Abstract
Tritomurus veles sp. n. (Tomoceridae) is described from a Croatian cave. It is characterized by troglomorphic features (absence of eyes, reduced pigmentation, slender claw, pointed tibiotarsal tenent hairs) that only compare, among Tomoceridae, to the microendemic species Tritomurus falcifer from the Pyrénées. Tritomurus veles also shares with Tritomurus falcifer the absence of macrochaetae on head, a presumably non-adaptive character that within Tomoceridae is unique to these two species. Both species have no known epigean relatives in their respective distribution areas and can be considered as relictual.
Highlights
The family Tomoceridae includes 149 species in 16 genera, grouped in two subfamilies, Tomocerinae with 131 species and Lepidophorellinae with 18 species (Bellinger et al 2010)
We describe from a Croatian cave a second highly troglomorphic species, Tritomurus veles sp. n., already recorded as Tomoceridae gen. sp. in Lukić and Deharveng (2008).We introduce several new morphological characters for the taxonomy of Tomoceridae, discuss the validity of the genus Tritomurus and comment the world distribution of reduced-eyed Tomoceridae
The first specimen of Tritomurus veles sp. n. was collected in 2001 during a speleological exploration of the pit named Amfora jama conducted by the Croatian Natural History Museum, Speleological section PDS Velebit, Speleological club SAK Ekstrem and the Nature Park Biokovo (Lukić and Deharveng 2008)
Summary
The family Tomoceridae includes 149 species in 16 genera, grouped in two subfamilies, Tomocerinae with 131 species and Lepidophorellinae with 18 species (Bellinger et al 2010). Ing locally as south as the mountains of Northern Sumatra They are conspicuous by their large size and abundance in forest litter, but are diversified and frequent in the caves of different regions of Europe, eastern Asia and North America, with about 30 troglobitic species. Many of these cave species have a reduced number of eyes and reduced pigment (Christiansen 1964). In Lukić and Deharveng (2008).We introduce several new morphological characters for the taxonomy of Tomoceridae, discuss the validity of the genus Tritomurus and comment the world distribution of reduced-eyed Tomoceridae We describe from a Croatian cave a second highly troglomorphic species, Tritomurus veles sp. n., already recorded as Tomoceridae gen. sp. in Lukić and Deharveng (2008).We introduce several new morphological characters for the taxonomy of Tomoceridae, discuss the validity of the genus Tritomurus and comment the world distribution of reduced-eyed Tomoceridae
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