New highly-specialized aphaenopsoid ground beetles (Carabidae: Trechinae) from Serbia

Abstract

There are 11 aphaenopsoid trechine genera from the Dinaric Alps described so far. All of them are cave-dwelling and endemic to certain regions of Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Albania. A new contribution to the rich subterranean fauna of the Dinarides appeared in the form of a recent discovery of a new monotypic highly-evolved genus, the first from Serbia (Velesaphaenops), and a new species (Acheroniotes lethensis). Three specimens of Velesaphaenops tarensis (one male and two females) are collected during 2013 and 2015 by rotten meat-baited pitfall traps in the Vučja Jama Pit, Mt. Tara, western Serbia. The new genus is characterized by the presence of a dense body pubescence (on genae, rest of head and pronotum) and two pairs of elytral discal setae. It is morphologically closest to the genera Acheroniotes, Adriaphaenops and Minosaphaenops. Velesaphaenops tarensis has submentum with four pairs of setae, mentum with anterior median convexity well-expressed, very elongated mandibles and densely pubescent genae. Two females of A. lethensis are found during 2009 in the Bezdan Pit, Kamena Gora, southwestern Serbia. The species differs from other congeners by the presence of three pairs of setae on submentum and three pairs of elytral discal setae. These great discoveries definitely confirm that the Dinaric karst of Serbia is still insufficiently explored.