Review Article |
Corresponding author: Lujza Keresztes ( keresztes2012@gmail.com ) Academic editor: Christopher Borkent
© 2018 Lujza Keresztes, Jesús Martínez Menéndez, Luis Martin, Edina Török, Levente-Péter Kolcsár.
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Citation:
Keresztes L, Menéndez JM, Martin L, Török E, Kolcsár LP (2018) Description of a new species of Mediotipula from Albania, with consideration of the eastern Mediterranean as a diversity hotspot (Diptera, Tipulidae). ZooKeys 792: 99-115. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.792.25683
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A new species of the Tipula subgenus Mediotipula is described from the south-eastern part of Albania, south-eastern Europe. Morphologically, the new species is most similar to T. (M.) stigmatella Schummel, 1833, but differs mainly with respect to males, having a distinctly shaped posterior margin of tergite 9–10, a widened outer gonostylus and a series of details of the inner gonostylus (anterior end of the anterior arm, shape of the posterior arm), as well as having more bulbous and rounded hypogynal valves in the females. Further morphological differences of the male terminalia between allopatric populations of T. (M.) stigmatella in the Carpathians and Balkans, south-eastern Europe, are discussed.
Craneflies, Mediotipula , new species, morphological diversity, Mediterranean hotspots, the Balkans
The Mediterranean region of Europe is one of the most species-rich biomes in the world with a high level of endemism shaped by tectonic shifts (
The western Palaearctic Tipula (Mediotipula) Pierre, 1924 is a small subgenus of only eleven species of moderately sized craneflies (
The majority of Mediotipula taxa have an isolated distribution in the western Palearctic area, showing high levels of endemism corresponding with the major biodiversity hotspots around the Mediterranean Sea while four species have a distribution area that is limited to the Iberian Peninsula (
Species of Mediotipula are distributed mostly in colline- to montane-subalpine ecosystems with a high level of humidity, often in very steep oak woods, and are rarely associated with open woods and hedges exposed to the sun (pers. obs., but see also
A comprehensive phylogenetic analyses of the species which belong to Mediotipula was published by De
In this paper we provide a morphological description of a new species and discuss its relationship with the similar T. (M.) stigmatella, based upon morphological features of the male and female terminalia. The morphological differences of male genital structures of different populations of T. (M.) stigmatella from the Carpathians and the Balkans are also discussed.
Adults were collected using sweep nets and then stored in 96% ethanol or dry-pinned. Altogether, 54 male and four female individuals of Mediotipula belonging to four species were examined (see Table
Material of the subgenus Mediotipula used in our study with localities (BG-Bulgaria, FYM-Macedonia, GR-Greece, IT-Italy, ES-Spain), geographic coordinates (given in decimal degrees), number of individuals found at each collection site, number of individuals used in the present study, date of the collection, and name of collector (leg.).
Species | Specimen | Location | Collection date | Latitude | Longitude | Collector(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
T. (M.) cataloniensis Theowald, 1978 | 2♂ | ES, Fuente del Cabrito, Camarena de la Sierra, Rio Camarena, 1122 m | 02.vii.2016 | 40.16383N, -1.055242W | JM Gonzalez & J Martinez | |
T. (M.) cataloniensis Theowald, 1978 | 1♂ | ES, Teruel, Camarena de la Sierra, Rio Camarena, 1216 m | 02.vii.2016 | 40.15211N, -1.044561W | JM Gonzalez & J Martinez | |
T. (M.) gjipeensis sp. n. | 21♂, 2♀ | AL, Illias, Gjipe Gorge, 276 m | 05.v.2016 | 40.144172N, 19.676905E | L Keresztes & LP Kolcsár | |
T. (M.) siebkei Zetterstedt, 1852 | 3♂ | RO, Brezoi, Cozia Mts., Stanisoara Monastery, 862 m | 06.vi.2000 | 45.302015N, 24.310468E | L Rákossy | |
T. (M.) siebkei Zetterstedt, 1852 | 4♂ | RO, Cheia, Trascaului Mts., Cheile Turzii gorge, 444 m | 11.vi.2005 | 46.544398N, 23.701908E | L Keresztes | |
T. (M.) siebkei Zetterstedt, 1852 | 1♂ | IT, Balze, Monte Fumaiolo, 1159 m | 18.vii.2010 | 43.78068N, 12.08317E | M Bálint | |
T. (M.) siebkei Zetterstedt, 1852 | 1♂, 1♀ | RO, Pecinisca, Mehedinti Mts., Cheile Pecenisca gorge, 243 m | 10.v.2013 | 44.850872N, 22.406507E | LP Kolcsár | |
T. (M.) siebkei Zetterstedt, 1852 | 2♂ | RO, Capatanenii Ungureni, Fogaras Mts., Vidraru Lake surroundings, 741 m | 27.v.2014 | 45.338783N, 24.643658E | LP Kolcsár. | |
T. (M.) siebkei Zetterstedt, 1852 | 1♂ | IT, Balze, Monte Fumaiolo, 1159 m | 18.vii.2010 | 43.78068N, 12.08317E | M Bálint | |
T. (M.) stigmatella Schummel, 1833 | 1♂ | RO, Slava Chercheza, Usmenia Monastery, 132 m | 03.vi.2005 | 44.837727N, 28.567579E | L Keresztes | |
T. (M.) stigmatella Schummel, 1833 | 2♂, 1♀ | RO, Sasca Romana, Nera Mts., Cheile Nerei gorge, 159 m | 09.v.2009 | 44.893238N, 21.714745E | J Csepregi | |
T. (M.) stigmatella Schummel, 1833 | 1♂ | BG, Kulata, Struma River gorge, 84 m | 04.v.2011 | 41.380772N, 23.36477E | LP Kolcsár | |
T. (M.) stigmatella Schummel, 1833 | 4♂ | GR, Kavala, Batis camp area, 2 m | 05.v.2011 | 40.934937N, 24.402779E | LP Kolcsár | |
T. (M.) stigmatella Schummel, 1833 | 1♂ | BG, Beli Osam, Stara Planina Mts., Vila Nana, 526 m | 12.vi.2012 | 42.856119N, 24.650439E | LP Kolcsár | |
T. (M.) stigmatella Schummel, 1833 | 7♂ | BG, Tazha, Stara Planina Mts., Rusalka hut, 1096 m | 13.vi.2012 | 42.688772N, 25.055851E | LP Kolcsár | |
T. (M.) stigmatella Schummel, 1833 | 2♂, | RO, Lunca Bradului, Mures River gorge, 576 m | 14.v.2013 | 46.956536N, 25.103522E | LP Kolcsár | |
T. (M.) stigmatella Schummel, 1833 | 1♂ | FYM, Jablanica Mts, Vevchani, springs, 922 m | 29.iv.2018 | 41.239486N, 20.585719E | L Keresztes |
Holotype: 1 male. Paratypes: 20 males, 2 females, same locality as holotype.
Albania; Vlora district, Illias, Gjipe Goerge, 267 m, 40.144172°N, 19.676905°E, 05.v. 2016, leg. L Keresztes & LP Kolcsár.
Type specimens are deposited in the Diptera Collection of the Faculty of Biology and Geology (DCFBG), University Babes-Bolyai, Cluj Napoca, Romania.
Males: Tergite IX–X in males with the posterior margin having a medial spinous extension with a wide base and gradually narrowed tip. Lateral corner of the posterior margin of the tergite IX–X is mostly rounded. Outer gonostylus widened gradually to tip, ending oblique at dorsal margin. The anterior end of the anterior arm of the inner gonostylus has a long beak-like elongation. The posterior arm of the inner gonostylus has in its dorsal margin a concentration of strong stout setae directed anteriorly, and the anterior corner ending with a thorn-like process. On the middle of the posterior part of the inner gonostylus a small triangular posterolateral extension is present. Females have the base of the hypogynal valves bulbous and rounded.
Medium sized species, Body length: holotype male 10 mm, paratype female 12 mm; wing length: holotype male 15 mm, paratype female 16 mm. Adult habitus: General colour yellowish brown. First two segments of antennae yellowish, third light brown, remainder brown. Nasus yellowish with stout black setae. Dorsal part of head, near antennae, with two whitish patches; rest of head grey-peach coloured with dark setae, except whitish yellow occipital area. Thorax -brownish grey, with four shiny brown stripes on dorsal surface. Scutellum yellowish. Wings transparent, Mediotipula-like, discoidal cell present. Coxae and trochanters yellowish; rest of leg segments brown. Abdomen yellowish, with dark brown patches to continuous bands on the posterior edge and lateral margin of tergites I–VII, tergite VIII entirely brown.
Male terminalia (Figures
Photographs of the morphological structures of the male terminalia of the Tipula (Mediotipula) gjipeensis sp. n. A gonostyli outer-lateral view B gonostyli inner-lateral view C inner gonostylus outer-lateral view D gonostyli ventral view E inner gonostylus outer lateral view F aedeagus complex lateral view G sperm pump ventral view H sperm pump distal view.
Female terminalia (Figure
The species epithet gjipeensis translates to “from the Gjipe Gorge” and was formed by appending the Latin suffix -ensis to the name of the gorge where the new species was collected.
During our investigation in the south-western part of Albania, the new species described here was only detected in the highly-isolated humid habitat in the Gjipe Gorge, near the shore of the Adriatic Sea and very close to Gjipe Beach. The gorge is cut by a small stenotherm brook, fed by a spring ca. 2–3 km upstream. The river bed is filled with large limestone boulders and rocks, and has abundant mossy cover. The brook spring is surrounded by dense riparian vegetation, where the adults flew during daytime or were sometimes seen to rest on trees near the river. The microclimate of the river valley was roughly 10 °C cooler than in the surrounding macchia (L Keresztes pers. obs.). Specimens were collected in early May. The river was completely dry in June and no additional flying adults were collected, suggesting a short phenology between April and May (LP Kolcsár pers. obs).
The new species belongs to the subgenus Mediotipula, a cranefly group restricted to the western Palearctic area, with the majority of taxa (eight out of twelve) having a range-restricted distribution in the Mediterranean area and the Caucasus. Mediotipula has a rather isolated phylogenetic position among the western Palearctic Tipulidae, sharing a combination of synapomorphies that is unique for this subgenus (De
The new species is most similar to T. (M.) stigmatella, having the inner gonostylus of the male terminalia approx. two times as high as inner gonostyli of other species of Mediotipula (Figs
Photographs of the morphological structures of the male genital structures of individuals of Tipula (Mediotipula) stigmatella Schummel, 1833. Specimen from Kavala (Greece) A, B, D, E, F Specimen from Kulata (Bulgaria) G; Specimen from Lunca Bradului (Romania) (C) A, C tergite IX dorsal view B tergite IX distal view D aedeagus complex lateral view E sternite VIII ventral view F, G outer gonostylus, lateral view.
Photographs of the morphological structures of the male genital structures of individuals of Tipula (Mediotipula) stigmatella Schummel, 1833. Specimen from Kavala (Greece) A, B, C Specimen from Lunca Bradului (Romania) D, E; Specimen form Kulata (Bulgaria) (F, G, H) A, F inner gonostylus outer lateral view B, G inner gonostylus ventral view C, H inner gonostylus inner lateral view D gonostyli outer lateral view E gonostyli inner lateral view.
During our investigation, morphological differences were detected between allopatric populations of T. (M.) stigmatella in the Carpathian-Balkan area. Most important divergences were detected in the shape of the posterior margin of the tergite IX–X between populations from the Carpathians (Figure
Current systematic and phylogeographical studies of the Mediterranean terrestrial fauna (
The eastern Mediterranean area, where the new member of the subgenus Mediotipula was collected, is recognised as an important centre of endemism, but no range-restricted Mediotipula species were detected in the area to date. Tipula (M.) gjipeensis sp. n. was identified by us only in a small, humid limestone gorge in Albania. We hypothesised a restricted distribution of the species, most probably as a result of the presently isolated distribution of humid ecosystems in the Mediterranean area. Several aquatic and semi-aquatic organisms have similarly restricted or fragmented distributions in the Mediterranean area, which most probably followed the general decline of humid ecosystems during the late Cainozoic and simultaneous retreat in highly-fragmented local populations (sometimes highly-divergent evolutionary significant units, or in many cases distinct species) (
However, a number of case studies on plant species (
Albania is located in the western part of the Balkan Peninsula and is one of the most important Mediterranean biodiversity hotspots (
Ecological demands of the majority of Mediotipula species are largely overlooked because of a high number of undescribed larvae. Based on adult distributions, species inhabiting open woods and hedges exposed to the sun seem to have generally larger distributions (e.g., T. (M.) stigmatella, T. (M.) sarajevensis etc.) in comparison with species that are restricted to steep river valleys (e.g., T. (M.) brolemani, T. (M.) mikiana, T. (M.) gjipeensis sp. n.) (
We thank Pete Boardman and Matthey Coupley for linguistic revisions and comments. We thank Herman de Jong, Pjotr Oosterbroek, and Jukka Salmela for their valuable comments on an earlier version of the manuscript, improving considerably the final form, as well as a number of anonymous reviewers for their help. Special thanks go to the subject editor Christopher Borkent for careful review and supporting the publication of the paper. During the preparation of the manuscript, LP Kolcsár and E Török received financial support from the Eötvös Loránd University, Hungary.