Tinodes lumbardhi Ibrahimi, Bilalli & Musliu, 2025

Tinodes lumbardhi Ibrahimi, Bilalli & Musliu sp. nov.

Materials

Type status: Holotype. Occurrence: lifeStage: adult; occurrenceID: B744309F-37E6-59B7-BAE5-688AC4CFD788; Location: continent: Europe; waterBody: Adriatic Sea Basin; country: Kosovo; countryCode: XK; municipality: Deçan; locality: Bellaja Village, sidestream of the Lumbardhi i Deçanit River ; verbatimCoordinates: 42.581919 ° N, 20.200688 ° E; decimalLatitude: 42.581919; decimalLongitude: 20.200688 °; Event: samplingProtocol: UV light trap; samplingEffort: 2 trap-nights; eventDate: 2024-06-21; year: 2024; month: 06; day: 21 GoogleMaps

Type status: Paratype. Occurrence: lifeStage: adult; occurrenceID: DD86C4A1-5EBF-5411-AEBF-11B01B56B0C5; Location: continent: Europe; waterBody: Adriatic Sea Basin; country: Kosovo; countryCode: XK; municipality: Deçan; locality: Bellaja Village, sidestream of the Lumbardhi i Deçanit River ; verbatimCoordinates: 42.581919 ° N, 20.200688 ° E; decimalLatitude: 42.581919; decimalLongitude: 20.200688; Event: samplingProtocol: UV light trap; samplingEffort: 2 trap-nights; eventDate: 2024-06-21; year: 2024; month: 06; day: 21 GoogleMaps

Description

Male (in alcohol). Forewing length 4.7-4.9 mm; head light brown, antennae brown, maxillary palps brown; thorax light brown; legs yellow-brown, number of spurs 2, 4, 4; abdomen dark brown, external genital apparatus light brown to brown.

Genitalia (Fig. 2). Sternite IX with longer dorsal rod-shaped portion and square-like ventral portion, proximal margin straight, basally rounded, apex of the ventral part of sternite IX slightly widening, in lateral view. In ventral view, segment IX roughly quadratic in shape. Tergite IX sclerotised dorsally, membranous ventrally. Superior appendages long, thick, sinuate, dilating medially, not reaching the apex of inferior appendages, tapering apically and bearing long setea on the surface. Intermediate appendages consist of a pair of broad dorsal processes, shorter than superior appendages, that nearly encase the phallic organ in a tubular fashion. Each intermediate appendage is equipped with megasetae positioned within well-developed alveoli. Coxopodites of inferior appendages relatively long in lateral view, highest mesally, with convex dorsal and ventral margins and concave proximal margin; in ventral view, fused mesoventrally near the base, inner margin wide and V-shaped. Harpagones simple monolobed, broader basally, apically rounded and turned mesad in lateral view, equally broad and apically truncated, slightly turned inwards in ventral view. The phallic apparatus is positioned within the intermediate appendage processes, apically encircled by a membranous process.

Diagnosis

Males of Tinodes lumbardhi sp. nov. are most similar to Tinodes kimminsi and Tinodes urdhva , but differ in the shapes of segment IX, the coxopodites, harpagones, phallicata and the basal plate process.

In Tinodes lumbardhi sp. nov., segment IX is proximally straight, whereas it is convex in both Tinodes kimminsi and Tinodes urdhva .

The coxopodites of Tinodes lumbardhi sp. nov. are large and roughly rectangular, with a broad, angled apex in lateral view, unlike those of Tinodes urdhva and Tinodes kimminsi , which are oviform with an acuminate apex. The harpagones of Tinodes lumbardhi sp. nov. are large, basally wide, apically rounded and mesad-turned in lateral view, appearing equally wide and apically truncated in ventral view. In contrast, in Tinodes urdhva , the harpagones are small, upturned in lateral view, with a very wide base and an acuminate apex in ventral view. In Tinodes kimminsi , the harpagones are large and evenly wide in lateral view, slightly turned downwards, with an apically truncated shape in lateral view; they appear almost straight and apically truncated, in ventral view.

The apex of the basal plate of the inferior appendages in Tinodes lumbardhi sp. nov. is small, ventrally rounded in lateral view, while, in Tinodes kimminsi , it is large and with a single long pointed ventral process and, in Tinodes urdhva , it is large and has two small ventral pointed processes.

The megasetae of intermediate appendages in Tinodes lumbardhi sp. nov. are arranged as follows: one middle ventral turned upwards, two subapical ventral, one very small seta located between the middle ventral and subapical setae, four apical, one long middle dorsal and six subapical dorsal setae. In Tinodes kimminsi , there is one middle ventral seta turned upwards, three subapical ventral and three middle dorsal setae; in Tinodes urdhva , there is one middle ventral seta turned downwards, with 2–3 subapical ventral, 3–4 apical and 5–6 subapical dorsal setae.

In Tinodes lumbardhi sp. nov., the phallicata is a simple rod surrounded by a less sclerotised membranous structure and an additional smaller apical membranous structure. In Tinodes kimminsi , the phallicata is a simple rod encircled by a very broad, less sclerotised membranous structure. In Tinodes urdhva , the phallicata is a simple rod without any surrounding structures.

In addition, Tinodes lumbardhi sp. nov. differs from Tinodes urdhva by having longer and more slender coxopodites in ventral view, as well as a deeper incision. The median ventral processes of the basal plate of the gonopods are also shaped differently between the two species in lateral view. Furthermore, the basal part of the basal plate of the gonopods in Tinodes lumbardhi sp. nov. is wider than in Tinodes urdhva in ventral view.

Etymology

This species is named after the river where it was discovered. The species epithet, lumbardhi , is a noun in apposition derived from the Albanian name of the river, meaning ' the white river. ' As a noun in apposition, it does not need to conform to Latin grammatical gender.

Distribution

Kosovo: Lumbardhi i Deçanit River, Bjeshkët e Nemuna.

Ecology

The species was found in a small, shaded stream with minimal water flow. The stream was surrounded by dense, high vegetation that provides near-constant shade, creating a cool and dimly lit environment. The substrate was composed of small rocks, pebbles, sand and a substantial accumulation of fallen leaves and branches, which contribute to a rich layer of organic material on the streambed. This shaded, leaf-littered environment likely plays a significant role in the species’ microhabitat preferences. The species was found in sympatry with the following species: Rhyacophila loxias , Rhyacophila siparantum , Rhyacophila tristis Pictet, 1834 , Philopotamus montanus Donovan, 1813 , Polycentropus irroratus Curtis, 1835 , Plectrocnemia conspersa Curtis, 1834 , Plectrocnemia geniculata McLachlah, 1871 , Tinodes rostocki McLahlan, 1878 and Sericostoma flavicorne Schneider, 1845 .