Drusus sharrensis Ibrahimi, Vitecek & Previsic

Ibrahimi, Halil, Vitecek, Simon, Previsic, Ana, Kucinic, Mladen, Johann Waringer,, Graf, Wolfram, Balint, Miklos, Keresztes, Lujza & Pauls, Steffen U., 2016, Drusussharrensis sp. n. (Trichoptera, Limnephilidae), a new species from Sharr National Park in Kosovo, with molecular and ecological notes, ZooKeys 559, pp. 107-124 : 109-115

Taxon classification Animalia ORDO FAMILIA

Drusus sharrensis Ibrahimi, Vitecek & Previsic sp. n.

Material examined.

Holotype. 1 male: Republic of Kosovo, Shtërpce Municipality, Sharr Mountains, tributary of the Lepenc River, 2 km above the main road Prizren - Shtërpce, 1558 m, 42.17228°N, 20.98823°E, 21.v.2014, leg. Halil Ibrahimi (DBFMNUP). Paratypes: same collection and locality data as holotype, 6 males, 3 females (DBFMNUP), 2 males, 1 female (CNHM), 2 males, 1 female (BDOL); same except 8.v.2014, 2 males, 1 female (CNHM); same except 15.vi.2013, leg. Halil Ibrahimi and Joachim Milbradt, 3 males (DBFMNUP); Shtërpce Municipality, Sharr Mountains, small spring, a branch of the Lepenc River 50 meters above the main road Prizren - Shtërpce, 1410 m, 42.17506°N, 20.97593°E, 08.vi.2010, leg. Halil Ibrahimi, 2 males (DBFMNUP); Shtërpce Municipality, Sharr Mountains, Lepenc River on the main road Prizren - Shtërpce, 1465 m, 42.1813°N, 20.9781°E, 18.v.2010, leg. Halil Ibrahimi, 2 males (DBFMNUP); Prizren Municipality, Sharr Mountains, Lumbardhi i Prizrenit River, Prevallë village 1664 m, 42.161°N, 20.99533°E, 08.vi.2009, leg. Halil Ibrahimi, 1 male (DBFMNUP); Prizren Municipality, Sharr Mountains, first small lake above Prevallë village, 2142 m, 42.152402°N, 20.995024°E, 18.ix.2010, leg. Halil Ibrahimi, 3 males, 1 female (DBFMNUP).

Distribution.

Republic of Kosovo, Sharr Mountains.

Diagnosis.

Males of the new species are most similar to Drusus krusniki , Drusus kerek and Drusus juliae but differ in exhibiting (1) a dorsally distinctly indented tergite VIII; (2) a narrow, laterally suboval, caudally protruding spinose area of tergite VIII that is me dially indented; (3) anteriorly curved intermediate appendages with broad tips; (4) inferior appendages with a distinct dorsal protrusion in the proximal half; (5) parameres with 3 distinct medial spines. Drusus krusniki males have (1) a flat, caudally depressed tergite VIII lacking a distinct indentation; (2) a laterally broad, subtriangular, almost straight spinose area of tergite VIII lacking an indentation; (3) intermediate appendages straight, with narrow tips, in lateral view protruding somewhat dorsocaudad; (4) inferior appendages with a slight dorsal protrusion in the proximal half; (5) parameres with a single, dorsal spine in the posterior half and several medial small spines. Drusus kerek males have (1) a flat tergite VIII lacking a distinct indentation; (2) a laterally narrow, suboval, almost straight spinose area of tergite VIII lacking an indentation; (3) straight intermediate appendages, with narrow tips; (4) inferior appendages subconical, curved dorsad; (5) parameres with 3 distinct medial spines. Drusus juliae males have (1) a rounded tergite VIII lacking a distinct indentation; (2) broad, subtriangular, spinose area of tergite VIII lacking an indentation, lateral parts of spinose area protrude caudad; (3) straight intermediate appendages, tips in dorsal view narrow, in lateral view somewhat pointed posteriad; (4) inferior appendages subconical, curved dorsad; (5) parameres with a single, dorsal spine in the posterior third and several medial small recumbent spines.

Females of the new species are most similar to Drusus krusniki , Drusus kerek , Drusus juliae , and Drusus plicatus but differ in exhibiting (1) segment X longer than the supragenital plate with distinctly pointed tips, distally tall in lateral view, caudal margin shallowly concave in dorsal view; (2) a quadrangular supragenital plate with a distinct round dorsal protrusion; (3) a vulvar scale with a small median lobe. Drusus krusniki females have a more-slender segment X that is shorter than the supragenital plate in dorsal view and has round tips and a deeply concave caudal margin. Drusus kerek females have a ventrally curved segment X shorter than the supragenital plate, a dorsally irregularly rounded supragenital plate, and a vulvar scale lacking the median lobe. Drusus juliae females have round tips of segment X and lack a distinct dorsal protrusion of the supragenital plate. Drusus plicatus females have a more-slender segment X that is shorter than the supragenital plate in dorsal view and has round tips and a deeply concave caudal margin, and a rounded supragenital plate in ventral view that lacks a distinct dorsal protrusion in lateral and caudal views.

Description.

General appearance. Habitus dark; sclerites and tergites dark brown; cephalic and thoracic setal areas pale; cephalic, thoracic and abdominal setae blond; legs brown to fawn, proximally darker; haustellum and intersegmental integument pale, whitish. Wings dark brown with dark setae. Male maxillary palp 3-segmented. Forewing length 11-12.5 mm, spur formula 1 –3– 3 in males; forewing length 11.5-13 mm, spur formula 1 –3– 3 in females.

Male genitalia (Fig. 1 A–E; Fig. 2 A–C). Tergite VIII dark brown, in dorsal view distinctly incised anteriorly (arrow 1, Fig. 1); setation concentrated laterally; spinose area divided into two suboval laterocaudal lobes medially connected by band of spines, embracing distinct medial, indented, weakly sclerotized (translucent in cleared specimens) oval area with few spines (arrow 2, Fig. 1). Ninth abdominal segment in caudal view widest ventrally; in lateral view with rounded apical protrusion at the base of the intermediate appendages, medially widest mid-height, apical margin ventrally concave with slight ventral protrusion embracing ventral base of inferior appendages (gonopods sensu Snodgrass 1935). Superior appendages in lateral view short, proximally constricted, suboval, ventroposterially somewhat pointed. Intermediate appendages in lateral view dorsally curved anterad, dorsal tip of each with proximal and distal aspect separated by distinct indentation: proximal aspect (pa, Fig. 1) rounded, flat, distal aspect (da, Fig. 1) curving anterad, rough; tips in dorsal view approximately parallel, proximal section rounded, extending laterad, the distal end subtriangular with rounded corners, medially somewhat dilated, rough; in caudal view approximately trapezoidal, proximal tips wider than distal tips and slightly pointed dorsad, distal tips rounded. Inferior appendages in lateral view curved dorsad, proximally with distinct dorsal protrusion (arrow 3, Fig. 1), ventral margin proximally slightly indented; in dorsal and ventral views with subtriangular median lobe separated by longitudinal grooves; in dorsal, ventral, and caudal views proximally laterally protruding, distally approximately straight in dorsoventral plane; in caudal view inferior appendages suboval; in ventral view inferior appendages seemingly medially fused proximally. Parameres simple, with 3 distinct median spines.

Female genitalia (Fig. 3 A–D; Fig. 4 A–D). Segment IX setation abundant, concentrated in caudal half; lateral lobe (LL, Fig. 3) of segment IX membranous, in lateral view right-angled triangular, the assumed adjacent angle about twice as long as the assumed opposite angle with dorsal sclerotized setose lobe protruding caudad; in dorsal and ventral views slender, projecting caudad; in caudal view dorsal sclerotized setose part rounded, well separated from membranous part. Segment X longer than supra genital plate, in lateral view distally higher than proximally with distinct posterior tip; in dorsal view medially widest, caudally tapering, with 2 small round setose lateral protrusions and distinct tips, apical margin irregularly concave; ventrally unsclerotized, open. Supragenital plate (sp, Fig. 3) in lateral view quadrangular with distinct, rounded dorsal protrusion (arrow 1, Fig. 3), apical margin ventrally slightly protruding; in ventral view quadrangular, medially concave; in caudal view quadrangular, wider dorsally than ventrally, with distinct rounded dorsal protrusion. Vulvar scale in lateral view subtriangular, slightly curved ventrad, longer than supragenital plate; in ventral view separated from sternite IX by proximal constriction, with 3 lobes: 2 lateral lobes, roundly oval, tapering caudad; median lobe short, wider than long.

Etymology.

The species epithet sharrensistranslates to 'from [the] Sharr [mountains]', and was formed by appending the Latin suffix ‘-ensis’ to the actual name of the moun tain range where the new species is found. Note: In Albanian ‘Sharr’ also refers to the city of Dragash (Kosovo), the municipality of a large proportion of Sharr Mountains.

Ecological notes and distribution.

During our field survey in the Sharr Mountains we found Drusus sharrensis at five locations within a 20 km perimeter, between 1410 and 2141 m above sea level. The new species was collected from one spring, two spring brooks and two mid-stream locations of the Lumbardhi i Prizrenit and Lepenc rivers. Substrate of streams close to the sampling sites was dominated by meso- to macrolithal. The highest number of specimens was collected at spring brooks surrounded by dense riparian vegetation. The species was mostly collected during the day with entomological nets - only one male specimen was collected by nocturnal light trapping although the weather was suitable and light trapping effort was considerable, indicating a diurnal activity pattern. The species was collected during May, June, July, and September.

Results of phylogenetic species delimitation.

In a B/MCMCMC phylogeny based on partial sequence data from six loci, monophyly of Drusus sharrensis was highly supported (Fig. 5). However, relationships between species were not resolved. The new species Drusus sharrensis was recovered, with high support, as sister to a clade comprising ( Drusus pelasgus + Drusus discophorus Radovanovic, 1942 + Drusus arbanios + Drusus plicatus + ( Drusus dacothracus + Drusus illyricus )). The clade ( Drusus sharrensis + ( Drusus pelasgus + Drusus discophorus + Drusus arbanios + Drusus plicatus + ( Drusus dacothracus + Drusus illyricus ))) is a derived sister to a clade composed of ((( Drusus krusniki + Drusus kerek ) + Drusus juliae ) + Drusus crenophylax Graf & Vitecek, 2015) in which ( Drusus krusniki + Drusus kerek ) is recovered as a polytomy, and this relationship was highly supported.