Melledobythus bilandzijae, Hlaváč, Peter, Nakládal, Oto & Jalžić, Branko, 2014

Hlaváč, Peter, Nakládal, Oto & Jalžić, Branko, 2014, Endogean and cavernicolous Coleoptera of the Balkans. XIV. Melledobythus bilandzijae, new genus and species of cavernicolous Bythinini (Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae) from the Island Mljet, Croatia, Zootaxa 3835 (4), pp. 564-572 : 566-570

Melledobythus bilandzijae sp. n.

( Figs. 1–13 )

Etymology. Named after Helena Bilandžija, the member of Croatian Biospelological Society Zagreb and very dedicated leader of biospeleological research on the island Mljet.

Material studied. HOLOTYPE, 1♂: (p) CROATIA: Mljet, Špilja kod Nerezinog dola, Ropa, 27.4.2008, leg. H. Bilandžija / red label (p) HOLOTYPE Melledobythus bilandzijae sp. nov., P. Hlaváč det., 2014. ( CNHM). PARATYPES (2♂, 3♀): 1♀: the same data as holotype but collected by M. Lukić. ( CPHP); 2♂: the same data as holotype but collected on 7.1.2010 by A. Komerički & B. Jalžić, one mounted in Euparal ( CNHM, CPHP); 2♀: the same data as holotype but collected on 9.1.2009 by B. Jalžić ( CNHM, CPHP). All paratypes bear the following red printed label: PARATYPE, Melledobythus bilandzijae sp. nov., P. Hlaváč det., 2014. Other material: 1♀: (p) Mljet, Jama Međugrađen, Veliki grad, Babino Polje, 30.4.2008, M. Lukić leg.; 1♀: (p) Mljet, Bezdan jama, Crna klada, 1.5.2008, P. Bregović leg. ( CNHM, CBSS).

Note. Two females from Jama Međugrađen and Bezdan Jama are tentatively attributed to this species but the exact identification must be confirmed by the finding of a male from each cave.

Description. Body shiny, light reddish-brown, legs, antennae and maxillary palpi slightly lighter, length 0.95–1.05 mm, maximum width of elytra about 0.45 mm. Head about as long as wide, triangular, vertex about 1.85 times as wide as frons, measured across supra-antennal tubercles, space between vertexal foveae as long as distance from fovea to margin of head. Maxillary palpi very long, about as long as antennae, with palpomere II long, slightly curved after middle, shorter than terminal palpomere, late about 6.7 times as long as wide. Antennae shorter, antennomeres I–III elongate, IV–X transverse, IV–IX subequal in length, X about 1.5 times as long as IX, terminal antennomere about as long as V–X together, relative length of antennomeres: 6.5 / 2.5 / 1.3 / 1 / 1 / 1 / 1 / 1 / 1 / 1.5 / 7.0. Pronotum as long as head, about 1.3 times as wide as long and about 1.3 times as wide as head, widest before mid length, lateral antebasal foveae well-defined, connected by shallow, well-defined antebasal sulcus. Elytra 1.65 times as long as pronotum, with two basal foveae, one subhumeral fovea and subhumeral carinae on each elytron. Abdomen narrower and shorter than elytra, first visible sternite (IV) in middle 1.8 times as long as second (V), baso-lateral tergal foveae closely distant from paratergite. Aedeagus ( Fig. 13 ) elongate, about 0.17 mm long, symmetrical, parameres pointed and separated at apex, with two preapical setae of different lengths, internal sac bearing pair of elongate symmetrical accessory sclerites.

Sexual dimorphism. Not apparent, it seems that females are slightly larger.

Ecological features and related fauna. The cave is small in size and only contains a single chamber ( Figs. 14 , 15 ). Large flowstones and other speleothems cover the central part of the cave. The bottom of the entrance portion is covered by soil deposits mixed with rocks that are more numerous towards the flowstone. The final chamber is filled with roots that penetrate the ceiling since only a shallow sediment layer covers that part of the cave. The fauna was mainly collected in the deeper parts. All the specimens of the new species were found in the deeper part of the cave and usually under rocks. The air temperature was 12.6 o C and the humidity 99.5% on 27th April 2008. The following animals were found in the cave: Araneae : Bruisa maheni (Kratochvíl & Miller, 1939), Folkia inermis (Kratochvíl & Miller, 1933) , Sulcia nocturna Kratochvíl, 1938 , Histopona sp., Tegenaria sp. Pseudoscorpiones : Chthonius sp., Ronchus sp. Chilopoda: Geophilomorpha sp., Lithobium sp. Diplopoda: Brachydesmus sp., Typhloglomeris coeca Verhoeff, 1898 .

Distribution: Known only from the type locality ( Fig. 16 ).

Figures

FIGURES 13. Melledobythus bilandzijae gen. & sp. nov., aedeagus, dorsal, scale 0.1 mm.

FIGURES 14. Melledobythus bilandzijae gen. & sp. nov., plan of the cave Špilja kod Nerezinog dola.

FIGURES 15. Melledobythus bilandzijae gen. & sp. nov., entrance of cave Špilja kod Nerezinog dola. Photo B. Jalžić.

FIGURES 16. Distribution of subterranean genera of Bythinini with elytra lacking elytral sutural striae in the Dinaric Mountains.

FIGURES 1 – 6. Melledobythus bilandzijae gen. & sp. nov., 1, male, dorsal habitus; 2, head, dorsal (cl — clypeus, fr — frons, lb — labium, sat — supra-antennal tubercles, vc — vertexal carina, vf — vertexal fovea, vt — vertex); 3, head, ventral (gp — gular plate, gs — gular suture, gtp — gular tentorial pits, md — mandibles, mn — mentum); 4, mouth parts, venter (bst — basistipes, cd — cardo, gal—galea, lac — lacinia, lp — labial palpi, md — mandibles, mn — mentum, mst — mesostipes, plp — maxillary palpomere I, pmn — prementum, ppf — palpifer, smn— submentum); 5, left maxillary palpi and antennae; 6, pronotum and base of elytra (as — antebasal suture, bef — basal elytral foveae, laf — lateral antebasal foveae, shef — subhumeral elytral fovea).

FIGURES 7 – 12. Melledobythus bilandzijae gen. & sp. nov., 7, prosternum and mesoventrite (bast — basisternal part, hy — hypomeron, lmvf — lateral metaventral fovea, lpcf — lateral procoxal fovea, mmvf — median metaventral fovea, msvp — mesoventral process, mvr — metaventral ridge, psp — prosternal process); 8, ventral habitus; 9, meso and metaventrite (lmtf — lateral metaventral fovea, msvp — mesoventral process, mtvap — median metaventral anterior process, mtvpp— median metaventral posterior process); 10, left elytron (bef — basal elytral foveae, shef — subhumeral elytral fovea, shc — subhumeral elytral carina); 11, abdomen, dorsal (ltf — lateral fovea); 12, abdomen, ventral