Javorella, a new genus of endemic ground beetles (Trechini, Carabidae, Coleoptera) from west and southwest Serbia

Abstract

A new genus and species of cave ground beetles (Javorella javorensis n. gen. n. sp) has been described from the Pećina pod Kapilijama Cave, village Trudovo, nr. Nova Varoš, southwestern Serbia. This new genus is clearly distinct from all other genera in many important respects such as: the presence of unfunctional flattened reduced eyes, the presence of 10-14 depigmented ommatidia, the presence of a pigmented oval eye border, the presence of deep and complete frontal furrows (but shallow and less visible in their posterior thirds), the presence of completely smooth cheeks, the presence of distinct furrows on fore tibias along their length, the ratio of the length/breadth of the first article of protarsomere in male; the presence of 2 elytral discal setae, the specific position of humeral setae and the unique shape of the copulatory piece. This new genus comprises also an additional species, J. suvoborensis (Pavićević and Popović), described elsewhere from the Pećina u Brezacima Cave, village Brezaci, Rajac, Mt. Suvobor, near Valjevo, western Serbia. The two species clearly differ in many important respects; the new genus and its members belong to an old and separate phyletic lineage, distinct from all other existing species groups. Additionally, these forms are relic and endemic to Serbian caves.