Pholeuonopsis (s. str.) herculeana Reitter, 1904

Čeplík, Dávid, 2021, Restoring an old concept of Pholeuonopsis (= Blattodromus syn. nov.) and new recombination for one species from the Balkan Peninsula (Insecta, Coleoptera, Leiodidae, Cholevinae, Leptodirini), Zootaxa 5016 (4), pp. 559-570 : 562-567

Pholeuonopsis (s. str.) herculeana Reitter, 1904 . Recomb. nov.

( Figs 1, 3, 5 , 7, 9, 11, 12 , 15–21 )

Pholeuonopsis (Blattodromus) herculeana Reitter, 1904: 153 . Type locality: Grotte Velina pečina (Feengrotte) am Gipfel des Lebrsnik (1850 m), im Bosnisch–herzegowiner Grenzgebirge [= Bosnia and Herzegovina, Lebršnik Mts., Vilina pećina cave], ( Fig. 29 ).

Pholeuonopsis herculeanus Reitter : Jeannel, 1910: 40; Jeannel, 1911: 462.

Blattodromus herculeanus Reitter : Breit, 1913b: 308 (generic status); Jeannel, 1914: 42; Jeannel, 1924: 264; Pretner, 1968: 19; Pretner, 1970: 158 ( B. herculeus —an unknown change in species name); Guéorguiev, 1976: 101; Perreau, 2000: 235; Perreau, 2015: 206; Hlaváč et al. 2017: 92.

Material studied. Type locality: 1 ♂: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Vilina pećina cave, coordinates 43°12‘56.0“N, 18°38‘14.3“E (WGS 84), Lebršnik Mts., trap, 10.08.2009 – 30.10.2009, D. Čeplík, G. Dunay & R. Lohaj lgt. ( PCDČ) ; 1 ♂, 1 ♀, 9 specimens sex not determined: same locality, trap, but 30.10.2011 – 29.07.2014, J. Lakota lgt. ( PCDČ, PCJL) ; 6 ♂♂, 3 ♀♀: same locality, trap, but 06.2016 –06.2017, E. Quéinnec & E. Ollivier lgt. ( PCEO, PCEQ) ; 11 ♂♂, 5 ♀♀, Bosnia and Herzegovina, nameless pit (– 25 m) located near the Vilina pećina cave, trap 07.2017 –06.2018, E. Quéinnec & E. Ollivier lgt. ( PCDČ, PCEO, PCEQ, PCJC, PCPH) ; 5 ♂♂, 3 ♀♀: same local- ity, trap, but 06.2018 –06.2019, E. Quéinnec & E. Ollivier lgt. ( PCEO, PCEQ) ; 4 ♂♂, 1 ♀: same locality, trap, but 06.2019 –08.2020, E. Quéinnec ( PCEQ) .

Diagnosis: Pholeuonopsis (Pholeuonopsis) herculeana differs from all other species of the genus by the combination of following characters:

• Much longer antennae with AL respresenting about 80 % of the length (L). AL: 3.59–3.88 mm, slightly shorter in females. Antennomeres densely pubescent, length/maximum width ratios: (1) 1.53–1.90, (2) 3.18, (3) 3.50, (4) 2.50–2.60, (5) 3.45–3.72, (6) 2.63, (7) 3.38–3.61, (8) 2.00, (9) 2.92–3.38, (10) 2.50–2.92 and (11) 2.69– 3.38. Antennomere 8 about twice as long as wide.

• Pronotum bell–shaped with acute hind angles, strongly pronounced and strongly protruding backwards ( Fig. 3 ). PL: 1.15–1.31 mm, PW: 1.88–2.00 mm.

1 According to Article 30.1.2 of the Code (ICZN), all generic names ending in -opsis are feminine. Thus the correct spelling here is the original one: Pholeuonopsis herculeana .

Note: Similar shape of the pronotum which is widest at its base at the hind angles is defined and illustrated e.g., in Pholeuonopsis (Pholeuonopsis) intermedia Knirsch, 1928 , Pholeuonopsis (Scotosites) spaethi Knirsch, 1928 , Pholeuonopsis (Pholeuonopsis) cvijici Ćurčić & Brajković 2002 , and Pholeuonopsis (Pholeuonopsis) perucensis S. Ćurčić et al. 2014 . • Punctation of elytra shallow and weak. EL: 3.37–3.48 mm, EW: 2.28–2.50. • Larger aedeagus ( Figs 15, 16, 17 ), 1.37–1.40 mm long, median lobe maximum width 0.49 mm, basal lamina maximum width 0.59 mm. • Parameres slightly longer than median lobe, at apex with three or four setae ( Figs 15, 18 ). • Larger body size which exceeding 5.50 mm. BL: 5.60–5.92 mm, L: 4.62–4.73 mm.

Biology: cavernicolous species.

Distribution: Bosnia and Herzegovina (Lebšnik Mts.; Volujak Mts., Živanj planina– Pretner 1970; 1977), Mon- tenegro (Durmitor Mts.– Pretner 1970; 1977).

Remarks: Blattodromus herculeana was described in the genus Pholeuonopsis , subgenus Blattodromus , based on two female specimens collected in Vilina pećina cave (“Feengrotteˮ, Reitter 1904) situated almost on the top of the northern side of Lebršnik Mts., in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The differential diagnosis given in the original descrip- tion to separate the subgenus from the nominal subgenus Pholeuonopsis was based on the larger body size, the shape of mesoventral carina and the sparse punctation on the elytra. Jeannel (1910; 1911) treated Blattodromus as a synonym of Pholeuonopsis , he changed the species name, from herculeana to herculeanus , and provided additional taxon differences: 1) hind angles of pronotum pronounced and acute, 2) antennae longer, especially antennomere 8 much longer compared with other species of the genus Pholeuonopsis . Later Breit (1913b) gave to Blattodromus the generic status. He based it on the bell–shaped pronotum with pronounced and acute hind angles, the longer antennae having antennomere 8 much longer than wide and by generally larger body size. Consequently Blattodromus was treated as a separate monotypic genus, different from the genus Pholeuonopsis mainly by the characters mentioned above. Guéorguiev (1976) provided the information of the aedeagus, he mentioned that parameres have four preapical setae. The present detailed morphological study of Blattodromus herculeana and its comparison with other Pholeuonopsis species has shown that Blattodromus is congeneric with Pholeuonopsis . A further study of Pholeuonopsis is needed to clarify the status of its three existing subgenera.

Additional material studied. Pholeuonopsis grabowskii grabowskii Apfelbeck, 1907a ( Figs 2, 4, 6 , 8, 10, 13, 14 , 22–25 ): Type locality: 1 ♂: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Novakuša pećina cave, coordinates 43°14‘55.0“N, 18°04‘36.3“E (WGS 84), Bišina, Nevesinje, trap, 12.06.2004 – 26.09.2004, D. Čeplík, G. Dunay & R. Lohaj lgt. ( PCDČ); Pholeuonopsis grabowskii ssps.: 1 ♂: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Konjic, Borci, Crno polje, 07.2019, super- ficial subterranean habitat, E. Quéinnec lgt. ( PCDČ) .

Figures

FIGURES 1–6. Pholeuonopsis (s. str.) herculeana Reitter, 1904, 1: habitus, dorsal aspect, scale bar 1.25 mm, original by P. Krásenský, ex Hlaváč et al. 2017: 92; 3: pronotum, dorsal aspect, scale bar 1.88 mm; 5: head, dorsal aspect, scale bar 0.80 mm. Pholeuonopsis (s. str.) grabowskii grabowskii Apfelbeck, 1907a, 2: habitus, dorsal aspect, scale bar 0.97 mm, original by P. Krá- senský, ex Hlaváč et al. 2017: 96; 4: pronotum, dorsal aspect, scale bar 1.20 mm; 6: head, dorsal aspect, scale bar 0.60 mm.

FIGURES 7–14. Pholeuonopsis (s. str.) herculeana Reitter, 1904, 7: venter, dorsal aspect, scale bar 0.89 mm; 9: mesoventral carina, right lateral aspect, scale bar 0.23 mm; 11: metendosternite, dorsal aspect, scale bar 1.40 mm; 12: metatergal apparatus, dorsal aspect, scale bar 0.94 mm. Pholeuonopsis (s. str.) grabowskii grabowskii Apfelbeck, 1907a, 8: venter, dorsal aspect, scale bar 0.62 mm; 10: mesoventral carina, right lateral aspect, scale bar 0.20 mm; 13: metendosternite, dorsal aspect, scale bar 0.51 mm; 14: metatergal apparatus, left side and medial part, dorsal aspect, scale bar 0.62 mm.

FIGURES 15–21. Pholeuonopsis (s. str.) herculeana Reitter, 1904, 15–16: aedeagus, dorsal and left latero–ventral aspects, scale bar 1.37 mm; 17: median lobe apex, ventral aspect, scale bar 0.44 mm; 18: paramera apex, dorsal aspect, scale bar 0.03 mm; 19: female ventrite VIII, dorsal aspect, scale bar 1.00 mm; 20: style, dorsal aspect, scale bar 0.35 mm; 21: spermatheca, dorsal aspect, scale bar 0.20 mm.

FIGURES 22–29. Pholeuonopsis (s. str.) grabowskii grabowskii Apfelbeck, 1907a, 22–23: aedeagus, dorsal and left latero– ventral aspects, scale bar 0.86 mm; 24: median lobe apex, ventral aspect, scale bar 0.19 mm; 25: paramera apex, dorsal aspect, scale bar 0.02 mm. 26: redrawing of spermatheka of Pholeuonopsis (s. str.) tarensis, from Ćurčić & Pavićević 2018 in S. Ćurčić et al. 2018. 27: redrawing of spermatheka of Pholeuonopsis (s. str.) sljivovicensis, from S. Ćurčić et al. 2015. 28: redrawing of spermatheka of Pholeuonopsis (s. str.) perucensis, from S. Ćurčić et al. 2014. 29: Vilina pećina cave, on the entrance, Lebršnik Mts., Bosnia & Herzegovina.