Ischnosoma myops (EPPELSHEIM, 1880)

Ischnosoma myops (EPPELSHEIM, 1880) View in CoL

( Map 1 View Map 1 )

Material examined: Georgia: Adjara: 3, Skhalta valley , 41°34'N, 42°25'E, 970 m, 22.VI.2017, leg. Brachat & Meybohm (cAss); 1 , 7 km NE Batumi, 41°39'N, 41°46'E, 500–600 m, 24.VI.2017, leg. Brachat & Meybohm (cAss) GoogleMaps .

Shida Kartli: 1 , 3 , Kvishkheti , 41°58'N, 43°30'E, 810 m, 12.V.2016, leg. Brachat & Meybohm (cAss); 1 , 8 km SW Surami, 42°02'N, 43°30'E, 960 m, 14.V.2016, leg. Brachat & Meybohm (cAss), 2, SE Rikoti pass, 42°03'N, 43°30'E, 1010 m, 14.V.2016, leg. Brachat & Meybohm (cAss); 3 , 3 , Kvishkheti, 41°57'N, 43°29'E, 1300 m, 24.VII.2016, leg. Meybohm (cAss) GoogleMaps . Samtskhe-Javakheti: 1 , 3 , Timotesubani , 41°49'N, 43°31'E, 1144 m, 13.V.2016, leg. Brachat & Meybohm (cAss); 1 , Bakuriani, 41°44'N, 43°43'E, 1766 m, 13.V.2016, leg. Brachat & Meybohm (cAss); 1 , N Abastumani, 41°46'N, 42°50'E, 1370 m, 15.V.2016, leg. Brachat & Meybohm (cAss) GoogleMaps .

Racha: 1 , 4 km N Nakerala, 42°24'N, 43°02'E, 1150 m, 18.V.2016, leg. Brachat & Meybohm (cAss); 1 , Nakerala pass, 42°23'N, 43°02'E, 1260 m, 18.V.2016, leg. Brachat & Meybohm (cAss); 3 , 2 , Nakerala pass, 42°22'N, 43°02'E, 1320 m, 22.V.2016, leg. Brachat & Meybohm (cAss). Locality not specified: 2 exs., “Meskisches Gebirge, Leder, Reitter” ( NMP, cSch) GoogleMaps .

Turkey: Rize: 12 , 4 , 4 exs., 32 km SSE Ardeşen, SE Ayder, 40°56'N, 41°09'E, 1730 m, mixed forest ( Alnus , Picea ) with undergrowth ( Rhododendron, Rubus ), sifted, 10.VII.2008, leg. Assing & Schülke (cAss, cSch). Artvin: 1 ex., 20 km W Borçka, Cankurtaran geçidi, 41°24'N, 41°32'E – 41°24'N, 41°31'E, 730–775 m, margin of deciduous forest with dominant Fagus and Castanea , 29.–30. VI.2004, leg. Hájek & Růžička (cRuz). Locality doubtful: 1 , 1 ex., “Helenendorf ” ( NMP, cSch).

Comment: Ischnosoma myops is the most widespread representative of the I. spelaeum group in the Caucasus region, its confirmed range extending from Northeast Anatolia ( Rize, Artvin) to central Georgia, with the easternmost record at 43°42' eastern longitude ( Map 1 View Map 1 ). The previous and above records from Göygöl (“Helenendorf ”) in Azerbaijan (see grey circle in Map 1 View Map 1 ) are far outside the confirmed range and consequently doubtful (see comment above). For other previous records see KOCIAN (1997) and SCHÜLKE (2001, 2003, 2007). SAMIN & al. (2011a, b) reported the species from Ardabil and Fars provinces, Iran. These records, however, are far outside the confirmed distributions of I. myops and of the I. spelaeum group as a whole. There is little doubt that they are based on misidentification and most likely refer to I. splendidum or I. longicorne , if they refer to Ischnosoma at all.

The above male from the environs of Batumi is remarkably small (body length 2.8 mm; length of forebody 1.3 mm). The male primary and secondary sexual characters, however, are identical to those of other males of I. myops examined.