Nicrophorus nigricornis Faldermann, 1835 (Figs 6, 30) Material examined. Turkey: Ardahan: 4 females, 2 km E Göle, 2040 m, 40°47.4'N / 042°38.5'E, 8.VII.2004, Jiří Hájek & Jan Růžička leg., wet meadow near river shores and dry ruderal habitats close to a junkyard, baited pitfall traps (fish meat) with ethylene glycol (JRUC); 4 males, 10 km S Posof, Ilgardağı pass, 41°25.9'N / 042°44.5'E, 2540–2600 m, 5.–7.VII.2004, Jiří Hájek & Jan Růžička leg., steppe and pastures on SW slope, baited pitfall traps (fish meat) with ethylene glycol (JRUC); 1 female, 10 km S Posof, Ilgardağı pass, 41°24.9'N / 042°43.2'E, 2460– 2700 m, 5.–7.VII.2004, Jiří Hájek & Jan Růžička leg., steppe and pasture (JRUC); Artvin: 115 males, 93 females, 12 km E Şavşat, Çam pass, 41°12.0'N / 042°30.6'E, 2450–2485 m, 2.–9.VII.2004, Jiří Hájek & Jan Růžička leg., steppe and pasture on N slope, baited pitfall traps (fish meat) with ethylene glycol (JRUC); Erzurum: 20 males, 12 females, 15 km SW Erzurum, Palandöken Mts., Tekederesi village env., 2230 m, 26.VI.–13.VII.2004, 39°47.6'N / 041°09.7'E, Jiří Hájek & Jan Růžička leg., steppe and meadow near spring, baited pitfall traps (fish meat) with ethylene glycol (JRUC); 9 males, 5 females, same locality, 39°46.1'N / 041°10.3'E, 2575–2625 m, 26.VI.– 13.VII.2004, Jiří Hájek & Jan Růžička leg., scree near snow field on W slope, baited pitfall traps (fish meat) with ethylene glycol (JRUC); Gümüşhane: 1 spec., Kelkit, Yeşilyurt village, 39°54'51.63"N / 39°18'07.39"E, 2372 m, 22.VI.2011, D. Çiftçi & A. Hasbenli leg. (MAZMGU); 1 spec., Torul, Gülaçar village, 40°24'.23"N / 39°03'34"E, 2978 m, 8.X.2011, D. Çiftçi & A. Hasbenli leg. (MAZMGU); Rize: 1 female, Kaçkar Mts., Yaylaköy, Elevit, ca. 40°51'N / 041°01'E, 1800–2200 m, 8.VII.2013, Z. Švec leg. (ZSVC). Distribution in Turkey. Kars (Háva et al. 1998). Remarks. Locally distributed species, known from north-eastern Turkey, the Caucasus and Transcaucasia to northern Iran and Kazakhstan (Růžička 2015). Populations from southern Europe were quite recently attributed to the closely related, but separate and valid N. sepulchralis Heer, 1841 (Sikes et al. 2002). From Turkey, recorded previously in provinces closer to Transcaucasia (Fig. 30). Here we provide the first records from Ardahan, Erzurum, Gümüşhane and Rize Provinces.

Published as part of Çiftçi, Derya, Růžička, Jan, Hasbenli, Abdullah & Şahin, Ülfet, 2018, The large carrion beetles (Coleoptera: Silphidae) of Turkey: a review with a new species record, pp. 555-591 in Zootaxa 4441 (3) on pages 570-571, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4441.3.10, http://zenodo.org/record/1301572