Potamophylax kosovaensis Ibrahimi & Bilalli, 2024

Ibrahimi, Halil, Bilalli, Astrit, Geci, Donard & Grapci Kotori, Linda, 2024, Potamophylax kosovaensis sp. nov. (Trichoptera, Limnephilidae), a new species of the Potamophylax winneguthi species cluster from the Iber River Basin in Kosovo, Biodiversity Data Journal 12, pp. 121454-121454 : 121454

Potamophylax kosovaensis Ibrahimi & Bilalli sp. nov.

Materials

Type status: Holotype. Occurrence: recordedBy: Halil Ibrahimi; individualCount: 1; sex: male; lifeStage: adult; occurrenceID: 9D8B3DAF-8AE6-5057-BF54-ACABB44E7D46; Taxon : class: Insecta ; order: Trichoptera ; family: Limnephilidae ; genus: Potamophylax ; specificEpithet: kosovaensis; taxonRank: species; nomenclaturalCode: ICZN; Location : continent: Europe ; waterBody: Black Sea Basin ; country: Kosovo; municipality: Mitrovicë; locality: Kacandoll ; verbatimLocality: sidestream of the Kacandoll River , on the main regional Bajgorë road; verbatimElevation: 1262; verbatimCoordinates: 42.9798N, 21.05098E; verbatimCoordinateSystem: decimal degrees; Event : samplingProtocol: entomological net; samplingEffort: 11 observer-hours; eventDate: 11/11/2023; year: 2013; month: 11; day: 11 Type status: Paratype. Occurrence: recordedBy: Halil Ibrahimi; individualCount: 1; sex: male; lifeStage: adult; occurrenceID: FB028093-AD4E-55FC-BCBC-EBCD607EBA43; Taxon : class: Insecta ; order: Trichoptera ; family: Limnephilidae ; genus: Potamophylax ; specificEpithet: kosovaensis; taxonRank: species; nomenclaturalCode: ICZN; Location : continent: Europe ; waterBody: Black Sea Basin ; country: Kosovo; municipality: Mitrovicë; locality: Kacandoll ; verbatimLocality: sidestream of the Kacandoll River , on the main regional Bajgorë road; verbatimElevation: 1262; verbatimCoordinates: 42.9798N, 21.05098E; Event : samplingProtocol: entomological net; samplingEffort: 11 observer-hours; eventDate: 11/11/2023; year: 2013; month: 11; day: 11 Type status: Paratype. Occurrence: recordedBy: Halil Ibrahimi, Astrit Bilalli ; individualCount: 25; sex: male; lifeStage: adult; occurrenceID: 8AD 4E237-0ED8-5308-B316-EEF80F275D0B; Taxon : class: Insecta ; order: Trichoptera ; family: Limnephilidae ; genus: Potamophylax ; specificEpithet: kosovaensis; taxonRank: species; nomenclaturalCode: ICZN; Location : continent: Europe ; waterBody: Black Sea Basin ; country: Kosovo; municipality: Podujevë; locality: Marince ; verbatimLocality: Kroi i Konakut spring; verbatimElevation: 1410; verbatimCoordinates: 43.111556N, 21.003333E; Event : samplingProtocol: UV light trap; samplingEffort: 3 trap nights; eventDate: 14/11/2023; year: 2023; month: 11; day: 14

Description

Male. General appearance (Fig. 2 ). Habitus generally brown, prothorax, sclerites of meso- and metathorax, coxae and femora dark brown to brown; tibiae and tarsi brown. Wings brown with brown setae. Male maxillary palps 3-segmented. Forewing length 14.5-15.8 mm. Spur formula 1-3-4. Antennae brown.

Male genitalia (Figs 3, 4, 5). Tergite VIII generally brown with darker patches, in dorsal view roughly rectangular, with apical portion slightly narrower; several irregularly distributed setae of different sizes concentrated on proximal sclerotised portion of segment VIII; spinate area located on semi-membranous distal portion of segment VIII with a slightly wider proximal portion in dorsal view, elongated, covered by small black spines. Segment IX light brown with few darker patches mostly on the edges, laterally broad, anterior margin convex, with narrow dorsal and ventral portions. Superior appendages light brown; in lateral view, long, subrectangular, base narrower than the apex, bearing rounded tips and covered with medium-sized, thin setae. Intermediate appendages, sickle-shaped with accuminate apex, turned upwards. Inferior appendages, short, symmetric, with bifid apex, directed mesad, each edges pointed, with longer ventral edge. Phallic apparatus consists of small aedeagus and a pair of parameres; aedeagus bulbous in ventral view, mainly wide at tip and basally, bifid rounded apex, apicomesal excision narrow-U-shaped; parameres long and moderately wide, equally wide along the entire length in lateral and ventral views, bearing 10-17 long, thick spines distributed apicodorsally.

Diagnosis

Males of the new species can be easily distinguished from those of other species in the Potamophylax winneguthi species group by their small aedeagus and the presence of thick apical spines on the parameres. The aedeagus, being the smallest in the entire species group, also differs in shape from its closest relatives, P. humoinsapiens and P. idliri , when viewed laterally and ventrally. The thick apical spines on the parameres of the new species are unique within the group, except for P. winneguthi , although, in the latter species, the spines are much thicker and longer, with other notable differences in the shape of the inferior appendages and aedeagus. The spines in the new species are evenly distributed apicodorsally in a regular manner, distinctly separated from each other. In contrast, in P. humoinsapiens , the spines are thin and hair-like, while, in P. idliri , they are thinner than in P. kosovaensis sp. nov. and distributed only apically, with the medium ones being the longest. Additionally, the parameres of the new species maintain a consistent thickness along their entire length, whereas, in P. idliri , they are generally thinner, thickest apically and, in P. humoinsapiens , they are thick along the basal half and thin along the remaining length.

Etymology

The species name is derived from the Latinised adjectival form "kosovaensis," signifying its association with the Republic of Kosovo (in Albanian language “Kosova”), the state where it was found.

Distribution

The species is most probably a microscale endemic of the Kopaonik Mountain.

Ecology

The new species is found exclusively at the spring areas of both streams, indicating a strict eucrenal preference. The substrate of the stream close to the sampling site at the Kroi i Konakut spring was dominated by meso- to macrolithal substrate, surrounded by dense riparian vegetation. The same substrate was observed at the second site in the Kaçandoll stream, but the riparian vegetation was considerably scarce due to illegal logging. The species was captured only by ultraviolet light traps. The species was collected during October and November, implying it has an autumn flying period.

Figures

Figure 2. Male of Potamophylax kosovaensis sp. nov. photographed at the type locality.