Duvalius (Neoduvalius) bozidari Ćurčić & Pavićević, 2016

Ćurĉić, Srećko, Pavićević, Dragan, Vesović, Nikola & Petković, Matija, 2016, Duvalius bozidari, a new cave-dwelling species of trechine ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Trechinae) from western Serbia, Ecologica Montenegrina 7, pp. 573-579 : 575-577

Duvalius (Neoduvalius) bozidari Ćurčić & Pavićević , sp. n. ( Fig. 1 )

Material examined. Holotype male labeled as follows: “western Serbia, village of Jovanje , Jovanjska Pećina Cave, near the city of Valjevo, 30.XI.2014, leg. M. Petković & F. Bosco ” (white label, printed) / Holotypus Duvalius (Neoduvalius) bozidari sp. n. S. Ćurĉić & D. Pavićević det. 2016” (red label, printed) ( IZFB) . Paratypes: two females labeled as follows: “western Serbia, village of Lelić , Filipov Ponor Pit, near the city of Valjevo, 13.IX.2015, leg. M. Petković ” (white label, printed) / Paratypus Duvalius (Neoduvalius) bozidari sp. n. S. Ćurĉić & D. Pavićević det. 2016” (red label, printed) ( IZFB, CDP) .

Description. TL R 3.84–4.395 mm (M 4.17 mm), male: 4.395 mm, females: R 3.84–4.28 mm (M 4.06 mm). Body and appendages red-yellowish, mouthparts except mandibles yellowish, setae yellowish, labrum with a median basal black dot in holotype and a paratype, while in another paratype the dot is missing. Body smooth, except genae. Body in dorsal view brilliant. Vertex with a discernible isodiametric microscupture. The rest of head in dorsal view smooth and glossy. Pronotum basally with a minute transverse microscuplture, while the remaining part being glossy. Elytral disc with a minute transverse microsculpture.

Head of medium size, HW/HL R 1.19 – 1.22 , M 1.21, widest somewhat in front of the ¾ length level, narrower than pronotum ( PW / HW R 1.16 – 1.18 , M 1.17) ( Fig. 1a ). Eyes completely missing, each replaced by a darkened arcuate slit. Frontal furrows regularly arcuate or sub-arcuate, anteriorly deepened, ending at the level between 1 st and 2 nd supra-orbital setae. Cheeks rounded, with barely visible very short hairs. Labrum with a median short tooth-like projection. Median bulge of mentum long, bifid. Antennae slender, somewhat longer than elytra (male: AL/ EL 1.01 ; females: R 1.02 – 1.10 , M 1.06). Relative length ratios of antennomeres in holotype male = 1.08: 1.00: 1.24: 1.04: 1.04: 1.04: 1.00: 0.96: 1.00: 0.94: 1.20. Antennomeres 8–10 elongately oval, the length/width ratios R 1.96 – 2.19 , M 2.10.

Pronotum cordiform, rounded, transverse (PW/PL R 1.12–1.21, M 1.16), widest somewhat below the ¼ length level, somewhat constricted towards base (PW/PB R 1.53–1.625, M 1.57), lateral margins anteriorly rounded, posteriorly narrowing, sinuate ( Fig. 1a ). Hind angles sharp to almost rectangular, acute, laterally dragged, fore angles rounded, protruding forward. Base almost straight. Basal fossettes small and deep. Midline basally deepened and broadened, reaching pronotal base. Lateral furrows anteriorly wider, posteriorly narrow. Two pairs of marginal pronotal setae present.

Elytra rounded, oval (EL/EW R 1.60–1.82, M 1.69), widest at the middle, in average less than three times as long as pronotum (male: EL/PL 3.085; females: R 2.80–2.915, M 2.86), considerably wider than pronotum (EW/PW R 1.45–1.60, M 1.55) ( Fig. 1a ). Shoulders protruding forward, obtuse-angled, rounded. Lateral furrows moderately wide anteriorly, gradually narrowing posteriorly. Striae poorly punctate, the three inner ones deepened, from the fourth being weakly noticeable. Striae 5–7 posteriorly not completely disappeared, barely visible. Fifth striae at the beginning conspicuously impressed. Eighth striae being the weakest. Inner interstriae convex, the remaining flattened. Elytral apex rounded.

Elytral chaetotaxy: 1 st discal setae on fourth interstriae, at the level between 3 rd and 4 th post-humeral setae (in holotype male and a paratype female) or somewhat below the level of 4 th post-humeral setae (in another paratype female). Second discal setae on 3 rd striae, below the mid-elytra level and slightly above the level of fore median setae of the umbilicate series. Distance 2 nd discal seta-base of elytra/2 nd discal seta-apex of elytra R 1.12–1.53, M 1.315. Pre-apical discal setae situated on the joining point of 2 nd and 3 rd striae, much closer to elytral suture than to elytral apex. Post-humeral setae 1 and 2 mutually somewhat more distanced than the distances 2–3 and 3–4 (the latter two distances being the same). Third and fourth post-humeral setae on eighth striae, out of elytral marginal furrow. The distance between fore and median groups of the umbilicate series around twice as long as the length of fore series.

Legs of medium length ( Fig. 1a ). Hind tarsi relatively long and narrow (male: EL/HTL 2.76; females: R 2.61, M 2.61). First metatarsomere much longer than 2–3 combined, slightly shorter than 2–4 combined. A weakly expressed fissure on each protibia at the outer side. First protasomere length/width in holotype male 1.33.

Aedeagus ( Figs. 1b and 1c ) 1.13 mm long in holotype, elongate, relatively large ( EL / AEL 2.40 ). Medial lobe in lateral view basally curved, anteriorly straight, medially convex, with a narrow apex moderately dragged upwards ( Fig. 1b ). Basal bulb in lateral view relatively small, elongately rounded ( Fig. 1b ). Medial lobe in dorsal view wide, sub-parallel, gradually narrowing towards a rounded top, while basal bulb rounded ( Fig. 1c ). Aedeagus dorsally weakly sclerotized ( Fig. 1c ), while ventrally well chitinized ( Fig. 1b ). Copulatory piece situated in an inner sac, gutter-formed, weakly chitinized, barely visible, thus the details could not be observed ( Fig. 1c ). Parameres slender, somewhat widened basally, each carrying four short and narrow setae ( Figs. 1b and 1c ) .

Male abdominal sternite IX (urite) large, sub-triangular ( Fig. 1d ).

Both gonocoxites and gonosubcoxites IX as presented in Fig. 1e . Gonocoxites IX short and wide, curved, gradually narrowing distally, each with a pointed apex, basally joined with rounded gonosubcoxites IX of moderate length ( Fig. 1e ).

Differential diagnosis. The new species is compared here with the morphologically closest species, Duvalius (Neoduvalius) guidononveilleri Janák & Moravec, 2008 ( Janák & Moravec 2008).

Duvalius (Neoduvalius) bozidari sp. n. differs from D. (N.) guidononveilleri in the TL (males: 4.395 mm vs. M 4.85 mm; females: M 4.06 mm vs. M 4.61 mm), the degree of hairiness on cheeks (with a few weakly discernible very short hairs vs. with more numerous longer hairs), the AL/EL (males: 1.01 vs. M 0.99; females: M 1.06 vs. M 1.01), the relative antennomere length ratios in holotype male (1.08: 1.00: 1.24: 1.04: 1.04: 1.04: 1.00: 0.96: 1.00: 0.94: 1.20 vs. 1.14: 1.00: 1.35: 1.01: 1.05: 1.05: 0.99: 0.92: 0.95: 0.90: 1.18), the length/width ratios of antennomeres 8–10 (M 2.10 vs. M 2.04), the PW/PL (M 1.16 vs. M 1.19), the PW/PB (M 1.57 vs. 1.54), the shape of fore (more rounded vs. more pointed) and hind pronotal angles (sharp, almost rectangular vs. sharp), the width of pronotal marginal furrows (anteriorly wider vs. narrow over the whole length), the EL/PL (M <3 vs. M cca.> 3.1), the shape of shoulders (more rounded vs. more obtuse), the position of 2 nd elytral discal setae (each on 3 rd stria, slightly above the level of fore median seta of the umbilicate series vs. each mostly in 4 th interstriae, at the level of fore median seta of the umbilicate series), the distance 2 nd discal seta-base of elytra/2 nd discal seta-apex of elytra (M 1.315 vs. M 1.41), the position of post-humeral setae (equidistant vs. distance 1–2 somewhat longer than 2–3 and 3–4, the latter distances being the same), the EL/HTL in females (M 2.61 vs. M 2.75), the presence of a fissure on fore tibias (present vs. absent), the protarsomere I length/width ratio in males (1.33 vs. M 1.25), the EL/AEL (2.40 vs. M 2.47), the shape of median lobe in lateral (medially straight, dorsally convex, with a moderately dragged apex upwards vs. medially slightly curved, dorsally more obtuse, with an apex dragged upwards to a lesser or greater degree) and dorsal views (less wide, sub-parallel, gradually narrowing apically, with a rounded apex vs. more wide, medially slightly thickened, abruptly narrowing sub-apically, with a pointed/obtuse apex), the shape of basal bulb in lateral view (rounded, less elongate vs. more angulose, more elongate) and the shape of copulatory piece (no processes noticed, less chitinized vs. with three apical processes, more chitinized) ( Janák & Moravec 2008; this study). The new species is distributed in underground objects in the vicinity of the city of Valjevo, while D. (N.) guidononveilleri is endogean and inhabits Mt. Maljen (Sedlo, Divĉibare, 700–900 m a.s.l.) ( Fig. 2 ) ( Janák & Moravec 2008).

Etymology. The new trechine species is named after the late Acad. Prof. Dr. Božidar Ćurĉić, father of the first author, a famous Balkan arachnologist, biospeleologist, developmental biologist and taxonomist.

Distribution. So far, D. (N.) bozidari sp. n. is known only from the type localities (Jovanjska Pećina Cave and Filipov Ponor Pit) in the vicinity of the city of Valjevo, western Serbia.

Habitat. The species inhabits cave habitats in the surroundings of Valjevo in western Serbia. Type series of the new species was collected by hand in posterior, totally dark parts of two investigated underground objects. The specimens have been found under stones and on floor in moist places of the caves .

Figures

Figure 1. Duvalius (Neoduvalius) bozidari sp. n. from the Jovanjska Pećina Cave, village of Jovanje, near Valjevo, western Serbia: a - holotype male, habitus (dorsal view); b - holotype male, aedeagus (lateral view); c - holotype male, aedeagus (dorsal view); d - holotype male, abdominal sternite IX (urite); e - paratype female, genitalia. Scales = 2.00 mm (a) and 0.20 mm (b–e).

Figure 2. The distribution of Duvalius (Neoduvalius) bozidari sp. n. (black circles) and D. (N.) guidononveilleri Janák & Moravec, 2008 (black star) in Serbia.