Biodiversity Data Journal Biodiversity Data Journal Biodiversity Data Journal BDJ 1314-2836 1314-2828 Pensoft Publishers Biodiversity Data Journal 10.3897/BDJ.3.e5466 4137 Taxonomic paper Diptera Tipulomorpha Limoniidae Faunistics & Distribution Taxonomy Europe A new species and new records of Molophilus Curtis, 1833 (Diptera: Limoniidae) from the Western Palaearctic Region Kolcsár Levente-Péter kolcsar.peter@gmail.com ‡ Török Edina ‡ § Keresztes Lujza ‡ Hungarian Department of Biology and Ecology, Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania Romanian Academy Institute of Biology, Bucharest, Romania

Corresponding author: Levente-Péter Kolcsár (kolcsar.peter@gmail.com).

Academic editor: Jukka Salmela

 2015 21 08 2015 3 e5466 19 06 2015 17 08 2015 Levente-Péter Kolcsár, Edina Török, Lujza Keresztes This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 (CC-BY), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Background

Molophilus Curtis, 1833 is the most species-rich Limoniidae genus with a total number of 1006 species and subspecies, from which 97 are recorded in the Western-Palaearctic region so far. However new species are still expected from less investigated regions, like the Balkans or the Eastern Europe.

 New information

In the present article, we desrcibe a new limonid crane fly species, Molophilus balcanicus Kolcsár sp. n. from the Central Balkan area (Bulgaria). This new taxa is closely related to M. serpentiger Edwards, 1938 and M. variispinus Starý​, 1971 based on the external male genital structures, but differs from its siblings mostly in the structure of the inner and outer gonostylus. Additionally, a number of species are reported for the first time from various European countries, like M. variispinus Starý, 1971 and M. occultus de Meijere, 1918 from Romania; M. crassipygus de Meijere 1918, M. obsoletus Lackschewitz, 1940 and M. medius de Meijere, 1918 from Greece; M. flavus Goetghebuer, 1920 from Andorra; M. cinereifrons de Meijere, 1920 from Bulgaria and M. corniger Meijere, 1920 from Spain.

 Balkan mountain range sibling species distribution Introduction

Molophilus Curtis, 1833 is the most species-rich genus in the Western-Palaearctic region, belonging to Limoniidae (Diptera). The species can be easily identified based on male robust hypopigium. The females are unknown or less studied. So far, there are more than 1000 species and subspecies are described worldwide with an Australasian-Oceanian distribution center (Oosterbroek 2015). At the present 97 species and subspecies are known to occur in the Western-Palaearctic region (Oosterbroek 2015, Starý 2011). In the present study we report 8 new faunistic data from different countries in Europe, and we describe a new species which is closely related to M. serpentiger Edwards, 1938 and M. variispinus Starý, 1971. Both of the two closely related species, M. serpentiger and M. variispinus share a unique feature within the genus Molophilus, the presence of an S-shaped outer gonostylus (Starý 1971b, Starý 1971a), which is highly similar in M. variispinus and M. serpentiger (mostly seen in ventral view) (Kramer 2013). In the frame of the current study we present the habitus, the male hypogium (ventral and lateral view) and the aedeagal complex, both in the case of M. serpentiger, M. variispinus and M. balcanicus Kolcsár sp. n.

 Materials and methods

The material was collected by entomological net and UV light trap in Andorra, Bulgaria, Greece, Romania and Spain, beetwen 2010 and 2013. All the material listed here, are stored in 96% ethanol and deposited in the Diptera Collection of the Faculty of Biology and Geology, Cluj-Napoca, Romania. The holotype of the new species is deposited in the Museum of Zoology of the Babeș-Bolyai University (MZBBU), Cluj-Napoca, Romania. The specimens were examined with an Olympus SZ50 dissection microscope. Photos were taken using an Canon EOS 650D digital camera, attached to an Olympus SZ60 stereomicroscope, with a LM Digital SLR Adapter (Micro Tech Lab, Austria). Layer photos were finally combined with the software Combine ZP (Hadley 2011).

 Taxon treatments Molophilus (Molophilus) balcanicusurn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:31EEC292-24B6-40B4-93C9-9669C047AE2E Kolcsár sp. n. Materials

Type status: Holotype. Occurrence: catalogNumber: TI100 - LCMMB-BG-01; recordedBy: L. Keresztes, E. Török, L.-P. Kolcsár; individualCount: 1; sex: male; Taxon: genus: Molophilus; subgenus: Molophilus; specificEpithet: balcanicus; scientificNameAuthorship: Kolcsár; Location: country: Bulgaria; stateProvince: Montana; county: Berkovitza; municipality: Barzia; locality: Petrohan Pass; verbatimElevation: 1100-1200 m; verbatimCoordinateSystem: decimal degrees; verbatimSRS: WGS84; decimalLatitude: 43.134061; decimalLongitude: 23.149889; Event: samplingProtocol: butterfly net; eventDate: 06/10/2012; habitat: small brook in beech forest; Record Level: institutionCode: Museum of Zoology, Babeș-Bolyai University (MZBBU)

 Description

Head. Vertex black, with short black setae. Rostrum light brown with a few short dark setae. Palpus 4-segmented, brown. Antennae 16-segmented, yellowish, only the scape is dark brown. Pedicellus globular 1.5-1.8x wider than the flagellum segments. Flagellomeres are cylindrical to fusiform.

Thorax. Yellowish orange (Fig. 1a​). Frontal parts of the thorax are darker than the back parts, with an evenly transition from yellow to dark orange. The neck (cervix) has its lateral parts black (cervical sclerites). Prescutum and scutum orange, scutellum yellow, pleural part yellow - orange. The coxae and the trochanters are yellowish orange, with long pale setae. The femur, tibia and tarsomeres are absent in the examined material. Wings yellow, wing venation light brown, covered by a densely light brown macrotrichia, partly worn out in specimen examined by us. Haltereres are yellow.

Abdomen. Dark orange - light brown, tergites mainly dark, anterior sternites lighter than caudal sternites. Both sternites and tergites are covered with long pale setae. Pleural membrane yellow. Hypopigium generally yellow (Fig. 1b, c). 9th tergite covered by long pale setae. The dorsal portion of the gonocoxite is short, rounded in lateral view, the caudal margine is straight, with a darkened inner wedge like projection at the ventral edge, which is striking dark pigmented at the end (ventral (tergal) view - Fig. 1b). Ventral lobe of gonocoxite shorter than dorsal portion and it is rounded at the tip. All parts of gonocoxit are covered by long yellowish setae. Both gonostyli are darkly pigmented. The inner gonostylus has its proximal part very thick, which ventrally narrows and is slightly curved. The outer gonostylus is thick, S-shaped inwards and it is ending in a hook like structure ventrally. The proximal part is stouter and lighter than distally, which widens before the hook like end (ventral view - Fig. 1b). Aedeagus is long, the end reaches the gonocoxite apex. The proximal part is thick which narrows to the distal end. In half of the length of the aedeagus is curved ventrally, after that it turns dorsally (Fig. 1d​​).

Female: unknown.

Larva: unknown.

 Diagnosis

Small species with yellowish orange general colour, body lenght is 4-4.5 mm and wing length 5 mm (Fig. 1a​​). It is very close to Molophilus serpentiger and M. variispinus. Inner gonostylus thick, narrows to end. Outer gonostylus thick S-haped having a hook like end.

 Etymology

Balcanicus (latin) = referring to the Balkan area, from where the species were collected. The name is to be deemed to be a latinized adjective in nominative singular.

 Distribution

Bulgaria (Balkan mountain range).

 Ecology

Only one specimen was collected in a beech forest, close to a small brook at 1100-1200 m. The valley of the brook was dominated by medium to large sized rocks, along with thick layer of accumulated leaf litter.

 Taxon discussion

The new species is very close to Molophilus serpentiger and M. variispinus, but differs from both sibling species by the thick outer and inner gonostylus. Both of the two already known sibling species have thin outer gonostylus without hook like end (Figs 1c, 2c, 3c​​). M. balcanicus sp. n. is more close related to M. variispinus, than to M. serpentiger, on the base of the shape of the aedeagal complex (Figs 1d, 2d, 3d​).

 Molophilus (Molophilus) variispinus Starý, 1971 Materials

Type status: Other material. Occurrence: catalogNumber: LCMMVa-RO-01; recordedBy: L.-P. Kolcsár; individualCount: 1; sex: male; Taxon: genus: Molophilus; subgenus: Molophilus; specificEpithet: variispinus; scientificNameAuthorship: Starý, 1971; Location: country: Romania; stateProvince: Harghita; municipality: Izvoare; locality: Izvoare Valley; verbatimElevation: 1415 m; verbatimCoordinateSystem: decimal degrees; verbatimSRS: WGS84; decimalLatitude: 46.454143; decimalLongitude: 25.56545; Event: samplingProtocol: butterfly net; eventDate: 07/10/2013; habitat: brook in spruce (Picea) forest

Type status: Other material. Occurrence: catalogNumber: LCMMVa-RO-02; recordedBy: L.-P. Kolcsár; individualCount: 2; sex: male; Taxon: genus: Molophilus; subgenus: Molophilus; specificEpithet: variispinus; scientificNameAuthorship: Stary, 1971; Location: country: Romania; stateProvince: Harghita; municipality: Liban; locality: Lacul Dracului bog; verbatimElevation: 1175 m; verbatimCoordinateSystem: decimal degrees; verbatimSRS: WGS84; decimalLatitude: 46.548137; decimalLongitude: 25.587024; Event: samplingProtocol: butterfly net; eventDate: 06/27/2013; habitat: bog in spruce (Picea) forest

 Notes

First record to Romania. The habitus, the hypopigium and the aedeagal complex of the male are illustrated in ​​Fig. 2.

 Molophilus (Molophilus) serpentiger Edwards, 1938 Materials

Type status: Other material. Occurrence: catalogNumber: LCMMSe-RO-01; recordedBy: L. Keresztes, L.-P. Kolcsár; individualCount: 1; sex: male; Taxon: genus: Molophilus; subgenus: Molophilus; specificEpithet: serpentiger; scientificNameAuthorship: Edwards, 1938; Location: country: Romania; stateProvince: Maramures; municipality: Borșa; locality: Vișeu River; verbatimElevation: 980 m; verbatimCoordinateSystem: decimal degrees; verbatimSRS: WGS84; decimalLatitude: 47.62293; decimalLongitude: 24.809762; Event: samplingProtocol: butterfly net; eventDate: 05/17/2013; habitat: small brook in spruce (Picea) forest

 Notes

The habitus, the hypopigium and the aedeagal complex of the male are illustrated in Fig. 3.

 Molophilus (Molophilus) cinereifrons de Meijere, 1920 Materials

Type status: Other material. Occurrence: catalogNumber: LCMMCi-BG-01; recordedBy: E. Török, L. Keresztes, L.-P. Kolcsár; individualCount: 1; sex: male; Taxon: genus: Molophilus; subgenus: Molophilus; specificEpithet: cinereifrons; scientificNameAuthorship: de Meijere, 1920; Location: country: Bulgaria; stateProvince: Troyan; municipality: Beli Osam; locality: Troyan Pass; verbatimElevation: 1468 m; verbatimCoordinateSystem: decimal degrees; verbatimSRS: WGS84; decimalLatitude: 42.781119; decimalLongitude: 24.613081; Event: samplingProtocol: butterfly net; eventDate: 06/12/2012; habitat: small spring

 Notes

First record to Bulgaria.

 Molophilus (Molophilus) corniger de Meijere, 1920 Materials

Type status: Other material. Occurrence: catalogNumber: LCMMCo-ES-01; recordedBy: M. Bálint; individualCount: 2; sex: male; Taxon: genus: Molophilus; subgenus: Molophilus; specificEpithet: corniger; scientificNameAuthorship: de Meijere, 1920; Location: country: Spain; stateProvince: La Rioja; municipality: Ezcaray; locality: Valdezcaray ski area; verbatimElevation: 1620 m; verbatimCoordinateSystem: decimal degrees; verbatimSRS: WGS84; decimalLatitude: 42.255772; decimalLongitude: -2.97818; Event: samplingProtocol: butterfly net; eventDate: 07/24/2012; habitat: small spring

 Notes

First record to Spain.

 Molophilus (Molophilus) crassipygus de Meijere, 1918 Materials

Type status: Other material. Occurrence: catalogNumber: LCMMCr-GR-01; recordedBy: L. Rákosy; individualCount: 1; sex: male; Taxon: genus: Molophilus; subgenus: Molophilus; specificEpithet: ​crassipygus; scientificNameAuthorship: de Meijere, 1918; Location: country: Greece; municipality: Ioanina; locality: Tymfi Mts.; verbatimElevation: 1750 m; verbatimCoordinateSystem: decimal degrees; verbatimSRS: WGS84; decimalLatitude: 39.942732; decimalLongitude: 20.838062; Event: samplingProtocol: UV light trap; eventDate: 08/05/2012

 Notes

First record to Greece.

 Molophilus (Molophilus) flavus Goetghebuer, 1920 Materials

Type status: Other material. Occurrence: catalogNumber: LCMMF-AND-01; recordedBy: M. Bálint; individualCount: 1; sex: male; Taxon: genus: Molophilus; subgenus: Molophilus; specificEpithet: flavus; scientificNameAuthorship: Goetghebuer, 1920; Location: country: Andorra; stateProvince: La Massana; municipality: Pal; verbatimElevation: 1910 m; verbatimCoordinateSystem: decimal degrees; verbatimSRS: WGS84; decimalLatitude: 42.533972; decimalLongitude: 1.465611; Event: samplingProtocol: butterfly net; eventDate: 07/17/2012; habitat: small brook

 Notes

First record to Andorra.

 Molophilus (Molophilus) medius de Meijere, 1918 Materials

Type status: Other material. Occurrence: catalogNumber: LCMMM-BG-01; recordedBy: L. Rákosy; individualCount: 16; sex: male; Taxon: genus: Molophilus; subgenus: Molophilus; specificEpithet: medius; scientificNameAuthorship: de Meijere, 1918; Location: country: Greece; municipality: Ioanina; locality: Tymfi Mts.; verbatimElevation: 1750 m; verbatimCoordinateSystem: decimal degrees; verbatimSRS: WGS84; decimalLatitude: 39.942732; decimalLongitude: 20.838062; Event: samplingProtocol: UV light trap; eventDate: 08/05/2012

 Notes

First record to Greece.

 Molophilus (Molophilus) obsoletus Lackschewitz, 1940 Materials

Type status: Other material. Occurrence: catalogNumber: LCMMOb-GR-01; recordedBy: L. Rákosy; individualCount: 3; sex: male; Taxon: genus: Molophilus; subgenus: Molophilus; specificEpithet: obsoletus; scientificNameAuthorship: Lackschewitz, 1940; Location: country: Greece; municipality: Ioanina; locality: Tymfi Mts.; verbatimElevation: 1750 m; verbatimCoordinateSystem: decimal degrees; verbatimSRS: WGS84; decimalLatitude: 39.942732; decimalLongitude: 20.838062; Event: samplingProtocol: UV light trap; eventDate: 08/05/2012

 Notes

First record to Greece.

 Molophilus (Molophilus) occultus de Meijere, 1918 Materials

Type status: Other material. Occurrence: catalogNumber: LCMMO-RO-01; recordedBy: L. Keresztes; individualCount: 1; sex: male; Taxon: genus: Molophilus; subgenus: Molophilus; specificEpithet: occultus; scientificNameAuthorship: de Meijere, 1918; Location: country: Romania; stateProvince: Maramures; municipality: Borșa; locality: Cascada Cailor; verbatimElevation: 1350 m; verbatimCoordinateSystem: decimal degrees; verbatimSRS: WGS84; decimalLatitude: 47.586801; decimalLongitude: 24.668921; Event: samplingProtocol: butterfly net; eventDate: 06/26/2010; habitat: spruce ​(Picea) forest

 Notes

First record to Romania.

 Acknowledgements

The authors thanks to Miklós Bálint and László Rákosy for collecting the specimens, and to Róbert Veres and Tibor Oláh for spellcheking. The work was financed partly by Collegium Talentum and partly by IDEI grant no. PN-2-ID-PCE-2012-4-0595 of the Romanian Government.

 References Hadley A. 2011 Combine ZP 2015-04-02T00:00:00+03:00 http://www.hadleyweb.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/ Kramer J. 2013 Kramer J. Cranefly News. Dipterists Forum Cranefly Recording Scheme Newsletter 26 Bulletin of the Dipterists Forum Catalogue of the Craneflies of the World (Diptera, Tipuloidea: Pediciidae, Limoniidae, Cylindrotomidae, Tipulidae) http://ccw.naturalis.nl/index.php 2015-04-30T00:00:00+03:00 Starý J. 1971 Revision der Arten der Unterfamilie Limoniinae (Tipulidae, Diptera) aus den Sammlungen des Mahrischen Museums in Brno mit besonderer Berucksichtigung der Fauna Mahrens. Teil 2: Tribus Hexatomini und Eriopterini. Casopis Moravskeho Museo v Brne 55 133 194 Starý J. 1971 Einige neue oder wenig bekannte Arten der Gattung Molophilus Curt. (Diptera, Tipulidae) Annotationes Zoologicae et Botanicae, Bratislava 70 1 12 Starý J. 2011 Descriptions and records of the Palaearctic Molophilus Curtis (Diptera, Limoniidae) Zootaxa 2999 45 62

Molophilus balcanicus Kolcsár sp. n.

male habitus

male hypopygium, ventral (tergal) view

male hypopygium, lateral view

aedeagal complex, lateral view

Molophilus variispinus Stary, 1971

male habitus

male hypopygium, ventral (tergal) view

male hypopygium, ventral (tergal) view

aedeagal complex, lateral view

Molophilus serpentiger Edwards, 1938

male habitus

male hypopygium, ventral (tergal) view

male hypopygium, lateral view

aedeagal complex, lateral view