Aphaobius haraldi Faille, Ribera & Fresneda, 2016, sp. n.
Creators: name: Faille, Arnaud
name: Ribera, Ignacio
name: Fresneda, Javier
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2016
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Leiodidae
Aphaobius
Aphaobius haraldi

description: Aphaobius haraldi sp. n.
(Figs 1,2,3,5)
Type locality. Austria, Bad Vellach, Vellacher Kotschna, 960m, 46°24'11"N 14°33'56"E.
Type series. Holotype: 1 male: “ Austria - Kärnten / Bad Vellach / 20.V/ 19.VIII. 2011 ” “piège MSS / A. Faille rec.”, deposited in Zoologische Staatssammlung München (ZSM), Germany.
Paratypes. 11 ♂♂ and 15 ♀♀, 20.V/ 19.VIII.2011 (CFL), 4 ♂♂ and 8 ♀♀ (CAF), 3 ♂♂ and 4 ♀♀ (CMP), same locality than the holotype 03.XI.2011 - 03.V.2012; 50 exx, Coll. MNHN, ZSM, CAF, CCB, CHM. 8 exx. preserved in absolute ethanol (IBE) (the head of one of them has been dissected and metallized for SEM observation); 1 specimen used for DNA extraction and sequencing, voucher No. IBE-RA629 (IBE).
Diagnosis. The external morphology of the species is similar to that of the other species of the genus in the same geographic area, from which it can be readily separated by the conformation of the parameres, which are strongly dilated at the apex.
Description of the holotype. Length: 2.9 mm. General color yellowish-brown (Fig. 1).
Head. Anophthalmous (Fig. 2). Antennae slender, all antennomeres longer than wide, eighth shorter but ca. twice as long as wide (Figs 3,4; Table 3).
Pronotum transverse, Width = 1.12 mm / length = 0.72 mm, largest width near base, sides moderately arcuate, parallel near base. Surface covered with clearly visible polygonal meshes, each containing a seta.
Elytra elongated, width (both elytra) = 1.36 mm / length = 1.9 mm, as wide as base of pronotum, largest width near middle. Without longitudinal or sutural striae. Microsculpture consisting of well visible transverse meshes covered with long decumbent pubescence.
Legs proportionally long, without protarsal dilatation.
Aedeagus. Median lobe wide, elongated, rounded and flat at apex, moderately curved in lateral view. Parameres strongly enlarged at apex (Fig. 5), longer than median lobe.
Inner sac of aedeagus (endophallus) formed by two sections: (1) basal section, with a structure forming an inverted “Y”, a curved transverse feather-like structure (= phanera), two strongly sclerotized and symmetrical curved phanera separated by a median stylus, and two triangular symmetrical and weakly sclerotized phanera; (2) apical section, formed by two reinforcement bands, apparently part of a lamina inserted on the base of the aedeagus.
Females. Wider than males, more globular, elytra more convex (width: 1.5 mm / length: 2.0 mm), antennae shorter than male (Table 3).
Etymology. The species is dedicated to our friend Harald Mixanig, speleologist and biospeleologist of Klagenfurt, in recognition of his invaluable help during our field trips to the cavities of Carinthia.
Remarks. The morphology of A. haraldi sp. n. is typical of the genus Aphaobius: body shape stocky, median lobe of the aedeagus elongated and rounded at apex, moderately curved in lateral view, without dilatation of the male protarsi. Nevertheless, it can be readily separated from other species of the genus by the large parameres, with an enlarged apical part, a unique feature among species of Aphaobius (Fig. 5). The shape of the apex of the median lobe is also characteristic, flat in lateral view, with a rounder apical part in dorsal view (Fig. 5). The species belongs to the " A. kraussi group" sensu Bognolo & Vailati (2010). This species group is characterized by parameres clearly longer than the median lobe, which is thickened at apex. All the species of this group occur north of the Sava river (Bognolo & Vailati 2010) (Fig. 6).
The new species was discovered in a cold limestone MSS not far from the Slovenian border. This MSS had already been sampled by other authors, and it is known to host the remarkable cave Trechini Aphaenopidius kamnikensis Drovenik, 1987 (Drovenik et al. 2007). Aphaobius haraldi sp. n. was collected in the deepest reachable area of the scree, by means of pitfall traps containing propylene glycol baited with cheese. The Agyrtidae Necrophilus subterraneus Dahl, 1807 was also found together with its larva as well as two species of Catops (C. tristis (Panzer, 1794) and C. subfuscus Kellner, 1846).
description: Published as part of Faille, Arnaud, Ribera, Ignacio & Fresneda, Javier, 2016, On the genus Aphaobius Abeille de Perrin, 1878, with description of a new species from the mesovoid shallow substratum (MSS) of Austria (Coleoptera: Leiodidae: Cholevinae: Leptodirini) in Zootaxa 4169 (1), DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4169.1.2, http://zenodo.org/record/258609