Chelidurella maccagnoae Kočárek & Fontana sp. nov.

Figs 1, 2, 3

Material.

Holotype. Italy • 1 ♂; Passo di Crocedomini (Breno) BS, 1900 m; 45°54'19"N, 10°24'33"E; 19 Aug. 2024; Paolo Fontana leg.; GenBank: COI: PX 585052, 12 S: PX 640177, ITS 2: PX 640172 (the Fontana collection in FMCR). Paratypes. Italy • 1 ♀; Passo di Crocedomini (Breno) BS, 1900 m; 45°54'19"N, 10°24'33"E; 19 Aug. 2024; Paolo Fontana leg. (the Fontana collection in FMCR); Italy • 2 ♀; Passo di Crocedomini (Breno) BS, 1900 m; 45°54'28.7"N, 10°24'33.6"E, 5 Sep. 2023, Paolo and Carlotta Fontana leg.; ID: 454, 455 (UO).

Diagnosis.

Chelidurella maccagnoae Kočárek & Fontana, sp. nov. and C. mutica share shortened pygidium without upcurved projection and this character clearly separates these two species from the remaining described species of Chelidurella. Chelidurella maccagnoae sp. nov. and C. mutica are externally indistinguishable, but differ in the morphology of male genitalia. The penis lobe of C. maccagnoae sp. nov. is long, reaches almost the tip of the parameres, is nearly parallel sided and truncated distally; the penis lobe of C. mutica is shorter, reaches up to two-thirds of the length of parameres, sloping to the apex that is truncate. The parameres of C. maccagnoae sp. nov. are more angular along the outer margin than those of C. mutica. Both species differ also in the morphology of basal vesicle, in the shape of proximal expansion. Proximal and distal corners of the proximal expansion of basal vesicle are pointed in C. maccagnoae sp. nov., but broadly rounded in C. mutica.

Description.

Body yellowish-brown (Figs 1, 2); head orange-yellow, legs and forceps ochre. Cuticle punctured, shiny. Tegmina of Chelidurella type, rudimentary, rugose, with a short section overlapping medially; wings entirely absent. Pygidium ochre, short, without upward projection. Measurements of holotype male: Total length without forceps 11.8 mm, length of forceps 4.6 mm. Maximal head width 2.18 mm, maximal head length 2.1 mm, maximal pronotum length / width 1.7 / 2.2 mm, maximal tegmina length 2.49 mm, length of 1 st antennomere (scapus) 0.7 mm, length of 2 nd antennomere (pedicel) 0.1 mm, length of 3 rd antennomere 0.4 mm. Total length of male genitalia 3.2 mm (with exclusion of exceeding virga), basal vesicle length 0.4 mm. Measurements of paratype female: Total length without forceps 11.3 mm, length of forceps 2.3 mm in females.

Holotype male. Head (Fig. 1 A) transverse; frons gibbose convex, postfrontal and coronal sutures distinct, posterior margin concave in middle. Eyes small, as long as 3 rd antennomere. Antennae with 13 antennomeres; 1 st antennomere narrowed in basal third, widened distally, as long as 3 rd and 4 th antennomeres combined; 2 nd antennomere short, quadratic; 3 rd antennomere longer than 4 th, both subconical; antennomeres 5–13 cylindrical, narrowed at extreme base. All antennomeres shortly pubescent.

Pronotum (Fig. 1 A) transverse, as wide as head, slightly expanded distally and broadly rounded posteriorly. Disc of pronotum flat, median sulcus fine but distinct. Tegmina rugose, rudimentary, with a short section overlapping medially, lateral and internal edges broadly rounded. Mesonotum dorsally visible as distally broadly rounded mesoscutellum; metanotum transverse, wider than long, posteriorly broadly emarginate. Sternal plates typical for genus. Legs unicolourous ochre; femora stout; tibiae clad with thick and fine setae; 1 st metatarsomere cylindrical, longer than 2 nd and 3 rd tarsomeres combined, pulvilli not developed. Claws simple, symmetrical; arolium absent.

Abdomen (Fig. 1 B, C) somewhat widened in middle, lateral glandular folds present on tergites 3 and 4, tergites 4–6 rugose-striate at sides. Ultimate tergite transverse, slightly sloping posteriorly, more than twice as wide as long, median part somewhat depressed near posterior margin, disc with a pair of rounded tubercles near the forceps bases. Ninth sternite (penultimate) broadly rounded posteriorly (Fig. 1 D). Pygidium broad and short, without upward projection, lateral sides sloping to central truncated part with small tubercules at corners. Forceps (Fig. 1 B, C) arcuate, without any tooth, branches cylindrical and regularly tapering to the apex.

Genitalia (Figs 1 E – G, 3 E, 3 I) with only slightly narrowed penis lobe distally with truncated apex. Parameres thin, 4 × longer than wide, broadened in middle and narrowed apically, external margin convex, internal margin gently emarginated. Basal vesicle thin, 2 × shorter than length of paramere, reniform. Proximal expansion more robust than distal expansion, distal expansion transverse, with acute corners. Virga sinuated, well sclerotised, elongated ~ 3 × longer than paramere.

Female. Agrees with male in all characters except female forceps have simple and straight with contiguous branches (Fig. 2 B).

Molecular identification.

We obtained partial COI sequence (657 bp) from the holotype male specimen of Chelidurella maccagnoae Kočárek & Fontana, sp. nov. as DNA barcode for molecular identification of the species. The barcode is deposited in GenBank under accession number PX 585052 (DNA isolate number: 481).

Etymology.

The new species is dedicated to the Italian zoologist Teresita Maccagno Paulucci (1900–1999), who, with her seminal works, made a decisive contribution to the study of Dermaptera by pioneering the comparative examination of male genitalia in the classification of these insects (Maccagno 1926, 1933). Her life spanned a century, but, like many women in science, she never received the recognition she deserved.

Biology.

The few specimens collected (during intense searches) were identified under stones of various sizes at the edges of pastures near the Cricedomini Pass. Specimens were collected (in very small numbers) between the end of August (2024) and the beginning of September (2023). The species was also the subject of research in mid-July 2025, but without success. During the same field trip conducted at the end of August 2024, some juvenile stages of Dermaptera were identified in addition to the adult male and female collected, apparently attributable to the new species. This very limited data does not allow us to outline the phenology of this species, which appears to be present in a very small population.

Distribution.

Known only from type locality in Adamello-Presanella Alps in Italy, the Crocedòmini Pass. This is an Alpine pass in the Brescia Prealps, located in the province of Brescia at 1,892 m a. s. l., south of the Adamello Park in Lombardy. From an orographic perspective, the pass separates the Southern Rhaetian Alps from the Brescian and Garda Prealps. It is located just north of the point where the Three Brescian Valleys meet: Val Trompia, Val Camonica, and Val Sabbia.