Historical Biogeography of Subterranean Beetles – “Plato’s Cave” or Scientific Evidence?

The last two decades were particularly prolific in historical biogeography because of new information introduced from other sciences, such as paleogeography, by the development of quantitative methods and by molecular phylogeny. Subterranean beetles represent an excellent object of study for historical biogeography because they are the group with the best representation in the subterranean domain. In addition, species have reduced mobility, display different degrees of adaptations to life in caves and many specialists work on this group. Three processes have shaped the present distribution of the tribe Leptodirini (Coleoptera Cholevinae) in the world: dispersal, vicariance, and extinction. Therefore, three successive stages can be established in the space-time evolution of Leptodirini: (1) dispersal from a center of origin in the present area(s); (2) dispersal, extinction and vicariance among the present area(s); and (3) colonization and speciation in the subterranean domain. The Romanian Leptodirini, especially those from Western Carpathians is examined with respect to these processes. Their pattern of distribution in different massifs and at different altitudes is discussed, with possible explanations from a historical biogeographic point of view

A conservation roadmap for the subterranean biome

The 15th UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) (COP15) will be held in Kunming, China in October 2021. Historically, CBDs and other multilateral treaties have either alluded to or entirely overlooked the subterranean biome. A multilateral effort to robustly examine, monitor, and incorporate the subterranean biome into future conservation targets will enable the CBD to further improve the ecological effectiveness of protected areas by including groundwater resources, subterranean ecosystem services, and the profoundly endemic subsurface biodiversity. To this end, we proffer a conservation roadmap that embodies five conceptual areas: (1) science gaps and data management needs; (2) anthropogenic stressors; (3) socioeconomic analysis and conflict resolution; (4) environmental education; and (5) national policies and multilateral agreements.Peer reviewe

Drimeotus osoiensis Moldovan 2000, n. sp.

Drimeotus osoiensis n. sp. LOCALITÉ- TYPE. — Roumanie, Monts Padurea Craiului, grotte d’Osoi (10 sur la Fig. 1). MATÉRIEL- TYPE. — Roumanie, Monts Padurea Craiului, grotte d’Osoi, 3. XI.1990, leg. O. Moldovan, 1 holotype. — Roumanie, Monts Padurea Craiului, grotte d’Osoi, 24. IV.1996, leg. O. Moldovan et G. Rajka, 27, 19. ÉTYMOLOGIE. — Cette espèce porte le nom de la grotte de provenance. Description Forme générale: courte et large, très proche de celle de l’espèce décrite ci-dessus, mais plus courte que chez D. kovacsi. Longueur du corps: 4,2 mm (entre 4,1 mm et 4,4 mm) pour les mâles et 4,4 mm (entre 4,5 mm et 4,3 mm) pour les femelles. Pronotum: sinuosité des côtés du pronotum très faible; sa base est élargie, aussi bien chez les mâles que chez les femelles. Mais, par rapport à D. kovacsi, les mâles ont le pronotum plus étroit. Élytres: chez les mâles, plus courts et plus étroits que chez D. kovacsi. Le pronotum et les élytres des femelles ne présentent pas des différences morphologiques importantes entre les deux espèces faisant partie du sixième groupe. Antennes: peu allongées chez les mâles, avec l’article 8 court, tandis que les femelles ont des antennes plus longues. Organe copulateur (Fig. 3J): plus court que chez D. racovitai, d’ailleurs le plus court dans le cadre du sous-genre, avec l’invagination très peu profonde. Ce dernier caractère est celui qui fait la différence majeure entre les espèces du sixième groupe et les autres espèces de Drimeotus s.s., tandis qu’à l’intérieur du groupe, la nouvelle espèce se distingue de D. kovacsi par la configuration des faisceaux d’épines du sac interne (Fig. 6J) qui sont plus courts.Published as part of Moldovan, Oana Teodora, 2000, Révision de Drimeotus s. s. Miller, 1856 (Coleoptera, Cholevidae, Leptodirinae) de Transylvanie (Roumanie) avec description de deux nouvelles espèces et clé de détermination des taxa, pp. 139-152 in Zoosystema 22 (1) on page 150, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.539490

Révision de Drimeotus s.s. Miller, 1856 (Coleoptera, Cholevidae, Leptodirinae) de Transylvanie (Roumanie) avec description de deux nouvelles espèces et clé de détermination des taxa

Moldovan, Oana Teodora (2000): Révision de Drimeotus s.s. Miller, 1856 (Coleoptera, Cholevidae, Leptodirinae) de Transylvanie (Roumanie) avec description de deux nouvelles espèces et clé de détermination des taxa. Zoosystema 22 (1): 139-152, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.539490

Book Review: Habitantes de la obscuridad (Fauna Ibero-Balear de las Cuevas) – Inhabitants of the darkness (Ibero-Baleric fauna of caves)

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Population size and dispersal patterns for a Drimeotus (Coleoptera, Leiodidae, Leptodirini) cave population

Drimeotus viehmanni (Coleoptera, Leiodidae) is abundant in the cave Peştera cu Apă din Valea Leşului (Western Carpathians) and was chosen for a mark-release-resight experiment. The aims of the experiment were to estimate the size of the population and to analyze the dispersal patterns inside the cave, for conservation purposes. During the three years’ study, the observed abundance of D. viehmanni was significantly higher in summer compared to the winter season. The seasonal dynamics can not be explained by climate features such as temperature and air relative humidity which had low or no variation during all seasons. Few marked beetles were re-seen during the mark-resight experiment proving the existence of an important cave/subterranean population, which was estimated between 5,084 and 533,033 individuals. The marked individuals moved between neighbouring patches on a distance of 10 m over the same amount of time as on distances longer than 200 m. Dispersal inside the cave occurs during the winter months, which indicates non-continuous behaviour triggered by environmental features and involving only a negligible part of the population in the studied cave

A tribute to Gheorge Racoviţă (1940–2015)

The article was written in the honor of the Romanian cave scientist Gheorghe Racovit