[Entomology • 2023] Potamophylax humoinsapiens (Trichoptera: Limnephilidae) • A New Species from the Sharr Mountains, Republic of Kosovo

 

Potamophylax humoinsapiens Ibrahimi & Bilalli, 

in Ibrahimi, Bilalli, Gashi, Kotori, Stamenkovič & Geci, 2023.

DOI:  10.3897/BDJ.11.e97969

Abstract

Background: 

The Sharr Mountains are one of the most important hotspots of terrestrial and freshwater biodiversity in the Balkan Peninsula, with many endemic and rare species. The caddisfly studies in this area increased during the past years, although insufficiently investigated areas still remain.

New information: 

In this paper, we describe a new species, Potamophylax humoinsapiens sp. n. from the Sharr Mountains in the Republic of Kosovo, which is morphologically closest to Potamophylax idliri Ibrahimi, Bilalli & Kučinić, 2022 and Potamophylax juliani Kumanski, 1999. The males of the new species differ from all known species of the Potamophylax winneguthi Species Group by their uniquely-shaped parameres, which are long, bulbous in their basal half and thin in the remaining length, with a bunch of very thin and long, hair-like spines, grouped uniformly at the apex. The new species further differs from its most similar congeners by its very wide distance between the dorsal and ventral edges of the apical part of inferior appendages in lateral view. The new species was found at three localities from 1416 to 1505 m a.s.l.

Similar to the other species of the Potamophylax winneguthi Species Group, which have very narrow distribution areas, we posit that Potamophylax humoinsapiens sp. n. is a microendemic of the Sharr Mountains. The new species is the second known caddisfly species occurring only in the Kosovan part of the Sharr Mountains.

Keywords: endemic species, Western Balkans, Potamophylax winneguthi Species Group, microscale distribution

Male adult of Potamophylax humoinsapiens sp. n.

Male genitalia of Potamophylax humoinsapiens sp. n.: A. left lateral view; B. dorsal view.

Potamophylax humoinsapiens Ibrahimi & Bilalli, sp. n.

Etymology: The species epithet is a combination of two Latin words, ‘humo’, which in English means ‘to cover with soil, to bury’ and ‘insapiens’ meaning ‘unwise’ and refers to the unwise and careless treatment of habitats of the new species, degraded greatly during the past years by hydropower plants and other activities. In some segments, the whole parts of the Lepenc River are ‘buried’ in large pipes.

Ecology: Potamophylax humoinsapiens sp. n. was found at three localities during 2021 in the Sharr Mountains, in the tributaries of the Lepenc River. All sampling sites are located inside a forested area. The substrates of streams close to the sampling sites were dominated by meso- to macrolithal substrate, surrounded by dense riparian vegetation. The species was captured only by ultraviolet light traps. The species was collected during October and November, implying it has an autumn flying period. All sampling sites are located in upstream sections of streams and rivers.

Type locality of Potamophylax humoinsapiens sp. n.: a tributary of the Lepenc River along the Brezovicë - Prevallë road.

 Halil Ibrahimi, Astrit Bilalli, Agim Gashi, Linda Grapci Kotori, Valentina Slavevska Stamenkovič and Donard Geci. 2023. Potamophylax humoinsapiens sp. n. (Trichoptera, Limnephilidae), A New Species from the Sharr Mountains, Republic of Kosovo. Biodiversity Data Journal. 11: e97969.  DOI:  10.3897/BDJ.11.e97969

[Entomology • 2021] Rhyacophila siparantum (Trichoptera: Rhyacophilidae) • A New Species of the R. philopotamoides Species Group from the Republic of Kosovo with Molecular and Ecological Notes

Rhyacophila siparantum Ibrahimi, Bilalli & Kučinić, 

in Ibrahimi, Hlebec, Bilalli, Musliu, Previšić, ... & Kučinić, 2021. 

DOI: 10.37828/em.2021.49.1 

 facebook.com/IbrahimiH 

 Abstract

In this study we describe Rhyacophila siparantum sp. nov., a new species of the Rhyacophila philopotamoides species group from the Bjeshkët e Nemuna Mountains in Kosovo, based on morphological (male adults) and molecular (sequencing of the barcode region of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene (COI)) characteristics. The new species is morphologically closest to Rhyacophila schmidinarica Urbanič, Krušnik & Malicky, 2000, and also closely resembling Rhyacophila hirticornis McLachlan, 1879. R. siparantum sp. nov. differs from both its most similar congeners primarily by the shape of the segment X, which is in lateral view short apically and with a pronounced lateral hump on the posterior edge. This difference, combined with other characters related to the shape of the second segment of inferior appendages, spine pattern of parameres and size of ventral teeth on segments VI and VII, make R. siparantum sp. nov. easily distinguishable from both most similar congeners. Phylogenetic and taxonomic relationships were reconstructed using two methods of phylogenetic inference, and two species delimitation methods. All this supports Rhyacophila siparantum sp. nov. as a distinct taxon.

The adults of Rhyacophila siparantum sp. nov. were found during the period May – August, nearby a small rheocrene spring inside a forested area. The new species is most probably a microendemic of the Bjeshkët e Nemuna, a mountainous massive known for several other endemic species of caddisflies. Rhyacophila siparantum sp. nov. is the seventeenth known species of the genus Rhyacophila Pictet, 1834 from Kosovo.

Key words: Balkans, Bjeshkët e Nemuna, Rugova, DNA barcoding, endemic species, Rhyacophila hirticornis, Rhyacophila orobica, Rhyacophila schmidinarica, spring diversity, species delimitation.

Male of Rhyacophila siparantum sp. nov.

Rhyacophila siparantum Ibrahimi, Bilalli & Kučinić, sp. nov.

Etymology: Species epithet ‘siparantum’ refers to the old name of Pejë town in western Kosovo, which stands at the foothills of Rugovë, a mountain where the new species, Rhyacophila siparantum sp. nov. was found.

Halil Ibrahimi, Dora Hlebec, Astrit Bilalli, Milaim Musliu, Ana Previšić, Agim Gashi, Linda Grapci-Kotori, Darko Cerjanec, Donard Geci and Mladen Kučinić. 2021. Rhyacophila siparantum sp. nov. (Trichoptera: Rhyacophilidae), A New Species of the R. philopotamoides Species Group from the Republic of Kosovo with Molecular and Ecological Notes. Ecologica Montenegrina. 49; 1-19. DOI: 10.37828/em.2021.49.1

  facebook.com/IbrahimiH/posts/10160276692218109

Researchgate.net/publication/357251075_Rhyacophila_siparantum_a_new_species_from_Republic_of_Kosovo

[Entomology • 2021] Potamophylax coronavirus (Trichoptera: Limnephilidae) • A New Species from Bjeshkët e Nemuna National Park in the Republic of Kosovo, with Molecular and Ecological Notes

Potamophylax coronavirus Ibrahimi, Bilalli & Vitecek, 

in Ibrahimi, Bilalli, Vitecek, Pauls, ... et Kasumaj, 2021. 

DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.9.e64486

Abstract

Background: 

The Western Balkans are an important hotspot of caddisfly diversity in Europe, with several microscale endemics, many of which were discovered during the recent years. The genus Potamophylax Wallengren, 1891 likely originated and diversified in Europe, with the Balkan Peninsula being one of the most important diversity hotspots.

New information: 

In this paper, we describe the new species Potamophylax coronavirus sp. n. from Bjeshkët e Nemuna National Park in the Republic of Kosovo. The new species belongs to the Potamophylax winneguthi species group and is morphologically most similar to Potamophylax juliani Kumanski, 1999, currently known only from Bulgaria and Potamophylax winneguthi Klapalek, 1902, known from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia. The male of the new species differs from its most similar congeners mainly in exhibiting: (1) elongated subrectangular superior appendages in lateral view; (2) hardly acuminate, almost rounded apex of intermediate appendages; (3) differently shaped, irregular and higher inferior appendages; (4) narrow spinate area, roughly rectangular in dorsal view, slightly wider at the base and (5) different paramere shape and/or spine pattern. The new species also differs by its considerably smaller size and association with open, high altitude eucrenal zones.

The uncorrected interspecific pairwise distance between P. coronavirus and other species of the P. winneguthi species group is on par with those amongst other recognised species in the group, as well as with the yet ambiguously identified taxa from the Sharr, Rila and Bajgorë Mountains.

The new species is most probably a microendemic of Bjeshkët e Nemuna, thus highlighting further this area as an important hotspot of caddisfly biodiversity in Europe.

Keywords: rare species, caddisflies, Balkans, Potamophylax winneguthi species group, microscale endemism

Figure 3. Male adult of Potamophylax coronavirus sp. n.

Figure 2. Adults of Potamophylax coronavirus sp. n. in copulation. 

Potamophylax coronavirus Ibrahimi, Bilalli & Vitecek, sp. n.

Diagnosis: Males of the new species are most similar to Potamophylax juliani, currently known only from Bulgaria and Potamophylax winneguthi, known from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia, but differ in exhibiting: (1) elongated subrectangular superior appendages in lateral view, slightly narrowing at their base, rounded at the apex; (2) hardly acuminate, almost rounded apex of intermediate appendages in lateral view; (3) differently shaped inferior appendages, bulging dorsally at the area between them and segment IX in lateral view, with high and broad upper protruding portion, with a narrow distance between dorsal and ventral corners of the upper portion, which are set parallel to each other and directed mesially; (4) spinate area narrow, roughly rectangular in dorsal view, only slightly wider at the base and (5) short stout parameres with base wider than the apex and short, very thick spines originating below the apex, only slightly reaching above the apex and few other smaller ones proximally. Potamophylax juliani males have: (1) small, laterally rounded, ovoid superior appendages; (2) long, slender intermediate appendages with sharply acuminate apex in lateral view; (3) rather short inferior appendages, with a shortened protruding upper portion as high as half of the entire appendage’s height, with a wide distance between dorsal and ventral corners, which are set parallel to each other and directed mesially; (4) spinate area in dorsal view narrow at the apex and almost three times wider at the base and (5) short stout parameres with very wide basal third and narrow apex, with 15 – 20 thick spines of medium length originating mostly from the tip. Potamophylax winneguthi males have: (1) small, laterally semicircular superior appendages; (2) long slender intermediate appendages with acuminate apex; (3) inferior appendages parallel-edged, dorsally truncated in a rectangular manner, longer on their ventral edge, directed dorsad; (4) spinate area wide, covering almost the entire width of the distal portion of segment VIII in dorsal view and (5) short stout parallel-edged parameres with almost same width along the entire length, only slightly narrower at their middle part, with 5-7 very long spines originating from distal half.

The new species also differs from both of its most similar congeners by its considerably smaller size and different type of habitat, inhabiting open high altitude eucrenal zones.

Etymology: The species epithet coronavirus relates to the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) which caused a global pandemia starting 2020. The current paper was written during the quarantine time due to the pandemics. The species epithet also emphasises figuratively another silent pandemic occurring on freshwater organisms in Kosovo rivers, due to the pollution and degradation of freshwater habitats, including particularly the increased activity of mismanaged hydropower plants.

Figure 1. Pictures of type locality of  Potamophylax coronavirus sp. n.: Krojet e Ali Pashë Gucisë.

Distribution: During the field survey in the Bjeshkët e Nemuna Mountains, we found Potamophylax coronavirus sp. n. at only two localities within a 3 km perimeter, although several other springs and brooks were sampled.

 Halil Ibrahimi, Astrit Bilalli, Simon Vitecek, Steffen U. Pauls, Felicitas Erzinger, Agim Gashi, Linda Grapci Kotori, Donard Geci, Milaim Musliu and Edison Kasumaj. 2021. Potamophylax coronavirus sp. n. (Trichoptera: Limnephilidae), A New Species from Bjeshkët e Nemuna National Park in the Republic of Kosovo, with Molecular and Ecological Notes. Biodiversity Data Journal. 9: e64486. DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.9.e64486