Baronniesia delioti Fresneda, Bourdeau & Faille

Fresneda, Javier, Bourdeau, Charles & Faille, Arnaud, 2009, Baronniesia delioti gen. n. sp. n., a new subterranean Leptodirini from the French Pyrenees (Coleoptera: Leiodidae: Cholevinae), Zootaxa 1993, pp. 1-16 : 8-13

Baronniesia delioti Fresneda, Bourdeau & Faille sp. n.

( Figs. 1–5 , 7 , 15–16 )

Type locality. France, Hautes-Pyrénées, Esparros, subterranean river of Artigaléou-Arodets.

Type series. Holotype: FRANCE: ɗ, Esparros (massif of Baronnies), subterranean river of Artigaléou- Arodets, 10.V.2007, Bourdeau & Faille leg. (Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris). Paratypes: 33ɗɗ and 61ΨΨ, same locality, data and collectors (authors’ collections).

Holotype description. Habitus and size. Baronniesia delioti sp. n. is one of the largest species of Pyrenean Leptodirini. Length from anterior edge of pronotum to apex of elytra: 4.54 mm (see Variability). Anophthalmous and depigmented; outline oval, stocky, with pronotum wider than elytra ( Fig. 1 ). All the surface covered by yellowish pubescence, thin and soft; elytral pubescence longer. Punctation of head thin; mandibles very robust with a subapical tooth at internal edge.

Antennae. Length 3.50 mm; antennal articles gradually dilated from fourth to ninth, tenth and eleventh articles not dilated; ventral side of the ninth article concave, dorsal side strongly convex. For measurements of antennal articles see Table 1.

Pronotum. Strongly transverse (length 1.25 mm, width 2.30 mm), sides very arcuate, maximum width before posterior edge.

Elytra. One and half time longer than wide, strongly convex, with dehiscent apices; each elytron regularly curved at apex. Punctation strong and rough, in basal area arranged in transverse striae; in apical half with punctures distributed irregularly.

Legs. Proportionally long; mesotibiae arched, metatibiae straight. Male protarsomeres 1–3 strongly dilated, the first wider than apex of protibia; onychium as long as protarsomeres 1–4 combined.

Mesoventral carina, aedeagus and male genital segment as in the description of the genus.

Female diagnosis. Habitus as in Fig. 2 ; body smaller than in male (see Variability), pronotum as wide as elytra; outline perfectly oval. Antennae filiform, articles not dilated. For measurements of antennal articles see Table 1. Protarsi tetramerous, non dilated. Urosternite VIII and spermathecal complex as in the description of the genus.

Variability. Body length (measured from anterior edge of pronotum to apex of elytra): male: 4.02–4.54 mm, average 4.30 mm; female 4.01–4.40 mm; average 4.16 mm.

Etymology. This new species is dedicated to our entomologist colleague and friend Philippe Déliot, who died recently.

Distribution and ecology. The new species is only known from a single cave located in the central part of the Pyrenean chain, south of Esparros. The total length of the cave of Artigaléou is more than one kilometer, with two levels of chalk-stoned fossil galleries before reaching the subterranean river. Specimens of B. delioti were found only in traps placed near the river. Apparently, the species does not occur in the deeper parts of the cave, and it seems likely that the specimens found were carried from deep soil by water together with Speonomus bastideus Coiffait, 1950 a and the species of Trechini mentioned below. Hypogean fauna of the Baronnies has never been studied in detail, and there are scarce faunistic data from only three other caves ( Jeannel 1928, Coiffait 1950a). To better characterize the ecology of Baronniesia it would be necessary to investigate other localities where it could live, probably as an MSS or endogean species together with Geotrechus discontignyi , a typical endogeous ground beetle also found near the traps.

Biogeographical notes. In the area where B. delioti was discovered, the only other known Leptodirini are the species of the speluncarum group of the genus Speonomus , distributed between the Lez valley (Ariège) and the western Pyrenees, where they have also colonized the southern range in Navarra until the Echo valley (Huesca, Spain).

Baronniesia delioti is sympatric with Speonomus bastideus (speluncarum group) and three species of Trechini: Hydraphaenops elegans Gaudin, 1945 , Cerbaphaenops aff. aeacus Saulcy, 1864 and Geotrechus discontignyi canteti Cabidoche, 1967 . The subterranean river of Artigaléou-Arodets is the third known locality of Speonomus bastideus , which was so far only known from the caves of Labastide and Diable Rouge, both in Banios, Hautes-Pyrénées.

It may be expected that the two main unrelated groups of cave Coleoptera (Leptodirini and Trechini) living in the same geographical area show some similarities in their patterns of distribution and colonization of the subterranean environment. Both live in the same underground ecosystem, characterized by strict and constant features, and share the area affected by the same climatic conditions and a particular paleogeographic history.

The pattern of distribution of the Pyrenean Trechini is presented in Fig. 18 . The species of the subgenus Aphaenops Bonvouloir, 1862 have radiated in the western part of the Pyrenean chain, and their diversity increases from Lourdes to the west, the majority of them (including the endogean Geaphaenops Cabidoche, 1965 ) diversified between Lourdes and Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port ( Faille 2006). The eastern-most French species of the subgenus Aphaenops is A. leschenaulti Bonvouloir, 1862 , known from the caves around Bagnères-de-Bigorre. On the contrary, the species of the subgenus Cerbaphaenops Coiffait, 1962 have radiated in the eastern part of the Pyrenees between Ariège valley and Bigorre area, and their diversity decreases from east to west ( Faille 2006). The surrounding area of Bagnères-de-Bigorre is the contact area between the two main radiations of subterranean cave Trechini, Aphaenops in the narrow sense in the west and Cerbaphaenops in the central-eastern Pyrenees. In this area, the two lineages are represented by A. (Cerbaphaenops) crypticola ssp. aeacus Saulcy, 1864 and A. (Aphaenops) leschenaulti Saulcy, 1864 , both sympatric in the cavities around Bagnères-de-Bigorre, in particular the Castelmouly and Tuco caves ( Jeannel 1928). While the species of the subgenus Aphaenops on the northern slope of the range do not reach the area east of Bagnères-de-Bigorre, on the southern slope some species of this subgenus are distributed further east, till the Ribagorçana valley, where A. catalonicus Escolà & Canció, 1983 is present.

The pattern of diversification of the Pyrenean Leptodirini is quite similar, although with some differences ( Fig. 19 ). The species of Speonomus of the speluncarum group are distributed from the western Pyrenees to the Aure valley (Sarrancolin, Lortet) and the Labastide area (Artigaléou, Labastide cave). Members of the speluncarum group are found again in Ariège, with S. orgibetensis Gers, 1989 (speluncarum group sensu Gers, 1989: Fig. 1 D), the two species of the ehlersi group, S. ehlersi Abeille de Perrin, 1872 and S. opisthonoxus Gers & Dupuis, 1988 ( Gers & Dupuis 1988: Fig. 3 C), and the subgenus Machaeroscelis . The distribution area of the speluncarum group and related Leptodirini are thus extended to the east. The presence of other genera apparently related to the speluncarum group ( Ceretophyes , Parvospeonomus , Perriniella , and Troglophyes ) in the eastern part of the Pyrenees is very remarkable. A revision of the north Pyrenean Leptodirini would be necessary to elucidate this biogeographical enigma.

When Leptodirini are compared to troglobitic Trechini, the main difference in their distribution is that in Leptodirini the contact area of the two groups, the western one ( Speonomus of speluncarum and ehlersi groups, Machaeroscelis , Bathysciella and Phacomorphus ) and the central-eastern one ( Paraspeonomus , Trocharanis and Speonomus of the pyreneus group) is extended to the east until Ariège. The area between Ariège and Bigorre seems to be an overlapping area of distribution for the Leptodirini of the Trocharanis type and those of the Speonomus of the speluncarum group. The lineage of the Antrocharis group of genera seems to have originated in this contact area, but we do not know whether from the western or the eastern group. The coincidence of the same contact area for the eastern and western Pyrenean groups of Leptodirini and Trechini suggests the same geologic and climatic causes.

Figures

FIGURE 18. Distribution of troglobitic Trechini in Pyrenees. Aphaenops (Aphaenops) Bonvouloir (continuous line); Aphaenops (Cerbaphaenops) Coiffait (doted line).

FIGURE 19. Map of the Pyrenees with distribution areas of taxa with different models of lateral styles of the aedeagus in Leptodirini. The Antrocharis type (continuous line): Antrocharis querilhaci dispar Abeille de Perrin (a). The Troglophyes type (dots and dashes): Phacomorphus (Phacomorphus) fratyi (Dupré) (b), Speonomus (Speonomus) ere Escolà & Fresneda (c), Perriniella faurai Jeannel (d), Bellesia espanyoli (Auroux & Bellés) (e) and Parvospeonomus urgellesi (Español) (f). The Trocharanis type (doted line): Speonomus (Speonomus) curvipes subcurvipes (Abeille de Perrin) (g), Salgadoia brieti (Jeannel) (h) and Troglocharinus (Troglocharinus) ferreri ferreri (Reitter) (i).

FIGURES 1 – 2. Habitus of Baronniesia delioti gen. n. sp. n. 1 ― male; 2 ― female.

FIGURES 3 – 4. Aedeagus of Baronniesia delioti gen. n. sp. n. 3 — dorsal view; 4 — lateral view.

FIGURES 5 – 6. Inner sac of aedeagus of Leptodirini. 5 — Baronniesia delioti gen. n. sp. n. and 6 — Antrocharis querilhaci dispar Abeille de Perrin. BDAM, dorsal sacs of apex of median area; BRA, reinforcement bands; FDM, dorsal feather-like structures; FVM, ventral feather-like structures; NL, connection nodule; FAPY, apical fibers of PY; IVP, inverted “ V ” feather-like structures; PY, “ piece en Y ”.

FIGURES 7 – 14. Apices of lateral styles of aedeagus of Leptodirini. 7 — Baronniesia delioti gen. n. sp. n.; 8 — Paratroglophyes jeanneli Coiffait; 9 — Troglophyes aubryi aubryi Coiffait; 10 — Troglophyes gavoyi Abeille de Perrin; 11 — Parvospeonomus delarouzeei Fairmaire; 12 — Phacomorphus (Phacomorphoides) sioberi sioberi (Coiffait); 13 — Speonomus curvipes subcurvipes Abeille de Perrin; 14 — Paraspeonomus vandeli Coiffait.

FIGURES 15 – 16. Baronniesia delioti gen. n. sp. n. 15 — urite VIII of female; 16 — female genital segment with spermathecal complex.