N 83°18'02"W], moss on rock (Lackey), 21.vii.1956 ( FMNH, SPSU); North Carolina: Haywood Co.: 15 specimens, Mount Sterling Ridge, 26 km NNW Waynesville, 35°41.9'N 83°07.5'W, 1700 m, in forest litter, Picea , Abies , Quercus , Betula (V.I.Gusarov) , 22.ix.2001; 14 specimens, ditto but, 35°42.1'N 83°06.8'W, 1550 m, Picea , Rhododendron , Betula (all – KSEM and SPSU)

One of the paratypes of G. bicarinata listed by Lohse & Smetana (1988: 275) (not found in CNCI) must also belong to G. nimbicola (1 specimen, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Clingmans Dome, 1950­2020 m, (A.Smetana) 2.vi.1986). This assertion is based on the results of my extensive collecting efforts which demonstrated that G. bicarinata is restricted to the Great Balsam Mountains – Pisgah Ridge massif.

Diagnosis. Geostiba nimbicola can be distinguished from other Nearctic species of Geostiba by having small eyes (temple length to eye length ratio 3.0­4.0), pronotal pubescence of type V, reduced wings, short elytra (pronotum length to elytron length ratio 1.3), the presence of two short parallel carinae in the middle of abdominal tergum 7 in front of posterior margin, the shape of the aedeagus ( Figs. 100­112, 114­119 ) and the shape of the spermatheca ( Fig. 113 ).

Geostiba nimbicola is closely related to G. pluvigena , G. nebuligena , and G. crepusculigena . Geostiba nimbicola differs from G. pluvigena in having longer and more narrow apex of median lobe without apical denticle (in lateral view) ( Figs. 100­107 , 126­133 ); from G. nebuligena in having deeper apical emargination in female sternum 8 ( Figs. 97­ 98 , 149­150 ), longer and more narrow apex of median lobe without apical denticle (in lateral view) ( Figs. 100­107 , 152­156 ); from G. crepusculigena in lacking obtuse projection on the ventral side of the apex of median lobe ( Figs. 102­103 , 176­177 ).

Description. Length 1.6­2.0 mm. Light brown or brown, apex of abdomen often lighter, antennae brownish yellow or light brown, legs and mouthparts brownish yellow. Body parallel­sided.

Head as wide as long, surface on disk with fine isodiametric microsculpture, puncturation very fine, distance between punctures equal to 3­4 times their diameter. Temple length to eye length ratio 3.0­4.0. Antennal article 2 longer than article 3, article 4 transverse (width to length ratio 1.6), articles 5­10 strongly transverse, last article as long as 9 and 10 combined (as in Fig. 17 ).

Pronotum as wide as long, width 0.37­0.40 mm, wider than head (pronotal width to head width ratio 1.1); microsculpture and puncturation as on head. Pronotal pubescence of type V. Elytra measured from humeral angle shorter than pronotum (pronotal length to elytral length ratio 1.3), wider than long (1.5), with fine isodiametric microsculpture and fine asperate puncturation, distance between punctures equals 2­3 times their diameter. Elytral suture behind scutellum slightly raised in both sexes. Wings reduced to short vestiges, shorter than elytra.

Abdominal terga with fine microsculpture of transverse meshes, with fine and sparse puncturation, puncturation becoming finer towards abdomen apex, on terga 3­5 distance between punctures equals 3­7 times their diameter. Tergum 7 without white edge. Male tergum 7 with two medial carinae in front of posterior margin. Male tergum 8 with two weak and short carinae in front of posterior margin, posterior margin convex ( Fig. 94 ). Male sternum 8 with convex posterior margin ( Fig. 95 ).

Female tergum 8 with convex posterior margin ( Fig. 96 ), sternum 8 with emarginate posterior margin ( Figs. 97­98 ).

Aedeagus as in Figs. 100­112, 114­119 . Apex of median lobe in ventral view narrow, its outline convex apically ( Figs. 100­101, 104­105 ), in lateral view strait, without apical denticle or obtuse projection ventrally ( Figs. 102­103, 106­107 ), distal diverticula of internal sac in ventral view broad ( Figs. 111­112 ).

Spermatheca as in Fig. 113 .

Distribution. Known from the Great Smoky Mountains massif (Tennessee and North Carolina) ( Figs. 338 , 340 ).

Natural History. Geostiba nimbicola was collected at altitudes above 1500 m in moss or in leaf litter in mixed forest with red spruce ( Picea rubens ), Fraser’s fir ( Abies fraseri ), birch and oak.

Figures

FIGURE 338. Geographical distribution of twelve species of Geostiba in the Southern Appalachians. Isohypses 1200 m and 1500 m are shown. Areas above 1500 m are solid black.

FIGURE 340. Detailed geographical distribution of Geostiba bicarinata Lohse & Smetana (2), G. graveyardensis Pace (3), G. nimbicola Lohse & Smetana (4), G. pluvigena Gusarov, sp. n. (5), G. nebuligena Gusarov, sp. n. (6), G. crepusculigena Gusarov, sp. n. (7), G. balsamensis Pace (8), G. nubigena Lohse & Smetana (9), G. coeligena Gusarov, sp. n. (10) in the Southern Appalachians. Isohypses 1200 m and 1500 m are shown. Areas above 1500 m are solid black.

FIGURES 94 ­ 99. Abdominal segments 7 ­ 8 of Geostiba nimbicola Lohse & Smetana (Mount Sterling Ridge Trail, Tennessee). 94 – male tergum 8; 95 – male sternum 8; 96 – female tergum 8; 97 – female sternum 8, 98 – apex of female sternum 8; 99 – medial portion of male tergum 7, posterior down. Scale bar 0.2 mm (94 ­ 97, 99), 0.1 mm (98).

FIGURES 100 ­ 107. Aedeagus of Geostiba nimbicola Lohse & Smetana (100 ­ 103 – holotype; 104 ­ 107 – Mount Sterling Ridge Trail, Tennessee). 100, 104 – median lobe, ventral view; 101, 105 – apex of median lobe, ventral view; 102, 106 – median lobe, lateral view; 103, 107 – apex of median lobe, lateral view. Scale bar 0.2 mm (100, 102, 104, 106), 0.1 mm (101, 103, 105, 107).

FIGURES 108 ­ 119. Genitalia of Geostiba nimbicola Lohse & Smetana (Mount Sterling Ridge Trail, Tennessee). 108 – details of internal sac retracted into median lobe, ventral view; 109 – copulatory piece of internal sac, dorsal view; 110 – medial lamellae of internal sac, ventral view; 111 – distal diverticula of everted internal sac, ventral view; 112 – everted internal sac, ventral view; 113 – spermatheca; 114 ­ 115 – details of internal sac retracted into median lobe, lateral view; 116 – copulatory piece of internal sac, lateral view; 117 – medial lamella of internal sac, lateral view; 118 – everted internal sac, lateral view; 119 – apex of left paramere, side facing median lobe. Scale bar 0.2 mm (108, 112, 114 ­ 115, 118), 0.1 mm (109 ­ 111, 113, 116 ­ 117, 119).

FIGURES 126 ­ 133. Aedeagus of Geostiba pluvigena Gusarov, sp. n. (paratypes from the junction of Blue Ridge Parkway and Balsam Mountain Road (126 ­ 129, 132 ­ 133) and Waterrock Knob (130 ­ 131), North Carolina). 126, 130, 132 – median lobe, ventral view; 127, 131, 133 – apex of median lobe, ventral view; 128 – median lobe, lateral view; 129 – apex of median lobe, lateral view. Scale bar 0.2 mm (126, 128, 130, 132), 0.1 mm (127, 129, 131, 133).

FIGURES 146 ­ 151. Abdominal segments 7 ­ 8 of Geostiba nebuligena Gusarov, sp. n. (paratypes from the Appalachian National Scenic Trail W of Clingmans Dome, Tennessee / North Carolina). 146 – male tergum 8; 147 – male sternum 8; 148 – female tergum 8; 149 – female sternum 8, 150 – apex of female sternum 8; 151 – medial portion of male tergum 7, posterior down. Scale bar 0.2 mm (146 ­ 149, 151), 0.1 mm (150).

FIGURES 152 ­ 156. Aedeagus of Geostiba nebuligena Gusarov, sp. n. (paratypes from Highways 441 & 71, Tennessee (152, 154 ­ 156) and Appalachian National Scenic Trail W of Clingmans Dome (153), Tennessee / North Carolina). 152 – median lobe, ventral view; 153 ­ 154 – apex of median lobe, ventral view; 155 – median lobe, lateral view; 156 – apex of median lobe, lateral view. Scale bar 0.2 mm (152, 155), 0.1 mm (153 ­ 154, 156).

FIGURES 174 ­ 177. Aedeagus of Geostiba crepusculigena Gusarov, sp. n. (paratype from Snake Ridge Trail, Tennessee). 174 – median lobe, ventral view; 175 – apex of median lobe, ventral view; 176 – median lobe, lateral view; 177 – apex of median lobe, lateral view. Scale bar 0.2 mm (174, 176), 0.1 mm (175, 177).

FIGURES 8 ­ 17. Mouthparts of Geostiba circellaris (Gravenhorst) (8, Moscow Region, Russia), G. infirma (Weise) (9, Ivano­Frankovsk Region, Ukraine), G. carteriensis Pace (10 ­ 15, Tennessee), G. appalachigena Gusarov, sp. n. (16, paratype from West Virginia) and G. pluvigena Gusarov, sp. n. (17, paratype from North Carolina). 8 ­ 10, – prementum; 11 – hypopharynx; 12 – left maxilla, ventral view; 13 – left galea, dorsal view; 14 – left lacinia, dorsal view; 15 – mentum; 16 ­ 17 – right antenna. Scale bar 0.1 mm (8 ­ 15), 0.2 mm (16 ­ 17). L – Length of antennal article.