Bathyscidius basarai D. Čeplík, Lakota & J. Čeplík, 2021

Čeplík, Dávid, Lakota, Ján & Čeplík, Jaroslav, 2021, Bathyscidius basarai, a new species of the tribe Leptodirini Lacordaire, 1854 (Insecta, Coleoptera, Leiodidae, Cholevinae) from Albania, Zootaxa 4920 (4), pp. 588-594 : 589-592

Bathyscidius basarai D. Čeplík, Lakota & J. Čeplík , sp. nov.

( Figs 1–9 )

Material studied. Holotype: ♁: ALBANIA, with two labels: „ Albania , Perlat , Bruç village , Shpella e Blazit cave, 17.05.2016, D. Čeplík, J. Lakota, G. Dunay & J. Čeplík lgt.“ (white printed); „ HOLOTYPE Bathyscidius basarai sp. nov., D. Čeplík, Lakota & J. Čeplík det., 2020“ (red printed), ( CNHM) . Paratypes (68 total; 10 ♁♁, 5 ♀♀, 53 specimens sex not determined) same data as the holotype ( CDC, CJL, CGD, CPH, CJC). All paratypes are labelled with red printed labels „PARATYPE Bathyscidius basarai sp. nov., D. Čeplík, Lakota & J. Čeplík det., 2020“ .

Diagnosis. A member of the subterranean tribe Leptodirini , subtribe Bathysciotina , group Théléomorphes, division III sensu Jeannel 1924, defined by: protarsi four segmented in both sexes, protibiae with an incomplete comb (pecten) along the lateral external margin, lacking external apical spur, inner sac of median lobe lacking sclerotized structures or dorsal flagellum.

Description. Body small, bathyscioid ( Fig. 1 ), elliptically elengate, convex, weakly pigmented, with fine pubescence, colour from yellowish-brown to reddish-brown. Body length 1.58–1.64 mm in males, average 1.61 mm, 1.79–1.85 mm in females, average 1.82 mm. L: 1.28–1.50 mm. Head wider than long (HL: 0.36 mm, HW: 0.42 mm), eyes completely absent, with small posterior neck region and genae more or less glabrous. Transverse occipital crest present but weakly-defined. Clypeus subhexagonal, frontoclypeus densely setose, labrum sparsely setose. Mandibles short, robust, with proximal and subapical incisors and 1-2 small teeth between. Maxillary palpomere 4 conical, apically pointed, slender and slightly shorter than thick palpomere 3. Antennae short (AL: 0.57–0.64 mm), finelly pubescent ( Figs 3 a–3b) inserted in the middle of the median third of the head. Pedicel approximately 1.34 times longer than scape. Flagellomere 1 clearly longer than flagellomeres 2, 3, 4, which are all more or less of equall length. Flagellomere 5 larger than 4, with a developed Hamman organ. Flagellomeres 6, 7, 8 transverse, significantly wider than long. Flagellomere 9 longest, approximately twice as long as wide, flattened dorso-ventrally. Relative length of antennomeres: (1) 0.07–0.08, (2) 0.10, (3) 0.05–0.06, (4) 0.03, (5) 0.04, (6) 0.03, (7) 0.05–0.06, (8) 0.02–0.03, (9) 0.03–0.04, (10) 0.04–0.05 and (11) 0.10–0.11. Relative width of antennomeres: (1) 0.03–0.04, (2) 0.03, (3) 0.02–0.03, (4) 0.02, (5) 0.03, (6) 0.03, (7) 0.03–0.04,(8) 0.03, (9) 0.04–0.05, (10) 0.04–0.05 and (11) 0.05–0.06. Antennomeres length/width ratio: (1) 2.00–2.33, (2) 3.33, (3) 2.00–2.50, (4) 1.50, (5) 1.33, (6) 1.00, (7) 1.50–1.66, (8) 0.66–0.75, (9) 0.75–0.80, (10) 1.00 and (11) 1.83–2.00.

Pronotum strongly convex, wider than long (PL/PW: 0.585), lateral edges evenly rounded, at posterior margin widest and as wide as elytra. PL: 0.44–0.50 mm. PW: 0.74–0.86 mm. Dorsal surface strongly pubescent with short and recumbent pubescence. Prosternal ventral surface almost glabrous.

Elytra oval elongate, with maximum width in anterior part, longitudinal parasutural striae absent. EL: 0.83– 1.00 mm. EW: 0.77–0.89 mm. EL/EW: 1.07–1.12. Punctation consists of small, narrowly spaced punctae. Pubescence is aligned in transverse striae. Scutellum wide triangular and pubescent. Metendosternite V-shaped.

Venter. Mesoventral surface almost glabrous, metaventral pubescent. Mesocoxal cavities separated with median longitudinal carina. Metacoxae separated by bifid posterior metaventral process. Median longitudinal carina well-developed, elevated, moderately thick, not lamellar, flattened on ventral edge, with recumbent, backwardly oriented setae. From lateral aspect elevated and rounded on anterior side. Carina on posterior side with sharp beak extended over metaventrite, not reaching bifid posterior metaventral process ( Fig. 2 ). Sternites densely pubescent with short, fine setae, shiny, with reticulate and leathery aspect.

Legs short and robust. Protarsi with four slender and not dilated segments in both sexes, first protarsomere slightly longer than second and third, fourth longest. Mesotarsi and metatarsi pentamerous in both sexes. Claws simple, well-developed and sharp, empodium with one bifurcate seta. Protibiae flattened, armed with spines ( Fig. 4 ), on external lateral and apical side with the row of flattened spines forming a comb (pecten) reaching apical half of tibial length, internal subapical side with one simple spur and one internal apical multi-toothed spur. Mesotibiae and metatibiae cylindrical, armed with lateral spines, with apical crown of spines of unequal length ( Gnaspini et al. 2020) and one internal apical multi-toothed spur. Femora surface reticulated.

Male genital segment ( Fig. 6 ). Aedeagus ( Figs 5a, 5b ) small, 0.38 mm long, fairly elongated. Inner sac of median lobe lacking sclerotized structures or dorsal flagellum. Median lobe almost straight from dorsal aspect, extended in apical third, slowly narrowed towards moderately pointed apex which is markedly beak-shaped. Median lobe more or less straight in lateral aspect, only slightly curved in mid length and at apex, which is rounded. Median lobe in apical part with two lateral dorsally first straight and after convergent longitudinal lobes. Average length of basal lamina 0.08 mm, almost parallel with median lobe, simply rounded, lacking posterior expansion. Parameres parallel-sided, more or less straight, slightly curved in apical third, slightly shorter than median lobe, bearing three long subapical setae close to each other, sligthly exceeding apex of median lobe.

Female ventrite VIII densely pubescent in proximal part with anterior expansion stout ( Fig. 7 ). Stylomeres ( Fig. 8 ) parallel-sided and relatively narrow. Stylomeres with more or less straight inner and outer edges. Gonocoxite with 3-4 setae, sub-gonocoxite with two lateral setae and one subapical seta, gonostylus with one seta which is longest. Spermatheca ( Fig. 9 ).

Sexual dimorphism: Not apparent.

Differential diagnosis and remarks. Distinct protibial external latero-apical comb (pecten) extending to approximately apical half of protibial length is the intermediate character state within the genus as distinct comb extending to two apical thirds of the protibial length in Bathyscidius (s. str.) and less strong comb is extending to apical third of the protibial length in the subgenus Ionobathyscidius . Bathyscidius basarai sp. nov. differs from all other species of the genus by the median longitudinal carina extended to the metaventrite where it is slightly shorter and its posterior beak is not reaching the bifid posterior metaventral process ( Fig. 2 ). In all other species of both subgenera the median longitudinal carina is slightly longer with the posterior beak almost reaching the bifid posterior metaventral process. Further it differs from all members of the nominal subgenus by pointed beak-shaped apex of median lobe and parameres bearing three subapical setae. In nominal subgenus the median lobe is simply rounded or it is subtriangular, parameres are bearing one apical and two lateral setae. Due to the similarity of the median lobe, the new species is tentatively assigned to the subgenus Ionobathyscidius .

Other nominal Bathyscidius (Ionobathyscidius) species can be separated from Bathyscidius basarai as follows:

- Bathyscidius (Ionobathyscidius) tomoricensis by: median lobe lacking visible longitudinal lobes (versus two long lobes in new species); extremely long basal lamina (versus comparatively short in new species); stylomeres with basally concave outer and moderately convex inner edges (versus more or less straight in new species).

- Bathyscidius (Ionobathyscidius) rambouseki by: shorter apex of median lobe (versus longer and beak-shaped in new species); lateral longitudinal lobes significantly shorter and divergent in median lobe (versus long and convergent in new species); stylomeres basally concave or straight outer and moderately convex inner edges (versus more or less straight in new species).

Etymology. Dedicated to our dear friend Damir Basara (Karlovac, Croatia), instructor of speleology, and member of our speleobiological team during researches in Albania. Gender masculine.

Distribution and natural history. The new species is known only from the type locality, the Shpella e Blazit cave ( Figs 10, 11, 12 ), coordinates 41°42‘17.9“N, 20°00‘28.5“E (WGS 84), situated at the elevation of 280 m a.s.l., approximately one km northeast of the village Bruç in the Central Albania. The cave is located above the village, at the end of the limestone valley on the left side. The entrance is visible from the valley between limestone rocks. One main chamber is approximately 70 m long, and 7-8 m wide, with depth 4- 5 m. The mud bottom of the cave is covered with rocks and stones of various dimensions. Specimens were found in many places from the middle to the end of the cave main chamber. They were collected under stones, but mainly on cave walls to maximum of 0,5 m above the bottom surface, which was only partially covered with bat guano deposit. This cave is also a point of interest for Paleolithic archaeology research. Distribution map for the genus Bathyscidius is given ( Fig. 13 ).

Figures

FIGURES 1–9. Bathyscidius basarai sp. nov. 1: Habitus, dorsal aspect, scale bar 0.90 mm. 2: Venter, median longitudinal carina in metaventrite, without scale bar. 3: Antennae, female antenna (3a), male antenna (3b), dorsal aspect, scale bar 0.10 mm. 4: Female right protibia, dorsal aspect, scale bar 0.268 mm. 5: Aedeagus, dorsal (5a) and right lateral (5b) aspects, scale bar 0.08 mm. 6: Male genital segment, dorsal aspect, scale bar 0.202 mm. 7: Female urite VIII, dorsal aspect, scale bar 0.297 mm. 8: Female genital segments—styles, dorsal aspect, scale bar 0.13 mm. 9: Spermatheca, dorsal aspect, scale bar 0.107 mm.

FIGURES 10–13. 10: The cave Shpella e Blazit, the entrance—green arrow. 11: Shpella e Blazit, on the entrance. 12: Shpella e Blazit, topographical sketch. 13: Distribution of the genus Bathyscidius—Bathyscidius (s.str.), four species from Croatia (1- 4), one species from Montenegro (5); Bathyscidius (Ionobathyscidius), one species from Albania (7), one species from North Macedonia (6), Bathyscidius basarai sp. nov. from Albania (8).