Bozidaria Ćurčić & Pavićević, 2021

Ćurčić, Srećko, Pavićević, Dragan, Vesović, Nikola, Vrbica, Maja, Kuraica, Miloš, Marković, Đorđe, Petković, Matija, Lazović, Vladimir, Pantelić, Dejan & Bosco, Fabrizio, 2021, On the diversity of subterranean beetles of the Dinarides: new leiodid taxa (Coleoptera: Leiodidae) from Serbia, European Journal of Taxonomy 782 (1), pp. 55-81 : 59-60

Genus Bozidaria Ćurčić & Pavićević gen. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:8CF69930-741E-4484-9F09-5E8C1FBC86AA

Type species

Bozidaria serbooccidentalis Ćurčić & Pavićević gen. et sp. nov., by monotypy.

Diagnosis

Bozidaria gen. nov. is most closely related to the following Dinaric genera of the group Théléomorphes belonging to the phyletic series of “ Leonhardella ” ( Jeannel 1924): Proleonhardella , Blattochaeta Reitter, 1910 , Augustia Zariquiey, 1927 and Pholeuodromus Breit, 1913 . These genera share a similar body form, the presence of tetramerous tarsi in males, the absence of a comb on anterior tibiae, the first antennomere clearly shorter than the second antennomere, apically widened distal antennomeres, the absence of sutural striae, and the presence of a similar type of aedeagus.

The new genus differs from its closest relatives in the body shape (elliptical, elongate vs bathyscioid, oval/ovoid, mostly wide in Proleonhardella ), TL (R 2.51–2.80 mm vs R 4.0– 5.5 mm in Blattochaeta and R 3.8–4.6 mm in Pholeuodromus ), body pubescence (short, recumbent vs long, erect in Blattochaeta ), shape of antennae (elongate, thin, including distal antennomeres vs short, distal antennomeres wide, barely longer than wide in Proleonhardella ), length of antennae (exceeding the middle of the body vs reaching, but not exceeding the middle of the body in Augustia and not reaching the middle of the body in Pholeuodromus ), presence/absence of mesosternal carina (present vs absent in Augustia ), shape of mesosternal carina (with no concavity on its anterior border, not atrophied vs with a concavity on its anterior border in Blattochaeta and atrophied posteriorly in Pholeuodromus ), shape of lateral pronotal margins (arcuate vs weakly convex in Augustia ), position of maximum pronotal length (sub-basally vs at base in Pholeuodromus ), ratio of pronotum width to elytral width (pronotum slightly narrower than elytra vs pronotum as wide as elytra in Blattochaeta and Pholeuodromus and pronotum clearly narrower than elytra in Augustia ), shape of elytra (more rounded, gradually narrowed distally vs less rounded, more pronouncedly attenuated distally in Augustia ), shape of aedeagus (long, elongate vs short, wide in Blattochaeta and Augustia and mostly wide in Proleonhardella ), shape of basal bulb (elongate, narrow vs short, rounded in Proleonhardella , Blattochaeta and Augustia ) and its basal projection (long vs short in Proleonhardella and Augustia ), and shape of parameral apex (narrow vs widened in Blattochaeta ) ( Jeannel 1910, 1924, 1930, 1931, 1934; Reitter 1910; Breit 1913; Zariquiey 1927; Knirsch 1928; Guéorguiev 1976).

Etymology

This genus is named after the late Academician Božidar Ćurčić, a well-known Serbian biospeleologist and zoologist.

Description

HABITUS. A small-sized elliptical leptodirine with short and wide head, transverse pronotum and elongate obovoid elytra. Blind, reddish-brown, body shiny, densely pubescent, dorsoventrally convex, finely punctate. Pubescence composed of short yellow hairs, on pronotum and elytra recumbent, while on head erect. Legs and antennae long and slender, densely pubescent. Microsculpture composed of isodiametric meshes.

HEAD. Anophthalmous, of almost equal length and width. Antennae inserted medially on head, elongate, thin, apically widened and flattened, exceeding middle of body, reaching basal third of elytral length. Antennomere I shorter than antennomere II. Antennomere III shorter than antennomere II and longer than antennomere IV. Antennomeres IV–VI of similar length. Antennomere VII elongate, apically widened. Antennomere VIII short, elongate, oval. Ultimate antennomere slender, ovoid, about as long as antennomeres IX and X combined. Occipital carina present.

THORAX. Pronotum almost twice as wide as long, with arcuate and well-rounded lateral margins, slightly narrower than elytra, widest slightly prior to pronotal base. Mesosternal carina well-developed, with no furrow, high, obtuse-angled, with an apical tooth.

ELYTRA. Elongate, much longer than pronotum, rounded medially, regularly arcuate distally, not attenuated. Scutellar striae absent. A part of pygidium not covered by elytra.

LEGS. Extended and slender. Fore tarsi tetramerous. Male protarsi dilated. Tibiae with spines on external edges. No comb on external edges or apical parts of protibiae. Meso- and metatibiae with no apical baskets.

ABDOMEN. Median lobe of aedeagus slender, rounded sub-terminally, with an elongate triangular apex. Basal bulb elongate, narrow, with a long sub-triangular basal projection. Each paramere longer than median lobe, thin, sub-terminally widened, with three apical setae.

GONOSTYLI. Elongate, slender, almost straight.

Distribution

The new genus is currently known to inhabit deep soil on Mt Bobija and the Simina Jama Pit on Mt Povlen in the surroundings of the town of Ljubovija, western Serbia. It is probable that it might be present both in the soil and caves of the adjacent areas.