Lovricia aenigmatica, n. sp., a highly specialized troglobitic carabid beetle from a nameless 51 m deep pit in the Biokovo Mts. (Croatia, Middle Dalmatia) is described, illustrated and compared with the related species Lovricia jalzici Pretner, 1979.Rad donosi opis i crtež visokospecijalizirane vrste troglobiontskog kornjaša Lovricia aenigmatica iz 51 m duboke jame na Biokovu (Hrvatska, središnja Dalmacija). Vrsta se uspoređuje s L. jalzici Pretner, 1979

B. Jalžić

J. Lakota

R. Mlejnek

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ISSN 1330-0520 original scientific paper / izvorni znanstveni radUDK 595.762:551.442(497–5/1–13)LOVRICIA AENIGMATICA – A NEW SPECIESOF TROGLOBITIC BEETLE FROM CROATIA(COLEOPTERA: CARABIDAE)JÁN LAKOTA1, ROMAN MLEJNEK2 & BRANKO JAL@I]31 Lesná 15/9, SK–034 01 Ru`omberok, Slovak Republic (jan.lakota@scprbk.sk)2 Antroherpon, Biospeleological Organization of the Czech Speleological Society,Jana Zajíce 865, CZ–530 12 Pardubice, Czech Republic (antroherpon@atlas.cz)3 Department of Zoology, Croatian Natural History Museum, Demetrova 1,HR–10 000 Zagreb, Croatia (branko.jalzic@hpm.hr)Lakota, J., Mlejnek, R. & Jal`i}, B.: Lovricia aenigmatica – a new species of troglobitic beetlefrom Croatia (Coleoptera: Carabidae). Nat. Croat., Vol. 11, No. 1., 19–25, 2002, Zagreb.Lovricia aenigmatica, n. sp., a highly specialized troglobitic carabid beetle from a nameless 51 mdeep pit in the Biokovo Mts. (Croatia, Middle Dalmatia) is described, illustrated and comparedwith the related species Lovricia jalzici Pretner, 1979.Keywords: Coleoptera, Carabidae, Lovricia, new species, Croatia, Biokovo Mts., troglobiticLakota, J., Mlejnek, R. & Jal`i}, B.: Lovricia aenigmatica – nova vrsta troglobiontskog kor-nja{a iz Hrvatske (Coleoptera: Carabidae). Nat. Croat., Vol. 11, No. 1., 19–25, 2002, Zagreb.Rad donosi opis i crte` visokospecijalizirane vrste troglobiontskog kornja{a Lovricia aenigmaticaiz 51 m duboke jame na Biokovu (Hrvatska, sredi{nja Dalmacija). Vrsta se uspore|uje s L. jalziciPretner, 1979.Klju~ne rije~i: Coleoptera, Carabidae, Lovricia, new species, Croatia, Biokovo Mts., troglobiticINTRODUCTIONIn 1976, Branko Jal`i} discovered a small carabid beetle in the cave »Gospodska{pilja« near the village of Cetina. Later, this beetle was described by PRETNER (1979)as a new species of a new genus – Lovricia jalzici. Only this single holotypical fe-male specimen of this genus has been known so far. However, Roman Mlejnek,during biospeleological researches in the Biokovo Mts., has recently found a cara-bid specimen which can be attributed to this genus, although belonging to a newspecies.NAT. CROAT. VOL. 11 No 1 19¿25 ZAGREB March 31, 2002Croatian Natural History Museum, Demetrova 1, Zagreb, Croatia20 Lakota, J. et al.: Lovricia aenigmatica – a new species of troglobitic beetle from CroatiaFig. 1. Lovricia aenigmatica n. sp. holotype female, habitus – J. Kobylák del. 1999LOVRICIA AENIGMATICA, N. SP.Type material:Holotype, female, labelled: Croatia, Middle Dalmatia, Biokovo Mts., peak Sv.Jure. env., deep pit cave, (absolute altitude) 1450 m, –25 m, 18.8.1999, R. Mlejnek lgt.Paratype, male, labelled: same data as holotype, but 12.8.1998, R. Mlejnek lgt.Holotype and paratype are deposited in the Croatian Natural History Museum,Zagreb.DESCRIPTION AND DIAGNOSISThe whole body is pale yellow brown; mouthparts, antennae and tarsi are slight-ly paler. The surface is covered by fine semi-lustrous flake-shaped microsculptureand very fine dispersed hairs, which almost vanish in the central parts of the head,elytra, and especially pronotum. Total length (measured from the apex of mandi-bles to the apex of elytra): female 2.93 mm, male 2.90 mm. Body slender, but morerobust than in Lovricia jalzici; ratio width (measured maximum width of elytra) /totallength: 0.30.Head conspicuously large; width/length ratio (measured from apex of mandi-bles to anterior margin of pronotum): 0.63. Eyes totally absent. Head slightly butevidently widened posteriorly. Dorsal surface with fine lateral impressions approxi-mately in the middle of the length. Top of the head with two parallel elongated im-pressions with a bit more granulate microsculpture, both having a little dark spotin the middle. Base of antennae with inconspicuously X-shaped shallow engravedlines with apparently rougher microsculpture. Total length of antennae: female 1.57mm, male: 1.55 mm. Mandibles long and slender, moderately incurved. Length ofmandibles (male and female): 0.2 mm. Maxillae are evidently prominent, with shortprickly hair. Terminal segment of maxillary palpi pointed, awl-shaped. Antennaeshort, their apical segment reaching the subhumeral setiferous pore of the elytron.Pronotum slender, roundly trapezoidal, a little narrower than the head. Anteriorpronotal margin apparently convex. Width / length ratio: female 0.81, male 0.85.Pronotum with fine median furrow surrounded by two parallel, shallow impres-sions with slightly rougher microsculpture. Two short, but relatively thick setae aresituated below the anterior pronotal angles. Posterior pronotal angles with denserand rougher microsculpture.Elytra almost flat, very finely marginated, posteriorly widened. Their maximumwidth at 2/3 of length. Humeral angles distinct. Width/length ratio: female 0.54,male 0.51. Each elytron has three setiferous pores with long, but very thin setae:subhumeral, subapical and apical; moreover, one short seta is situated immediatelyclose to the apex of each elytron. Elytral striae totally missing.Mesotibiae widened, angulate and arcuate outside at apex as in L. jalzici.Sexual dimorphism: Both specimens show very small morphological differencesfrom each other: the female has a finer microstructure of the body, pubescence isthe same for both sexes, the right metafemura in the male bearing two small spinesNat. Croat. Vol. 11(1), 2002 21(Fig. 2), the apical one is bigger; left metafemura bearing inconspicuous spines.Metafemurae in female are smooth (Fig. 3), protarsi are similar in both sexes, non--dilated in the male.Key to species of the genus Lovricia Pretner, 1979:1 (2) Body smaller and slender, ratio width/length 0,25. Head widest in first partof the third of total length, maximum width of elytra at 1/2 of total length, anten-nae longer, overhang the subhumeral setiferous pore of elytron. 2,60 mm. Croatia,Dinara Mts., (Cetine env.), Gospodska {pilja cave...….…...... L. jalzici Pretner, 19792 (1) Body bigger and more robust, ratio width/length 0,3. Head widest in lastpart of the third of total length, maximum width of elytra at 2/3 of total length, an-tennae shorter, reaching the subhumeral setiferous pore of elytron. 2,90 – 2,93 mm.Croatia, Biokovo Mts, nameless 51 m deep pit.……….…..L. aenigmatica, n. sp.22 Lakota, J. et al.: Lovricia aenigmatica – a new species of troglobitic beetle from CroatiaFig. 2. Paratype male, right metafemuraFig. 3. Holotype female, right metafemuraDimensions of Lovricia aenigmatica n. sp. (in mm):Lovricia aenigmatica, n. sp.Total lengthFEMALE2,93MALE2,90Maximum width 0,9 0,85Segments of body width length width lengthMandibles 0,2 0,2Head (without mandibles) 0,47 0,55 0,47 0,55Pronotum 0,42 0,52 0,42 0,5Elytra 0,9 1,65 0,85 1,65Antenna (total lenght) 1,75 1,55NAME DERIVATIONThe specific epithet aenigmatica derives from the Latin adjective aenigmaticus, thatmeans – enigmatic (the root is from the word aenigma), reflecting the unknownbionomy and the uncertain taxonomic position of this taxon.NOTESince the male genitalia were immature, they were damaged during the prepara-tion and we are not able to give a description. Therefore we designate the female asthe holotype. The description of the female genitalia of L. aenigmatica will be fur-nished together with L. jalzici in the next contribution to the taxonomic position ofthe genus Lovricia. The problem of the male genitalia remains open.NOTES ON ECOLOGY AND THE TAXONOMIC STATUSThe finding of a new species of Lovricia is remarkable from both the ecologicaland taxonomic points of view. The type species of the genus was discovered in thecave ’Gospodska {pilja’ at the low altitude of only 400 m a.s.l. (JAL@I], 1973) UTM:XJ17 in the Querco – Carpinetum orientalis ass. This is highly in contrast with thetype locality of L. aenigmatica, which is situated 90 km south-eastwards in a moun-tainous area at 1450 m a.s.l., UTM: XY60, in a Homogyno alpinae – Fagetum silvaticaeass. The new finding locality is a pit without a name, investigated by speleologistsfrom Makarska in 1993. It is situated in the area called Lipi do~i}, south west of Sv.Jure peak. The pit is 51 metres deep and of simple morphology (Fig. 4). Air tempera-tures measured during 4 visits ranged from 1.2 °C (03.05.1999) to 3.6 °C (01.10.1998).Besides the n. sp., there were also other beetles in the pit: Roubaliella biocovensisJeannel, 1925 and Speoplanes giganteus biocovensis J. Müller, 1934. The excessive scar-city of specimens of this genus probably arises from their very hidden bionomy.These beetles probably live in a system of microcaverns and fissures, whence theymigrate to larger caves or accessible abysses only exceptionally. Sometimes, theymigrate from ground microfissures following running water in the ground of caves.The description of the new L. aenigmatica supplements and improves the peculiarmorphological characters of this genus, but does not make precise its taxonomicposition in the family Carabidae. The generic diagnosis of Lovricia is relatively veryclear: – pointed, awl-shaped apical segment of maxillary palpi; middle tibiae, wid-ened and incurved posteriorly outside; typical position of fixed setiferous poreswith very long and thin setae; lack of elytral striae and very small size.The taxonomic position of this genus, however, is not satisfactory. CASALE &LANEYRIE (1982) list it at the end of the subfamily Trechinae among »the generawith an uncertain taxonomic position«. It could be attributed to a distinct tribe ofcarabids of uncertain position at the moment. The question of the taxonomic posi-tion, or allocation of a new tribus of the family Carabidae remains accordinglyopen and will be discussed as further material – mature males, in particular – be-comes available.Nat. Croat. Vol. 11(1), 2002 23ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSProf. Dr. A. Casale (Sassari, Italy), Prof. A. Vigna Taglianti (Roma, Italy), Prof. G.Nonveiller (Zemun, Yugoslavia), Ing. P. Hlavá~ (Ru`omberok, Slovakia), Dr. R. Lo-haj (Ko{ice, Slovakia) and Dr. V. Franc (Banská Bystrica, Slovakia) are greatly to bethanked for their critical comments to the manuscript and Mr. J. Kobylák (Praha,Czech Republic) for original colour painting of this species.Received October 25, 200124 Lakota, J. et al.: Lovricia aenigmatica – a new species of troglobitic beetle from CroatiaFig. 4. Pit profileREFERENCESCASALE, A. & LANEYRIE, R., 1982: Trechodinae et Trechinae du monde. (Tableau des sous –families, tribus, séries phylétiques, generes, et catalogue géneral des espéces.). Memoriesde biospeleologie 9, Moulis, Saint-Girons, 226 pp.JAL@I], B., 1973: Gospodska pe}ina kod izvora Cetine. (Gospodska cave near the village ofCetina.). Na{e planine 25(9–10), 199–201.JAL@I], B., 1983: Pregled istra`ivanja faune kornja{a (Coleoptera) spilja i jama Biokova. (Re-view of the beetle fauna from caves and abysses of Biokovo). Acta biokovica 2, 171–178.PRETNER, E., 1979: Lovricia jalzici novi rod i nova vrsta podzemnog kornja{a (Coleoptera,Carabidae) iz Dalmacije. Lovricia jalzici – a new species and genus of subterraneous beetles(Coleoptera, Carabidae) from Dalmatia. Razred za prirodne znanosti 18, Zagreb, 377–385.Nat. Croat. Vol. 11(1), 2002 25

Lovricia aenigmatica – nova vrsta troglobiontskog kornjaša iz Hrvatske (Coleoptera: Carabidae)

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