Domene ( Domene ) zyla Anlaş, 2025

Anlaş, Sinan, 2025, The subterranean species of Domene (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) in the Western Palearctic Region. A new species from Anatolia, with a distributional checklist of the genus, Journal of Natural History 59 (17 - 20), pp. 1209-1225 : 1213-1218

publication ID

https://doi.org/10.1080/00222933.2025.2480177

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03CF9F7F-FB62-FFE6-98B2-FAACFDEE3CF5

treatment provided by

Plazi

scientific name

Domene ( Domene ) zyla Anlaş
status

sp. nov.

Domene ( Domene) zyla Anlaş sp. n.

( Figures 1–2 View Figure 1 View Figure 2 )

Type material

Holotype TURKEY: ♂, ‘TR. Manisa, Salihli, Bozdağlar, environs BahÇecik village , 38.413°N, 28.133°E, 930 m, 14 April 2024, by MSS traps GoogleMaps / Holotypus ♂, Domene ( Domene) zyla sp. n. det. S. Anlaş 2025’ ( AZMM). Paratypes TURKEY: 2 ♀♀, same data as holotype ( AZMM) GoogleMaps . 30 ♀♀, same data as holotype, but 14 April 2014, 01 September 2014, 14 May 2015, 09 September 2015, 01 June 2016, 28 July 2016, 12 October 2017, 28 October 2017, 03 May 2018, 06 November 2018, 07 May 2019, 20 June 2020, 10 May 2021, 03 April 2022 and 06 GoogleMaps . March 2025 ( AZMM). 1♀, ' Manisa, Salihli, Bozdağlar , 38.089°N, 28.084°E, 920 m, 15 April 2014, leg GoogleMaps . R GoogleMaps . Bekchiev' ( AZMM) . 4 ♀♀, same data, but 06 November 2018 and 10 May 2021 by MSS traps ( AZMM) .

Diagnosis

The new species is diagnosed by the following combination of characters: size remarkably large, body 8.8–10.6 mm long; whole body, including appendages, almost uniformly reddish brown; eyes completely reduced, approximately 0.2 times as long as postocular region in lateral view, without pigmentation and composed of approximately 30–40 minute puncture-like rudiments; antennae long and slender, 3.1–3.7 mm long, all antennomeres distinctly longer than broad; punctation of whole body fine and very dense; brachypterous.

Etymology

The species is named to honour my colleague Dr Dagmara Żyła ( Hamburg, Germany), a specialist on Staphylinidae .

Male

Measurements (in mm) and ratios (range, n = 1): AL: 3.72; HL: 1.42; HW: 1.22; PL: 1.24; PW: 0.92; EL: 0.99; EW: 1.12; AW: 1.17; ML: 1.14 (n = 1); TL: 8.8; HL/HW: 1.16; PW/HW: 0.75; PL/ PW: 1.35; EL/PL: 0.80; EW/PW: 1.22; EL/EW: 0.88; AW/EW: 1.05.

Female

Measurements (in mm) and ratios (range, n = 37): AL: 3.13–3.42, 3.28; HL: 1.35–1.47, 1.41; HW: 1.12–1.23, 1.18; PL: 1.22–1.36, 1.31; PW: 0.90–0.98, 0.95; EL: 0.88–1.02, 0.95; EW: 1.10–1.22, 1.18; AW: 1.22–1.32, 1.28; ML; TL: 9.1–10.6, 9.9; HL/HW: 1.20–1.21, 1.20; PW/HW: 0.79–0.80, 0.80; PL/PW: 1.36–1.39, 1.38; EL/PL: 0.72–0.75, 0.74; EW/PW: 1.22–1.24, 1.23; EL/ EW: 0.80–0.84, 0.82; AW/EW: 1.08–1.10, 1.09.

Description

Habitus as in Figure 1 View Figure 1 (A). Body 8.8–10.6 mm long. Colouration: whole body, including appendages, almost uniformly dark brown, with abdomen slightly brighter.

Head with rounded outline and oblong, 1.16 (male)–1.2 (female) times as long as wide (see measurements, ratio HL/HW and Figure 1 View Figure 1 (A,B)); eyes completely reduced, approximately 0.2 times as long as postocular region in lateral view, without pigmentation and composed of approximately 30–40 minute puncture-like rudiments ( Figure 1 View Figure 1 (D)); long and thin seta in supraocular small circular depression (supraocular trichobothrium); punctation moderately fine, but slightly denser and granulose in central dorsal area, interstices with moderately fine microsculpture, reduced to narrow ridges; pubescence yellowish and sparse, but slightly denser in lateral area. Antenna long and slender ( Figure 1 View Figure 1 (C)), 3.1–3.7 mm long, all antennomeres longer than wide; antennomere III much longer than IV, antennomere IV approximately 2 times as long as broad, antennomere X approximately 1.5–1.6 times as long as broad.

Pronotum hexagonal shape; narrower than head, 0.75 (male)–0.8 (female) times as broad as head, widest near anterior angles (see ratio PW/HW and Figure 1 View Figure 1 (A,B)), and oblong, approximately 1.35 (male)–1.38 (female) times as long as wide (see ratio PL/PW and Figure 1 View Figure 1 (A,B)); punctation similar to that of head but slightly denser and smaller; longitudinally microstriate microsculpture absent, impunctate midline; pubescence similar to that of head but slightly denser in anterior area.

Elytra wider than pronotum, at suture shorter than pronotum (see ratios EW/PW, EL/PL and Figure 1 View Figure 1 (A,B)), dorsal surface slightly flattened across middle and with slightly smaller impression on either side of scutellum; punctation rather coarse, moderately dense, and slightly granulose, microsculpture absent; pubescence similar to that of head and pronotum; hind wings completely reduced. Legs long and slender ( Figure 1 View Figure 1 (A)).

Abdomen slightly wider than elytra (see ratio AW/EW and Figure 1 View Figure 1 (A)), widest at segment VI; tergites IV–VII anteriorly with shallow impressions; punctation dense and fine; microsculpture distinct on tergites III–VI, somewhat shallower on tergites VII–VIII; pubescence yellowish and moderately dense; posterior margin of tergite VII without palisade fringe.

Sexual dimorphism

Body length of females ( 37 specimens): 9.1–10.6 mm. Body length of male ( one specimen): 8.8 mm. The male differs from the female by the following features: longer antennae than the female (antenna length of male: 3.7 mm; antenna length of females: 3.1–3.4 mm), head slightly more oblong than that of the female, abdomen slightly more slender than that of the female and punctures slightly smaller than those of the female.

Male terminalia and genitalia. Sternite VII transverse and unmodified, without modified setae ( Figure 1 View Figure 1 (G)), posterior margins of sternite VIII slightly tapering, with nearly U-shaped posterior excision, pubescence modified in part ( Figure 1 View Figure 1 (H)). Aedeagus large, approximately 1.15 mm long, ventral process stout and broad in lateral view, with one small tooth in the middle; symmetrical in ventral view, ventral process longer, basally broader and slightly narrowed apically in ventral view ( Figure 1 View Figure 1 (E,F)).

Female terminalia. Tergite VIII unmodified, without modified setae, posterior margin of tergite VIII weakly angled in middle; sternite VIII unmodified, without modified setae.

Comparative notes

This new species is the fourth representative of the hypogean Domene recorded from Turkey. Previously known species from Turkey were D. miranda Assing, 2010 (north-western Anatolia, Kastamonu province), D. bordonii Anlaş, 2019 (central southern Anatolia, Konya province, Geyik Mountains) and D. lohaji Anlaş, 2023 (central northern Anatolia, Amasya province, Sakarat Mountain). In addition, the other geographically closest microphthalmous congeners are D. giachinoi Assing, 2007 from Thesprotía province, Ipiros, Óri Soulíou, north-western Greece; D. behnei Zerche, 2008 from the Greek island Kérkira (Corfu); and D. vailatii Assing, 2018 from Thesprotía province, O. Tsamantá, north-western Greece ( Assing 2007; Zerche 2008, 2018).

This new species can be distinguished from the geographically closest congeners by the different shapes of the male sexual characters. It differs from these species by the different morphology of the aedeagus and the following features:

● from D. miranda Assing , by the barely visible rudiments without ommatidia (in D. miranda : eyes small, 0.25 times as long as postocular region in lateral view, with pigmentation and composed of approximately 50 ommatidia. In D. zyla : eyes completely reduced, without ommatidia), smaller and sparser punctation of the head, different shape of the pronotum and elytra (in D. miranda : pronotum and elytra extensively impressed), and broader and shallower posterior concavity of the male sternite VIII.

● from D. bordonii Anlaş , by the darker colouration of the body, larger size (in D. bordonii : body 8.6–9.1 mm long), slightly longer and more slender legs, smaller and sparser punctation of the whole body, and absence of pigmentation in the eyes (in D. bordonii : 6–11 ommatidia, with pigmentation).

● from D. lohaji Anlaş , by the the darker colouration of the body, smaller size (in D. lohaji : body 10.6–12.3 mm long), by the less oblong head size (in D. lohaji : head 1.35 times as long as wide), by the absence of pigmentation and ommatidia in the eyes (in D. lohaji : eyes reduced, 0.25 times as long as postocular region in lateral view, with pigmentation and composed of approximately 50 ommatidia), and by the different shape of the posterior excision of the male sternite VIII.

● from D. giachinoi Assing , by the relatively shorter antennae ( D. giachinoi : 4.1 mm long), slenderer and shorter legs, matt body ( D. giachinoi : body glossy), different shape of the pronotum and elytra (in D. giachinoi : pronotum and elytra extensively impressed), smaller and sparser punctation of the head and pronotum, and different shape of the posterior excision of the male sternite VIII ( D. giachinoi : sternite VIII with deep and broad posterior excision, postero-lateral angles pointed).

- from D. behnei Zerche , by the different colouration ( D. behnei : almost uniformly pale reddish), more oblong and shiny pronotum, smaller and sparser punctation of the whole body, different shape of abdominal tergites IV–VI ( D. behnei : the abdominal tergites IV–VI lack the anterior impressions), and different shape of the posterior excision of the male sternite VIII.

● from D. vailatii Assing , by the different colouration (in D. vailatii : forebody blackish brown, rarely paler; abdomen dark brown;legs reddish brown to dark brown; antennae brown to dark brown), relatively shorter antennae (in D. vailatii : 4.2–4.5 mm), smaller and sparser punctation of the whole body, and different shape of the posterior margin of the male sternite VII and VIII (in D. vailatii : posterior margin of sternite VII with small and shallow median concavity; posterior margins of sternite VIII not tapering).

For illustrations of the habitus and genitalia of these species see Assing (2007, 2010,

2018), Anlaş (2019, 2023) and Zerche (2008).

Distribution and bionomics

Almost all specimens of the new species were collected with subterranean pitfall traps in broad-leaved forest (e. g. Platanus orientalis L.) and in a rocky steep slope at elevations of 920 and 930 m in Manisa province, Bozdağlar Mountains , western Anatolia ( Figure 2 View Figure 2 ) . In addition, a specimen was collected by sifting litter and moss in a partly flooded pasture, at an altitude of 920 m . This new species is most probably endemic in Bozdağlar Mountains , and lives in deeper humus layers, the crevices in bedrock or other subterranean habitats. The sex ratio is interesting and remarkable: only one of the 38 type specimens is a male. A similar situation was seen in D. vailatii Assing (male/female ratio: 1:21). Those specimens were collected the same way, with MSS traps in a rocky deciduous forest from north-western Greece ( Assing 2018) .

Faunistic records Domene ( s. str.) bordonii Anlaş 2019

Material examined

TURKEY: 2♂♂, 9♀♀, ' Konya province, Seydişehir, Geyik Dağları, Rezebeli GeÇidi , 1825 m, 37.455°N, 31.701°E, 01VJuly 2021, by MSS traps' ( AZMM) GoogleMaps . 2♂♂, 9♀♀, same data but July 2022 GoogleMaps .

Distribution

The recently described species is only known from the Geyik Mountains ( Konya province) in central southern Anatolia, Turkey ( Anlaş 2019). This species is here recorded for the first time after its original description.

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Coleoptera

Family

Staphylinidae

Genus

Domene

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