Potamophylax humoinsapiens Ibrahimi & Bilalli, 2023

Ibrahimi, Halil, Bilalli, Astrit, Gashi, Agim, Grapci Kotori, Linda, Slavevska Stamenkovic, Valentina & Geci, Donard, 2023, Potamophylax humoinsapiens sp. n. (Trichoptera, Limnephilidae), a new species from the Sharr Mountains, Republic of Kosovo, Biodiversity Data Journal 11, pp. 97969-97969 : 97969

Potamophylax humoinsapiens Ibrahimi & Bilalli sp. n.

Materials

Type status: Holotype. Occurrence: recordedBy: Halil Ibrahimi, Astrit Bilalli ; individualCount: 1; sex: male; lifeStage: adult; occurrenceID: 6E91A186-F8FF-5E67-A55C-F4BF514BD704; Taxon : class: Insecta ; order: Trichoptera ; family: Limnephilidae ; genus: Potamophylax ; nomenclaturalCode: ICZN; Location : continent: Europe ; waterBody: Aegean Sea Basin ; country: Kosovo; countryCode: XKS; municipality: Shtërpce; locality: main road towards Prevalle ; verbatimLocality: sidestream of the Lepenc River ; verbatimElevation: 1416; decimalLatitude: 42.172804; decimalLongitude: 20.969464; Event: samplingProtocol: UV light trap; year: 2021; month: 11; day: 12 Type status: Paratype. Occurrence: recordedBy: Halil Ibrahimi, Astrit Bilalli ; individualCount: 12; sex: males; lifeStage: adults; occurrenceID: 89E22BF4-8039-5F0B-A92B-6620CF80DFB8; Taxon : class: Insecta ; order: Trichoptera ; family: Limnephilidae ; genus: Potamophylax ; nomenclaturalCode: ICZN; Location : continent: Europe ; waterBody: Aegean Sea Basin ; country: Kosovo; countryCode: XKS; municipality: Shtërpce; locality: main road towards Prevalle ; verbatimLocality: sidestream of the Lepenc River ; verbatimElevation: 1416; decimalLatitude: 42.172804; decimalLongitude: 20.969464; Event: samplingProtocol: UV light trap; year: 2021; month: 11; day: 12 Type status: Paratype. Occurrence: recordedBy: Halil Ibrahimi, Astrit Bilalli ; individualCount: 20; sex: males; lifeStage: adults; occurrenceID: 97FDA7E5-5061-50AA-9C21-CE0ADE296551; Taxon : class: Insecta ; order: Trichoptera ; family: Limnephilidae ; genus: Potamophylax ; nomenclaturalCode: ICZN; Location : continent: Europe ; waterBody: Aegean Sea Basin ; country: Kosovo; countryCode: XKS; municipality: Shtërpce; locality: 2 km away from the main road Shterpce - Prevalle ; verbatimLocality: Lepenc River ; verbatimElevation: 1505; decimalLatitude: 42.176299; decimalLongitude: 20.984170; Event: samplingProtocol: UV light trap; year: 2021; month: 11; day: 20 Type status: Paratype. Occurrence: recordedBy: Halil Ibrahimi, Astrit Bilalli ; individualCount: 7; sex: males; lifeStage: adults; occurrenceID: 68CC6836-CFAE-5D3A-8226-FA10865B105E; Taxon : class: Insecta ; order: Trichoptera ; family: Limnephilidae ; genus: Potamophylax ; nomenclaturalCode: ICZN; Location : continent: Europe ; waterBody: Aegean Sea Basin ; country: Kosovo; countryCode: XKS; municipality: Shtërpce; locality: few kilometers before Brezovica ski center ; verbatimLocality: tributary of the Lepenc River ; verbatimElevation: 1457; decimalLatitude: 42.185053; decimalLongitude: 21.006089; Event : samplingProtocol: UV light trap; year: 2021; month: 11; day: 12

Description

Male. General appearance (Fig. 2 ). Head and appendages brown, prothorax, sclerites of meso- and metathorax, coxae and femora dark brown to brown; tibiae and tarsi brown. Wings light brown with brown setae. Male maxillary palps each 3-segmented. Length of each forewing 14.9-15.9 mm. Spur formula 1-3-4. Antennae brown.

Male genitalia (Figs 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ). Tergite VIII generally light brown with only a few darker patches, in dorsal view roughly rectangular, with apical portion slightly narrower, several irregularly distributed setae concentrated on proximal sclerotised portion of segment VIII, spinate area located on semi-membranous distal portion of segment VIII with slightly wider proximal portion in dorsal view, elongated, covered by small black spines. Segment IX light brown with few darker patches, with narrow dorsal and ventral portions, laterally broad, convex anteriorly. Superior appendages light brown, in lateral view long, subrectangular, with rounded tips, covered with fine pale setae of medium length, base slightly narrower than the apex. Intermediate appendages, sickle-shaped with accuminate apex, strongly turned upwards. Inferior appendages with bifid apex, turned upwards, each with longer ventral edge. Phallic apparatus consisting of aedeagus of medium length and a pair of parameres. Aedeagus bulbous in ventral view, wide at tip, with bifid apex, apicomesal excision medium-U-shaped; parameres long, with very wide basal half and slender apical half in lateral view, bearing a bunch of apical thin and long hair-like spines, grouped uniformly.

Diagnosis

Males of the new species are most similar to those of Potamophylax idliri . They have some resemblance with P. coronavirus and P. juliani as well and, thus, we compare it with all the three species (Figs 7, 8). The males of the new species differ from all known species of the Potamophylax winneguthi Species Group primarily by their uniquely-shaped parameres and inferior appendages. The P. humoinsapiens sp. n. male differs from that of its most similar congeners mainly in exhibiting the combination of the following characters: (1) in lateral view very long paramere shaft, bulbous in basal half, thin in the remaining length; (2) median ventral incision on paramere shaft in lateral view; (3) parallel set-up of the basal 2/3rd of parameres on ventral view, with distal thirds diverging greatly from each other; (4) 30-40 very thin and long apical hair-like spines on parameres, grouped uniformly, curved and directed mesad in lateral view, almost reaching apex of the aedeagus in ventral view; (5) very wide distance between the dorsal and ventral corners of the apical part of inferior appendages, 2.1 times wider than in P. coronavirus , 1.4 times wider than in P. idliri and 1.2 times wider than in P. juliani ; and (6) longer ventral edge of inferior appendages. The P. idliri male has long shaft of parameres, very narrow mesally, wide apically on lateral view; ventral incision on paramere shaft is located right after the basal third on lateral view; parallel set-up of the basal 1/3rd of parameres, with the remaining length gradually diverging from each other on ventral view; 10-15 medium long and very thick apical spines of different sizes on parameres, grouped irregularly, directed mesad; longer ventral edge of inferior appendages on lateral view. The P. juliani male has a short shaft of parameres with wider basal half on lateral view without any incision; parallel set-up of parameres, only with apices diverging from each other on ventral view; medium long 5-10 medium thick apical spines on parameres; ventral and dorsal corners of inferior appendages parallel to each other, directed mesad on lateral view. The P. coronavirus male has a short shaft of parameres, slightly wider on basal half on lateral view; ventral margin of paramere shaft straight, without any incision on lateral view; parallel set-up of parameres, only with apices diverging from each other, on ventral view; short, thick 5-10 apical spines on parameres; ventral and dorsal corners of inferior appendages parallel to each other, directed mesad on lateral view.

Etymology

The species epithet is a combination of two Latin words, ‘humo’, which in English means 'to cover with soil, to bury’ and ‘insapiens’ meaning ‘unwise’ and refers to the unwise and careless treatment of habitats of the new species, degraded greatly during the past years by hydropower plants and other activities. In some segments, the whole parts of the Lepenc River are ‘buried’ in large pipes.

Ecology

Potamophylax humoinsapiens sp. n. was found at three localities during 2021 in the Sharr Mountains, in the tributaries of the Lepenc River. All sampling sites are located inside a forested area. The substrates of streams close to the sampling sites were dominated by meso- to macrolithal substrate, surrounded by dense riparian vegetation. The species was captured only by ultraviolet light traps. The species was collected during October and November, implying it has an autumn flying period. All sampling sites are located in upstream sections of streams and rivers.

Figures

Figure 2. Male adult of Potamophylax humoinsapiens sp. n.

Figure 3. Male genitalia of Potamophylax humoinsapiens sp. n.: A. left lateral view; B. dorsal view.

Figure 4. Male genitalia of Potamophylax humoinsapiens sp. n.: A. left lateral view; B. dorsal view.

Figure 5. Aedeagus and parameres of the male genitalia of Potamophylax humoinsapiens sp. n.: A. ventral view; B. lateral view.

Figure 6. Aedeagus and parameres of the male genitalia of Potamophylax humoinsapiens sp. n.: A. ventral view; B. lateral view.