Rudogorites, Polak & Mulaomerović, 2021

Polak, Slavko & Mulaomerović, Jasminko, 2021, Rudogorites simonei gen. nov. and sp. nov. from Central Bosnia (Coleoptera: Leiodidae: Cholevinae: Leptodirini), Zootaxa 5061 (3), pp. 545-558 : 547

Genus Rudogorites gen. nov.

Type species: Rudogorites simonei Polak & Mulaomerović sp. nov.

Description: As in the species Rudogorites simonei sp. nov. description.

Distirbution: Isolated karst in Bosansko Rudogorje in Central Bosnia ( Bosnia and Herzegovia). So far known only from Lijina Pećina near Kreševo.

Etymology: The new genus name is derived from geographic name (toponyme) of Bosansko Rudogorje (Bosnian Ore Hills) and from its morphological similarity to genus Charonites . The name is masculine.

Diagnosis: Cavernicolous, eyeless and apterous, middle small-sized leptodirine; antennae inserted in the middle of head length; claws slim, curved and not widened; protarsi four segmented in females and five segmented in males; protibia, mesotibia and metatibia apically, on internal and ventral side, armed with pair more or less symmetrically poly-tooted spurs; protibia apically with ring of equally long flattened spines that continues on external lateral edge of protibia in straight line forming a comb of flattened, short and wide spines; comb spines stretch in dense straight line on more than two thirds of protibia lateral edge; mesotibia and metatibia apically armed with ring of more or less equally long spines forming a basket or crown of spines.

All the mentioned morphological characters are characteristic for Apholeuonus phyletic group (Série phylétique d’ Apholeuonus sensu Jeannel (1910, 1924 ) and Perreau (2000). Rudogorites gen. nov. resembles the genus Charonites Apfelbeck, 1907 in habitus and most external morphological characters. Rudogorites gen nov. can be separated from genus Charonites by following characters: is of smaller size (2.3–2.6 mm in length) than Charonites (3.0– 3.5 mm in length). The first antennomere is distinctly shorter but not two times shorter than the second one. Flattened short, almost triangular spines forming a comb in externo-lateral edge of protibia stretching in dense continued line from apex to the basal third of tibia length. The suture between mesosternum and mesepisternum is partly atrophied on its anterior side, the mesosternal keel is elevated and straight and not angulate on its ventral edge, mesothoracic apophysis is short and narrow, metatergal apparatus is strongly reduced, almost without posterior process or median longitudinal groove.