Kosaniniella javorensis n. gen., n. sp., from southwest Serbia, with notes on the evolutionary status of Knirschiella Guéorguiev, Cholevidae, Coleoptera

Abstract

A new genus and species of endogen cholevid beetles (Kosaniniella javorensis n. gen., n. sp) has been diagnosed and described from under stones in the valley of Suvodol, village of Debelja, near Nova Varoš, Mt. Javor southwestern Serbia. This new genus clearly differs from all other closely related genera in the following correlative traits: Body size presence/absence of eye spots; length of distalmost antennomere; form of antennomere VIII; punctuation of elytra; presence/absence of sutural striae shape of elytra; form of aedeagus; shape of aedeagal sides; shape of parameral apex; form of paramerae; distribution of parameral setae; shape of anterior inner parameral seta; form of median part of copulatory piece length of basal bulbus; and form of spermatheca. Kosaniniella n. gen. belongs to a separate phyletic lineage which includes two other phenetically close genera, Magdelainella Jeannel and Knirschiella Guéorguiev. The new genus is present in southwestern Serbia only, while Magdelainella inhabits Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Knirschiella is given full generic status in the present paper; its members are known from Albania. The Kosaniniella-Magdelainella-Knirschiella complex is probably of early Tertiary age, its species having originated during the Alpine Orogeny, which affected vast areas of the Balkan Peninsula, including the Dinarids otherwise their terra typica.