A single species of Roncus L. Koch, 1873, which was collected in the Baretina
   Lokva on Mt. Orjen, Montenegro, is new to science (R. teutae n. sp.) and
   described herein. Its diagnostic characters are illustrated and their
   distribution is provided. The possible establishment of this species of
   Roncus is presented briefly in view of the importance and analysis of its
   diagnostic characters. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br.
   173038

Dimitrijević R.N.

Makarov S.E.

Tomić V.T.

Ćurčić B.P.M.

Ćurčić Nina B.

Ćurčić S.B.

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Arch. Biol. Sci., Belgrade, 66 (1), 369-375, 2014 DOI:10.2298/ABS1401369C369BIODIVERSITY OF RONCUS L. KOCH IN MONTENEGRO – RONCUS TEUTAE N. SP.  FROM MT. ORJEN (NEOBISIIDAE, PSEUDOSCORPIONES) B. P. M. ĆURČIĆ1, R. N. DIMITRIJEVIĆ1, V. T. TOMIĆ1, S. E. MAKAROV1, NINA B. ĆURČIĆ2 and  S. B. ĆURČIĆ11 Institute of Zoology, Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia 2 Geographical Institute “Jovan Cvijić” SASA, 11000 Belgrade, SerbiaAbstract — A single species of Roncus L. Koch, 1873, which was collected in the Baretina Lokva on Mt. Orjen, Montenegro, is new to science (R. teutae n. sp.) and described herein. Its diagnostic characters are illustrated and their distribution is provided. The possible establishment of this species of Roncus is presented briefly in view of the importance and analysis of its diagnostic characters. Key words: Pseudoscorpiones, Neobisiidae, Roncus teutae n. sp., evolution, zoogeography, Mt. Orjen, Montenegro, Balkan Peninsula INTRODUCTION Over the past four decades there has been a marked increase  in  our  knowledge  of  the  Neobisiidae  of southeastern Europe (the Balkan Peninsula), and es-pecially of the representatives of the genus Roncus L. Koch, 1873, which occur in leaf litter, soil and caves (Ćurčić, 1988; Ćurčić et al., 2004). Increased interest in the soil/litter and cave ecosystems and improved sampling techniques has contributed to this knowl-edge. During a study of the ontogeny and postem-bryonic development of pseudoscorpions in Mon-tenegro, one hitherto undescribed species of Roncus was found. This paper provides descriptions of Roncus teu-tae n. sp., with some details of the comparative mor-phology of its closest congener. All specimens are mounted on slides in Swan’s fluid (gum chloral medium) and all are deposited in the Institute of Zoology, Faculty of Biology, Univer-sity of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia. Setal designations follow Beier (1963). SYSTEMATIC PART NEOBISIIDAE J. C. CHAMBERLIN, 1930 RONCUS L. KOCH, 1873 RONCUS TEUTAE B. ĆURČIĆ, NEW SPECIES (Figs. 1-16; Table 1) Etymology — After the Illyrian Queen Teuta, who reigned from approximately 231 BC to 228 BC and 370 B. P. M. ĆURČIĆ ET AL.Figs. 1 – 8. Roncus teutae n. sp., from Montenegro; holotype female: 1 – pedipalpal chela, 2 – pedipalp, 3 – chelicera, 4 – flagellum, 5 – epistome, 6 – leg IV, 7 – carapace, and 8 – female genital area. Scale lines: 0.25 mm (Figs. 1, 2, 6, and 7) and 0.50 mm (Figs. 3 – 6).BIODIVERSITY OF RONCUS L. KOCH IN MONTENEGRO – RONCUS TEUTAE N. SP. FROM MT. ORJEN 371Figs. 1 – 9. Roncus teutae n. sp., from Montenegro; allotype male: 9 – pedipalpal chela, 10 – pedipalp, 11 – leg IV, 12 – flagellum, 13 – epistome, 14 – chelicera, 15 – carapace, 16 – male genital area. Scale lines: 0.25 mm (Figs. 9 – 11, and 15) and 0.50 mm (Figs. 12 – 14, and 16).372 B. P. M. ĆURČIĆ ET AL.Table 1. Linear measurements (in millimeters) and morphometric ratios in Roncus teutae n. sp., and R. bosniensis B. Ćurčić & Rađa. Abbreviations: F = female, M = male.R. teutae n. sp. R. bosniensis F                   M  MCharacterBodyLength (1) 2.91               2.76 2.47CephalothoraxLength (2) 0.75               0.71 0.72Breadth (2a) 0.62 0.58Ratio 2/2a 1.21              1.145 1.24AbdomenLength 2.05               2.16 1.75CheliceraeLength (3) 0.44               0.43 0.40Breadth (4) 0.23 0.21Length of movable finger (5) 0.275           0.285 0.285Ratio 3/5 1.60               1.51 1.40Ratio 3/4 1.91               1.87 1.90PedipalpsLength with coxa (6) 3.79               3.72 3.41Ratio 6/1 1.30               1.35 1.38Length of coxa 0.56               0.54 0.54Length of trochanter 0.47               0.45 0.44Length of femur (7) 0.76               0.78 0.73Breadth of femur (8) 0.23               0.21 0.20Ratio 7/8 3.30               3.71 3.65Ratio 7/2 1.01               1.10 1.01Length of patella (tibia) (9)  0.62               0.63 0.61Breadth of patella (tibia) (10)  0.295            0.285 0.275Ratio 9/10 2.10               2.21 2.22Length of chela (11) 1.38               1.32 1.09Breadth of chela (12) 0.42               0.41 0.39Ratio 11/12 3.285             3.22 2.79Length of chelal palm (13)  0.68               0.64 0.57Ratio 13/12 1.62               1.56 1.46Length of chelal finger (14)  0.70               0.68 0.52Ratio 14/13 1.03               1.06 0.91Leg IVTotal length 2.535            2.595 2.41Length of coxa  0.38               0.36 0.35Length of trochanter (15) 0.315            0.305 0.305Breadth of trochanter (16) 0.16               0.15 0.13Ratio 15/16 1.97               2.03 2.35Length of femur + patella (17) 0.68               0.76 0.66Breadth of femur + patella (18) 0.23 0.275Ratio 17/18 2.96               3.30 2.40Length of tibia (19) 0.60               0.61 0.60Breadth of tibia (20) 0.12 0.11Ratio 19/20 5.00               5.08 5.45Length of metatarsus (21)  0.20               0.21 0.19Breadth of metatarsus (22) 0.09 0.09Ratio 21/22 2.22               2.33 2.11Length of tarsus (23) 0.36               0.35 0.305Breadth of tarsus (24) 0.08 0.07Ratio 23/24 4.50              4.375 4.36TS ratio - tibia IV 0.63 0.54TS ratio - metatarsus IV 0.20               0.19 0.26TS ratio - tarsus IV 0.31               0.38 0.63BIODIVERSITY OF RONCUS L. KOCH IN MONTENEGRO – RONCUS TEUTAE N. SP. FROM MT. ORJEN 373chose Risan (Rhizon) as her capital during the war against the Romans. Material examined — Holotype female and allotype male from the Baretina Lokva, Mt. Orjen, Montene-gro, collected on 04 July 1997.Description — The dorsal side of the carapace is long-er than broad (Table 1). The epistome is small, trian-gular, setal formulae are 4 + 6 + 8 +6 =24 (female) and 4 + 6 + 8 + 8 = 26 (male). A single pair of eyes re-moved from the anterior bodyline by about one and a half ocular diameter (Figs. 7 and 15). The number of setae carried on tergites I – X is variable. In the female, tergite I carries 7 setae, tergite II – 10, tergite III – 12, tergite IV – 12, tergite V – 13, tergite VI – 14, tergite VII – 13, tergite VIII – 13, tergite IX – 12, and tergite X – 11 setae. In the male, tergites I – X carry 7 – 10 – 11 – 12 – 11 – 12 – 13 – 12 – 12 – 10 setae. Pleural membranes granulostriate. Twelfth abdominal segment with two pairs of small setae.The first visible sternite represents sternite II. In the female, sternite II has 11 tiny setae; sternite III has 14 posterior setae and 3 suprastigmatic micro-setae on each side. Sternite IV has 10 posterior setae and 3 small setae along each of the stigma. Sternites V – X carry 15 – 15 – 16 – 15 – 15 – 14 setae. In the male, sternite II carries a dense cluster of 20 setae; of these 9 setae are found on the posterior sternal mar-gin. Sternite III has 9 anterior, 11 posterior, and 2 or 3 suprastigmatic microsetae on either side; sternite IV has 12 posterior setae and 2 or 3 microsetae along each stigma. Sternites V – X have 15 – 14 – 14 – 14 – 13 – 13 setae. The form of the chelicerae is similar in both sexes (Figs. 3 and 14); the tubercle of the movable cheli-ceral finger is a low hyaline convexity (Figs. 3 and 14). The movable and fixed cheliceral fingers have a variable number of teeth with proximal and dis-tal members of each series the smallest. The teeth of the movable finger end just below the galeal seta (gl). Six setae occur along the palm of the chelicera (Figs. 3 and 14). The cheliceral flagellum carries one short proximal blade and seven longer distal blades (Figs. 4 and 12). All are pinnate on at least the terminal half of the upper surfaces. In general, the chelicera is less than two-fold longer than broad (Table 1). The manducatory process of the pedipalpal coxa carries 4 long setae. The pedipalpal femur is granu-lated anteriorly as is the interior and lateral part of the pedipalpal chela (Figs. 1, 2, 9, and 10). These tu-bercles are absent on the pedipalpal tibia. The movable finger of the pedipalpal chela car-ries 46 (female) and 51 (male) teeth that are square-topped in the proximal range of the series and are similar on the fixed finger. The form of the teeth on the fixed finger is variable (38 in female, 41 in male); the most distal pointed teeth, slightly asymmetrical, give way to teeth with rounded tops and these are gradually  replaced  proximally  by  shorter  flattened teeth. Four trichobothria are carried on the movable finger and eight on the fixed finger of the chela (Figs. 1 and 9). Two to four small setae are found distal to the trichobothria eb and esb (Figs. 1 and 9). The pedi-palpal femur is 3.30 (female) and 3.70 (male) times as long as broad (Table 1). This podomere is as short as the carapace (Table 1). The pedipalpal patella (tib-ia) is 2.10 (female) and 2.21 (male) times as long as broad. The pedipalpal chela length-to-breadth ratio is between 3.285 (female) and 3.22 (male). Leg IV (Figs. 6 and 11): tibia, metatarsus, and tar-sus each carry a long tactile seta. The measurements of different body structures and morphometric ratios are presented in Table 1. Remarks and distribution — The discovery of the new representative of Roncus in Montenegro sup-ports the fact that the taxonomy of this genus is still far from being complete (Ćurčić, 1972, 1984, 1988, 1992a, b; Ćurčić and Beron, 1981; Ćurčić et al., 1993, 2004, 2010a, b, c, d, e, f, g; 2011a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h; 2012a, b, c, d, e, f; 2013a, b; Hadži, 1937). The va-riety of cave-dwelling species of Roncus described 374 B. P. M. ĆURČIĆ ET AL.elsewhere by Ćurčić et al. (2004), offers further proof that this taxon at present subjected to intensive ra-diation or divergent differentiation into new species. Furthermore, the diversity of Roncus representatives in  the  Balkan  regions  bordering  on  Montenegro (Ćurčić, 1984; Ćurčić and Beron, 1981), compared to the same features in the other areas, points to the Balkan Peninsula as a center of origin and genesis of numerous forms of this taxon. In addition, the oc-currence of numerous Roncus species with extremely limited distribution areas demonstrates their endem-ic nature. Acknowledgments — This study is financially supported by the Serbian Ministry of Education, Science and Technologi-cal Development (Grant # 173038). REFERENCES Beier,  M.  (1963).  Ordnung  Pseudoscorpionidea  (Afterskorpi-one). In : Bestimmungsbücher zur Bodenfauna Europas, Vol. 1. - Akademie Verlag, Berlin, 1-313. Ćurčić, B. P. M. (1972). Nouveaux pseudoscorpions cavernicoles de la Serbie et de la Macédoine. Acta Mus. Mac. Sc. Nat. Skopje 12, 141-161. Ćurčić, B. P. M. (1984). On two new species of Roncus L. Koch, 1873,  from  Macedonia  (Arachnida:  Pseudoscorpiones: Neobisiidae). Senckenbergiana biol., 65, 97-104. Ćurčić, B. P. M. (1988). Cave-Dwelling Pseudoscorpions of the Di-naric Karst. - Acad. Sci. Art. Slov., Cl. IV, Hist. Nat., Opera 26, Inst. Biol. Ioannis Hadži, 8, Ljubljana, 1-192. Ćurčić, B. P. M. (1992a). 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Biodiversity of Roncus L. Koch in Montenegro - Roncus teutae n. sp. from Mt. Orjen (Neobisiidae, Pseudoscorpiones)

A single species of Roncus L. Koch, 1873, which was collected in the Baretina
   Lokva on Mt. Orjen, Montenegro, is new to science (R. teutae n. sp.) and
   described herein. Its diagnostic characters are illustrated and their
   distribution is provided. The possible establishment of this species of
   Roncus is presented briefly in view of the importance and analysis of its
   diagnostic characters.</jats:p

Biodiversity of Roncus L. Koch in Montenegro - Roncus teutae n. sp. from Mt. Orjen (Neobisiidae, Pseudoscorpiones)

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