A new species of Speonemadus from Portugal, with the revision of the escalerai-group (Coleoptera, Leiodidae)
Author
Reboleira, Ana Sofa P. S.
Author
Fresneda, Javier
Author
Salgado, José Maria
text
European Journal of Taxonomy
2017
2017-01-19
261
1
23
journal article
32199
10.5852/ejt.2017.261
708e152e-4450-4439-84a9-3c56148cd082
885318
C59239D1-0BF0-446A-AF6E-71234D01B23D
Speonemadus algarvensis
sp. nov.
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:5CFDCE6C-71CE-4763-89BD-B8A68E945A80
Figs 1
,
6–7
,
16
,
21
,
26–31
Diagnosis
A species of
Speonemadus
with a total length of 4.0–
4.9 mm
, belonging to the
escalerai
-group, and with typical features of the group; characterised by having the 2nd, 4th, 5th and 7th antennomeres equal or subequal in length; a slightly transverse and hexagonal pronotum; and a long, raised and elevated protibial keel in males, with the apex moderately sharp.
Etymology
The species epithet is derived from the type locality, the southernmost province of Portugal, the Algarve.
Material examined
Holotype
PORTUGAL
: ♁,
Algarve
,
Loulé
,
Gruta do Vale Telheiro
, coordinates: WGS 84:
37º10′14″ N
,
008º02′06″ W
,
29 Dec. 2009
,
S. Reboleira
leg. (
ZMUC
number 00036257).
Paratypes
PORTUGAL
: 38 ♁♁ and
30 ♀♀
,
same data as holotype; 11 ♁♁,
18 ♀♀
,
same locality as holotype,
13 Mar. 2009
,
S. Reboleira
leg.
; 53 ♁♁, 63 ♀♀,
24 May 2009
, S. Reboleira leg.;
9 ♁♁,
9 ♀♀
,
Algarve
,
São Brás de Alportel
,
Algarão do Remexido
,
15 Mar. 2009
,
S. Reboleira
leg.
;
1 ♀
, same locality,
23 May 2009
,
S. Reboleira
leg.
;
31 ♁♁,
27 ♀♀
, same locality,
25 May 2009
;
S. Reboleira
leg.
;
1 pupa
,
1 ♀
, same locality,
5 Sept. 2009
,
S. Reboleira
leg.
;
3 ♁♁,
3 ♀♀
, same locality,
29 Dec. 2009
,
S. Reboleira
leg.
;
4 ♀♀
,
Algarve
,
Moncarapacho
,
Gruta da Senhora
,
29 Dec. 2009
,
S. Reboleira
leg.; 1 ♁
,
same locality,
24 May 2009
,
S. Reboleira
leg. (SR,
CASR
,
CJMS
,
CZULE
,
CFL
,
CPB
,
ZMUC
).
Figs 1–5.
Speonemadus
of the
escalera
i- group habitus.
1
.
S. algarvensis
sp. nov.
(Gruta do Vale Telheiro, Portugal).
2
.
S. angusticollis
(
Kraatz, 1870
)
(Rute, Spain).
3.
S. bolivari
(
Jeannel, 1922
)
(Ardales, Spain).
4
.
S. breuili
(
Jeannel, 1922
)
(Motillas, Spain).
5
.
S. escalerai
(
Uhagón, 1898
)
(Jumilla, Spain). Scale bar = 1 mm.
Table 1.
Mean measurements (in millimeters) of the antennomers of
Speonemadus
of the
escalerai
- group (L) length; (W) width.
1
st
|
2
nd
|
3
rd
|
4
th
|
5
th
|
6
th
|
7
th
|
8
th
|
9
th
|
10
th
|
11
th
|
Speonemadus algarvensis
sp. nov.
|
holotype ♁ |
L |
0.189 |
0.195 |
0.212 |
0.196 |
0.194 |
0.176 |
0.196 |
0.117 |
0.166 |
0.137 |
0.221 |
W |
0.065 |
0.056 |
0.056 |
0.056 |
0.056 |
0.056 |
0.075 |
0.061 |
0.088 |
0.088 |
0.090 |
paratypes ♁ |
L |
0.191 |
0.195 |
0.208 |
0.194 |
0.192 |
0.170 |
0.194 |
0.116 |
0.163 |
0.138 |
0.220 |
W |
0.065 |
0.056 |
0.055 |
0.055 |
0.055 |
0.055 |
0.074 |
0.060 |
0.082 |
0.082 |
0.082 |
paratypes ♀ |
L |
0.185 |
0.195 |
0.202 |
0.181 |
0.179 |
0.161 |
0.179 |
0.105 |
0.140 |
0.122 |
0.225 |
W |
0.066 |
0.057 |
0.055 |
0.053 |
0.053 |
0.059 |
0.069 |
0.064 |
0.088 |
0.088 |
0.092 |
Speonemadus angusticollis
(
Kraatz, 1870
)
|
♁ |
L |
0.182 |
0.208 |
0.226 |
0.195 |
0.200 |
0.153 |
0.192 |
0.114 |
0.161 |
0.143 |
0.231 |
W |
0.078 |
0.066 |
0.069 |
0.065 |
0.068 |
0.068 |
0.087 |
0.078 |
0.104 |
0.104 |
0.107 |
♀ |
L |
0.177 |
0.195 |
0.205 |
0.191 |
0.195 |
0.150 |
0.190 |
0.107 |
0.159 |
0.143 |
0.231 |
W |
0.078 |
0.068 |
0.065 |
0.065 |
0.068 |
0.065 |
0.085 |
0.073 |
0.091 |
0.091 |
0.094 |
Speonemadus breuili
(
Jeannel, 1922
)
|
♁ |
L |
0.174 |
0.177 |
0.217 |
0.186 |
0.186 |
0.170 |
0.186 |
0.117 |
0.163 |
0.140 |
0.222 |
W |
0.078 |
0.059 |
0.059 |
0.056 |
0.056 |
0.060 |
0.072 |
0.061 |
0.085 |
0.088 |
0.088 |
♀ |
L |
0.194 |
0.199 |
0.228 |
0.196 |
0.198 |
0.179 |
0.198 |
0.120 |
0.155 |
0.135 |
0.237 |
W |
0.074 |
0.060 |
0.059 |
0.057 |
0.057 |
0.057 |
0.072 |
0.065 |
0.096 |
0.100 |
0.100 |
Speonemadus bolivari
(
Jeannel, 1922
)
|
♁ |
L |
0.182 |
0.192 |
0.228 |
0.192 |
0.203 |
0.189 |
0.205 |
0.117 |
0.156 |
0.135 |
0.231 |
W |
0.066 |
0.059 |
0.055 |
0.055 |
0.060 |
0.062 |
0.073 |
0.064 |
0.088 |
0.088 |
0.094 |
♀ |
L |
0.177 |
0.182 |
0.198 |
0.169 |
0.190 |
0.160 |
0.191 |
0.107 |
0.153 |
0.134 |
0.228 |
W |
0.068 |
0.061 |
0.056 |
0.056 |
0.059 |
0.061 |
0.072 |
0.061 |
0.083 |
0.083 |
0.086 |
Speonemadus escalerai
(
Uhagón, 1898
)
|
♁ |
L |
0.190 |
0.194 |
0.217 |
0.196 |
0.195 |
0.160 |
0.195 |
0.114 |
0.176 |
0.157 |
0.246 |
W |
0.075 |
0.060 |
0.062 |
0.062 |
0.062 |
0.065 |
0.078 |
0.074 |
0.101 |
0.104 |
0.104 |
♀ |
L |
0.200 |
0.207 |
0.230 |
0.208 |
0.208 |
0.169 |
0.207 |
0.120 |
0.172 |
0.156 |
0.248 |
W |
0.078 |
0.072 |
0.073 |
0.074 |
0.074 |
0.077 |
0.099 |
0.082 |
0.109 |
0.111 |
0.111 |
Description
BODY. Length
4.03–4.90 mm
(males) and 4.00–
4.89 mm
(females) width
1.46–1.58 mm
(males) and
1.44–1.60 mm
(females) (
Figs 1
,
26–27
). Color reddish brown, darker in central area of head and lighter on antennae and legs. Integument evenly covered with a yellowish pubescence, thin, short and fattened, slightly raised in forehead area and clypeus. Head retractable; head sculpture composed of a tight mesh of small dots. Eyes developed with pigmented ommatidia (
Fig. 27
); antennae long (
1.9 mm
) and reaching almost one third of basal area of elytra; antennomeres (
Figs 26–27, 29
) slender, all clearly longer than wide; 2th, 4th, 5th and 7th antennomeres equal, 3rd slightly longer, 6th shorter and 8th almost twice as long as wide (
Table 1
); tip of antenna with sensorial organ (
Fig. 29
).
PRONOTUM (
Figs 6–7
). Slightly transverse, maximum width/length ratio = 1.29–1.43 (males) and 1.28– 1.38 (females), with maximum width at middle; almost fattened; basal impressions not observed; lateral and basal margins weakly beaded; pronotal sides regularly curved anteriorly, posteriorly almost straight and converging posteriorly; basal angles obtuse with apex almost rounded. Pronotal base narrower than base of elytra; middle area gently arched, lateral areas almost straight. Pronotum surface uniformly granulate, well defned laterally and more indistinct in disk area.
ELYTRA. Elliptical, very elongate and convex, except along suture where they are fattened in the central area; maximum length/width ratio =
1.85–1.98 in
males and
1.95–2.02 in
females; elytron apex rounded; transverse striations visible, clearly separated, shallow and perpendicular to elytral suture (
Fig. 28
); sutural groove present and well marked along entire elytron, sub-parallel to suture and clearly convergent. Metathoracic wings fully developed.
LEGS. Relatively long and thin; protibial keel (
Fig. 16
), which is high and long, elevated distally, with a well marked vertex, sharp at apex; frst three protarsomeres dilated (
Fig. 30
) in males, frst slightly narrower than apical area of protibia (tarsus/tibia ratio = 0.86); mesotibia curved, metatibia straight.
Figs 6–15.
Speonemadus
of the
escalerai
-group pronotum.
6–7
.
S. algarvensis
sp. nov.
(Gruta do Vale Telheiro, Portugal), respectively ♁ and ♀.
8–9
.
S. angusticollis
(
Kraatz, 1870
)
(Rute, Spain) respectively ♁ and ♀.
10–11
.
S. bolivari
(
Jeannel, 1922
)
(Ardales, Spain) respectively ♁ and ♀.
12–13
.
S. breuili
(
Jeannel, 1922
)
(Motillas, Spain) respectively ♁ and ♀.
14–15
.
S. escalerai
(
Uhagón, 1898
)
(Jumilla, Spain) respectively ♁ and ♀. Scale bars = 1 mm.
Male
Some variability is observed in male
paratypes
(
Table 1
). Genital segment elongate, 1.5 × longer than wide; composed of a tergum and two pleurites, all with small setae in apical area; sternum reduced to a long, narrow longitudinal piece, sharp apically. Aedeagus length =
1.2 mm
(1.3 if parameres are included) (
Fig. 21
). Median lobe, lanceolate in dorsal view, with elongate and curved apex close to dorsal face; sharp apex with marked shoulders at margins; basal lamina developed, almost two times shorter than middle lobe; ventral blade of tegmen short and poorly defned. Parameres, in dorsal view, sub rectilinear, slightly curved medially on inner side, with apical areas rounded and slightly truncated on inner side; four thin setae at apex, three subequal upper setae and a larger one, close to largest setae, another seta, shorter, more robust, tooth-like and highly sclerotized. Inner sac with two long rows of spinules surrounding two long parallel rows of sclerotized teeth arranged in a zipper-shape (
Figs 21
,
31
).
Female
Generally smaller, with a less transverse pronotum (
Fig. 7
) and longer elytra, but same body width. No sexual dimorphism observed in colour, pubescence, sculpture, granularity, striation, mesotibia or metatibia. Females have a slender protarsus; antennomeres proportionally thicker and elytral apex notched and serrate. Seventh uroventrite with a narrow slit in middle of posterior margin and 8th uroventrite with posterior margin as a soft membranous arc, its ventral spine is short, wide and slightly sharp at apex. Ratio of frst tarsus to apical part of tibia: 0.84–0.89. Female genitalia typical of genus as described by
Giachino & Vailati (1993)
and
Salgado
et al
. (
2008
)
.
Figs 16–20.
Speonemadus
of the
escalerai
-group male protibia.
16
.
Speonemadus algarvensis
sp. nov.
(Gruta do Vale Telheiro, Portugal).
17
.
S. angusticollis
(
Kraatz, 1870
)
(Rute, Spain).
18
.
S. bolivari
(
Jeannel, 1922
)
(Ardales, Spain).
19
.
S. breuili
(
Jeannel, 1922
)
(Motillas, Spain).
20
.
S. escalerai
(
Uhagón, 1898
)
(Jumilla, Spain). Scale bar = 0.5 mm.
Figs 21–25.
Speonemadus
of the
escalerai
-group, aedeagus.
21
. Paratype of
S. algarvensis
sp. nov.
(Gruta do Vale Telheiro).
22
.
S. angusticollis
(
Kraatz, 1870
)
(Rute)
.
23
.
S. bolivari
(
Jeannel, 1922
)
(Ardales)
.
24
.
S. breuili
(
Jeannel, 1922
)
(Motillas)
.
25
.
S. escalerai
(
Uhagón, 1898
)
(Jumilla)
. Scale bar = 0.5 mm.
Affnities
The morphological differences that separate
Speonemadus algarvensis
sp. nov.
from all other species of the
S. escalerai
-group are pointed out in the key for the group.
Morphologically, the most closely related species are
Speonemadus bolivari
and S.
breuili
,
which are also the closest geographically (
Fig. 32
). However,
S. algarvensis
sp. nov.
can easily be distinguished from
S. bolivari
by the different shape of the male protibial keel, by the antennomeres ratio and the shape of the aedeagus, with the median lobe apically more narrow and elongate. Differences can also be observed in the females of
S. algarvensis
sp. nov.
, with the median posterior slit of the 7th uroventrite slightly narrower and the apex of the ventral spine of the 8th uroventrite less sharpened. The differences regarding
S. breuili
are much more clear in the shape of the protibial keel.
Figs 26-31.
Speonemadus algarvensis
sp. nov.
scanning
electron
micrograph.
26
. Dorsal view with
Laboulbeniales
Stichomyces conosomatis
pointed out.
27
. Ventral view, with detail of phoretic acari.
28
. Details of elytron stria and setation.
29
. Tip of the antenna.
30
. Male protarsus with detail of the ventral pads of the frst tarsomere.
31
. Posterior dorsal view of the evaginated aedeagus. Scale bars 26–27 = 100 μm, 28–31 = 10 μm.
There is a strong geographic isolation between karst areas colonized by the previous three species, which have the most southern distribution of the group (
Fig. 32
).
The male specimen collected on
4 Jan. 1940
, in the cave Igrejinha da Soídos, located in Alte, municipality of Loulé (
Jeannel
1941
), deposited in the Natural History Museum of Paris (MNHN), has been examined and belongs to the new species
S. algarvensis
sp. nov.
, it had previously been identifed as
S. angusticollis
. The remnants of another specimen collected in the cave “Berrocal do Esguincho”, also in the Loulé municipality, on
6
Dec. 1983
and cited by
Blas (
1985
,
1989
), are also included in this new species. Both aforementioned caves are included in the same karst area as the
type
localities of
S. algarvensis
sp. nov.
, where only this species of
Speonemadus
has consistently been collected. The specimens reported from the Algarve massif as
Speonemadus angusticollis
by
Jeannel (1941)
,
Blas (1985
,
1989
),
Reboleira
et al.
(2010
a
, 2010b,
2011b
,
2012a
) and
Reboleira (2012)
should now be included in
S. algarvensis
sp. nov.
Biology and ecology
Despite lacking some of the typical traits of cave-adapted species, i.e., eyes, severe depigmentation and extreme body and appendages elongation,
Speonemadus algarvensis
sp. nov.
was never found at the surface, leading us to classify it as a subterranean species. It has been sampled all year round and it has never been collected at the surface in the areas surrounding the sampled caves. The largest population was found in Vale Telheiro Cave, which matches with the general high biodiversity pattern for other groups of troglobionts in
Portugal
(
Reboleira 2012
;
Reboleira
et al.
2015
).
Some specimens of
S. algarvensis
sp. nov.
have the ectoparasitic fungus
Stichomyces conosomatis
Thaxt., 1901
(of the order
Laboulbeniales
) attached to the cuticle (Santamaria pers. com.) (
Fig. 26
); this represents the frst record of the fungal species for the Portuguese territory. This fungus species has only been previously found in
Staphylinidae
beetles of the genus
Sepedophilus
Gistel, 1856
(
Haelewaters
et al.
2015
), that was also found in these caves (Reboleira unpublished). The remarkable discovery of this
Laboulbeniales
species on a new host of the family
Leiodidae
is the frst case of host shifting following an ecological opportunity (
sensu
De Kesel & Haelewaters 2014
), in the subterranean environment. Also phoretic undetermined mites were observed on some specimens (
Fig. 27
).
Speonemadus algarvensis
sp. nov.
shares its habitat with highly subterranean-adapted species such as the detritivorous woodlice
Cordioniscus
lusitanicus
Reboleira & Taiti, 2015
and
Trogleluma machadoi
(Vandel, 1946)
; the millipedes
Acipes machadoi
Enghoff & Reboleira, 2013
,
A. biflum
Enghoff & Reboleira, 2013
,
Boreviulisoma barrocalense
Reboleira & Enghoff, 2013
and a new species of
Archipolydemus
Attems, 1898; the campodeid
Litocampa mendesi
Sendra & Reboleira, 2010
; the nicoletiid
Squamatinia algharbica
Mendes & Reboleira, 2012
; and some predators: the pseudoscorpions
Chthonius minutus
Vachon, 1940
;
Titanobochica magna
Zaragoza & Reboleira, 2010
and
Lusoblothrus aenigmaticus
Zaragoza & Reboleira, 2012
; the spiders
Harpactea stalitoides
Ribera, 1993
,
Teloleptoneta synthetica
(Machado, 1951)
and
Anapistula ataecina
Cardoso & Scharff, 2009
, as well as a species of centipede,
Lithobius
Leach, 1814
(
Enghoff & Reboleira 2013
;
Reboleira
et al.
2010
a
, 2010b
,
2010c
,
2011
a
, 2012
a, 2012b
,
2013
,
2015
;
Reboleira & Enghoff 2013
,
2014
).
Distribution
Speonemadus algarvensis
sp. nov.
was collected in three caves of the southernmost province of
Portugal
, the Algarve (
Fig. 32
), where it seems to be endemic to the central and eastern part of the Algarve karst massif. The species was not found in the most western part of the Algarve massif, where feldwork was also conducted. The karst included in this region is also know as “Barrocal” and is the richest area for subterranean-adapted fauna of the country (
Reboleira 2012
;
Reboleira
et al.
2011
a
, 2013,
2015
;
Reboleira & Enghoff 2013
,
2014
).