Abstract
The genus Troglocladius Andersen, Baranov et Hagenlund, gen. n. is erected based on T. hajdi Andersen, Baranov et Hagenlund, sp. n. collected at 980 m depth in the Lukina jama—Trojama cave system in Croatia. Morphological features such as pale color, strongly reduced eyes and very long legs make it a typical cave animal. Surprisingly, it has also retained large wings and appears to be capable of flight which would make T. hajdi the first flying troglobiont worldwide, disproving previous beliefs that bats are the only animals capable of flying in complete darkness. Morphologically the new species does not readily fit within any described genus, but shares characteristics with genera both in the tribes “Metriocnemini” and “Orthocladiini”. Bayesian molecular phylogenetic analysis using the markers COI, 18S rDNAs, 28S rDNA, CADI, and CADIV groups it with the genera Tvetenia, Cardiocladius and Eukiefferiella in the tribe “Metriocnemini”. Troglocladius hajdi may be parthenogenetic, as only females were collected. The discovery confirms the position of the Dinaric arch as a highly important hotspot of subterranean biodiversity.
Highlights
Terrestrial species adapted to cave life are generally characterized as either troglophiles or troglobionts
16 females have been collected in the Lukina jama—Trojama cave system
The pale color in combination with hairy eyes without, or with only a few ommatidia, reduced palp with palpomeres 2+3 and 4+5 most often fused, very long legs, and large wings and halteres will separate the genus from all other Orthocladiinae genera
Summary
Terrestrial species adapted to cave life are generally characterized as either troglophiles or troglobionts. While troglobionts are obligatory cave-dwellers, spending their entire life in the caves, troglophiles are essentially epigean species that are subdivided to eutroglophiles (able to maintain permanent subterranean populations) and subtroglophiles (dependent on epigean habitats for some biological functions). A third category of cave-dwelling organisms, the trogloxenes, are only accidentally found in caves [1]. Out of more than 21,000 terrestrial cave taxa worldwide [2] all troglobionts are ground dwellers. Bats fly in the complete darkness of caves. PLOS ONE | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0152884 April 27, 2016
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