On the Western Palaearctic and Middle Asian species of Ochthephilum STEPHENS, with notes on Cryptobium koltzei EPPELSHEIM (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Paederinae: Cryptobiina) Author Assing, V. text Linzer biologische Beiträge 2009 2009-08-30 41 1 397 426 journal article 10.5281/zenodo.5276149 0253-116X 5276149 Ochthephilum besucheti ( BORDONI 1980) (Fig. 23, Map 2 ) Cryptobium egregium : HOZMAN (1985) ; partim. T y p e m a t e r i a l e x a m i n e d Holotype 3: " Turquie Samsun , Samsun-Bafra , 19.V.67, Cl. Besuchet / Holotypus Cryptobium besucheti n. sp. , Det. A. Bordoni 1977 / Ochthephilum besucheti (Bordoni) det. V. Assing 2008" (MHNG). A d d i t i o n a l m a t e r i a l e x a m i n e d Turkey : O r d u 13, 15 km S Ordu , S Kabaduz, 40°49'N , 37°54'E , 990 m , grassy road margin, 30.VII.2006 , leg Assing (cAss). E r z u r u m:13, ca. 35 km NW Tortum, Mescit Dağları, ca. 40°30'N , 41°25'E , 1700-2000 m , 17.VI.1998 , leg. Solodovnikov (cAss). E r z i n c a n: 233, Tercan, Euphrat, 1400 m , 6.VI.1986 , leg. Besuchet, Löbl & Burckhardt (MHNG, cAss). Georgia : 13, Tbilisi env., Mzcheta [ 41°51'N , 44°43'E ], 26.VI.1988 , leg. Wrase & Schülke (cSch). Iran : 13 [" Cryptobium egregium Reitter, Hozman det. 1983"], Mazanderan , Baladeh, 36°13'N , 51°49'E , 2200 m , 12.VII.1974 , leg. Senglet (MHNG). C o m m e n t: The original description of O. besucheti is based on a male holotype from " Samsun , Bafra" and two female paratypes from Erzurum and Istanbul ( BORDONI 1980 ). The holotype was examined and its aedeagus figured by HOZMAN (1985) . Since the species can be reliably distinguished from similar congeners only based on the male primary sexual characters, the identity of the two paratypes , particularly that from Istanbul , is doubtful. For illustrations of the internal structures of the aedeagus see Fig. 23. Almost all the examined specimens have a uniformly blackish forebody. D i s t r i b u t i o n: The species is currently known from several localities in northeastern Turkey , one locality in Georgia , and one locality in northern Iran , suggesting that it is a Caspian element ( Map 2 ). The specimens from Georgia and Iran represent the first records from these countries.