Thaumastocephalus slavkoi Hlaváč, Bregović & Jalžić, 2019

Hlaváč, Peter, Bregović, Petra & Jalžić, Branko, 2019, Endogean and cavernicolous Coleoptera of the Balkans. XVIII. Strong radiation in caves of the Central Dinarides: seven new species of Thaumastocephalus Poggi et al., 2001 (Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae), Zootaxa 4559 (1), pp. 90-110 : 97

Thaumastocephalus slavkoi Hlaváč, Bregović & Jalžić , sp. n.

( Figs 5 , 23 )

Etymology. This species is named after Slavko Antunović from the village Antunovići, the local guide to the cave near the area of Kozica.

Material studied. HOLOTYPE: Ƌ: CROATIA: Biokovo , Kozica , Jujnovići, Jujnovića špilja (cave), 29.IV .2014 , P. Bregović lgt. (CNHM). PARATYPE (1♂): the same data as the holotype but collected on 14.V.2016 by A. Kirin ( CPH) .

Description. Body shiny ( Fig. 23 ), reddish-brown, covered with dense, uneven setae, with long setae on posterior part of elytra; legs, antennae and maxillary palpi of the same colour, length 1.97 mm, maximum width of elytra 0.72 mm. Head 1.23 times as long as wide, 0.79 times narrower than pronotum, rostrum 1.78 times as wide as long. Antennae about 0.88 mm long, scape 2.19 times as long as pedicel, antennomere III slightly longer than IV, antennomeres IV–VII of same length, all 1.5 times as long as VIII, antennomeres VIII–X of same length, terminal antennomere 4.25 times as long as X, relative length of antennomeres: 1.00 / 0.46 / 0.31 / 0.29 / 0.29 / 0.29 / 0.29 / 0.23 / 0.23 / 0.23 / 0.97. Pronotum as long as wide. Elytra 1.37 times as wide as long and 1.30 times as long as pronotum. Abdomen 1.20 times as long as elytra. Legs long, protibiae slightly modified, slightly depressed in apical half, median spine minuscule, mesotibiae simple, metatibiae simple. Aedeagus ( Fig. 5 ) 0.35 mm long, with basal bulb about 2.8 times as long as apical part, right paramere more robust than left, both with three preapical setae, internal sac with one asymmetric structure, dorsal diaphragm present.

Sexual dimorphism. Female unknown.

Differential diagnosis. T. slavkoi is readily separated from all other known species of the genus by: 1) frontal tibiae at most with minuscule tooth, 2) body length under 2 mm, 3) terminal antennomere long, 4.25 times as long as antennomere X, and 4) long rostrum that is only 1.78 times as wide as long.

Distribution and habitat. T. slavkoi is known only from the cave Jujnovića špilja ( Figs 22, 24 ), situated at 410 m a.s.l., near the village Jujnovići, on the slopes of Biokovo Mountain ( Fig. 30 , red circle). The cave consists of two chambers, and is 108 m long and 16 m deep. The air temperature measured in the cave on 14th May 2016 was 8.9 °C and on 15th October 2014 was 13.8 °C; the relative humidity was 96.8 %. The following fauna is also reported from the cave: Isopoda— Alpioniscus sp., Alpioniscus verheoffi (Strouhal, 1938) and Oroniscus dalmaticus Strouhal, 1937 (det. J. Bedek); Diplopoda— Macrochaetosoma troglomontanum Absolon & Lang, 1933 as noted by Antić et al. 2015; Collembola— Coecobrya cf. tenebricosa (Folsom, 1902) and Heteromurus nitidus (Templeton, 1835) as noted by Lukić and Deharveng (2008); Coleoptera— Laneyriella staudacheri (Müller, 1934) , Speonesiotes sp., Neotrechus dalmatinus (L. Miller, 1861) , Laemostenus cavicola (Schaum, 1858) (see Bregović et al. 2015) and Speluncarius biokovensis Hlaváč, Lakota & Čeplík, 2016 .

Figures

FIGURE 30. Distribution map of the species of the genus Thaumastocephalus mentioned in this work.

FIGURES 5–9. 5—Thaumatocephalus slavkoi sp. n., aedeagus, dorsal view (scale: 0.1 mm); 6—Thaumatocephalus troglavi sp. n., aedeagus, dorsal view (scale: 0.2 mm); Thaumatocephalus dahnae sp. n., 7—aedeagus, dorsal view (scale: 0.1 mm); 8— protibiae (scale: 0.1 mm); 9—maxillary palpomere (scale: 0.1 mm).

FIGURES 22–24. 22—entrance to Jujnovića špilja (cave), type locality (photo Petra Bregović); 23—Thaumatocephalus slavkoi sp. n., habitus in situ (photo Petra Bregović); 24—topographical map of the type locality (the finding place of the T. slavkoi sp. n. is marked with red dots).