Dolichopoda margiolis Di Russo & Rampini, n. sp.

(Fig. 3)

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: AC794442-78C6-4585-8E1C-BB9708BCBA92

TYPE MATERIAL. — Holotype. Dodecanissos, Kinaros island, 1♂, 12.II.2016, A. Margiolis leg. (epigean) (MZUR).

TYPE LOCALITY. — Kinaros is a small islet of 4.5 km 2, that lies east of Amorgos and west of Leros. The highest point of the islet is 296 m. The islet is long and narrow with steep, inaccessible shores. This small windswept island, along with the nearby Levitha, lies isolated in between Cyclades and eastern Aegean islands. Although zoogeographically it is related to the Cyclades (see below, Palaeogeography of the Cyclades), politically it belongs to Dodecanissos. The island is uninhabited, except for an elderly lady. No caves have ever been documented.

ETYMOLOGY. — The new species name refers to its collector, Alexandros Margiolis.

DIAGNOSIS. — This species is similar to D. kikladica Di Russo & Rampini, n. sp. and D. naxia differing mainly in the leg spinulation, the shape of the tenth tergum, showing two wide triangular lobes, and in the shape of the subgenital plate, which is strongly sclerotized on the external margins. The epiphallus is similar to that of D. kikladica Di Russo & Rampini, n. sp. but its plica dorsalis differs, having strong denticles on the arched apical lobe.

DESCRIPTION

Male

Size relatively big. Body brown-yellowish. Legs elongated, femora unarmed. Fore tibiae armed with 2/4 spines on both sides of lower edge, 2/2 spines along upper edge and a pair of apical spurs of equal length. Mid tibiae with 2/2 short spines on both sides of upper edge, 3/4 spines along lower edge and two apical spurs similar to those of fore tibia. Hind tibiae with 17/18 spines of varying length on both sides of upper edge and 2/3 homogeneous spines along lower edge. Posterior edge of tenth tergum with two wide triangular lobes separated by a short concavity in the middle (Fig. 3A). Subgenital plate globular, with two rounded lobes, strongly sclerotized holding two thickened cylindrical styli (Fig. 3B, C). Epiphallus sclerotized having a cylindrical median process, acute at apex and similar to that of D. kikladica Di Russo & Rampini, n. sp. (Fig. 3D, E). Plica dorsalis, on the whole, similar to that of D. kikladica Di Russo & Rampini, n. sp. with a conical protuberance in the middle but differs in having strong denticles on the apical lobe (Fig. 3F).

Length (mm): body 16.70; pronotum 3.6; fore femora 18.00; middle femora 17.50; hind femora 26.50; fore tibia 19.00; middle tibia 20.00; hind tibia 34.8; hind tarsus 11.8; hind basitarsomere 6.00.

Female

Unknown.

REMARK

An amazing synchronicity of events led to the discovery of this new species, unfortunately related with the tragic death of three young men. In the first night hours of 12 February 2016, a military helicopter crashed on the uninhabited island of Kinaros, a few tenths of meters from the highest point. The three members of the crew, officers of the Greek Navy, were killed instantly and their bodies were hurled onto the rocky slope. Alexandros Margiolis, an experienced speleologist and a member of the Ypogaia Caving Group, was part of the Special Unit of Hellenic Fire Service that flew in from Athens to recover the bodies. He was familiar with cave crickets, as in the previous months he had taken part in a few collecting trips in caves of mainland Greece, along with Sotiris Alexiou and Stylianos Zacharias. The rescuers had to spend one night on this inhospitable rock during which an unpleasant very humid air was blowing from the east. During the first after dark hours, Margiolis was fortunate enough to notice with his flashlight a cave cricket quickly moving on the rocky terrain, next to him. Being aware of the importance of his observation he collected the specimen, which was kindly given to the authors through Stylianos Zacharias.

Dolichopoda are strongly cave dependant insects and only in the north part of their distribution range are they often encountered outside, in moist woods and ravines. Only one other record exists within Greece of an epigean Dolichopoda specimen, on Mt Athamanio, Epirus, where the moist woods of the outside environment and the climatic conditions, are significantly friendlier (Allegrucci et al. 2009; Di Russo et al. 2014). In regions like the Eastern Cyclades, phrygana is the common habitat type and forests are completely absent. The climate is very dry (especially during summer months) but the relative humidity of the air can be significant (Sfenthourakis 1996). More than that, no cave is known on Kinaros and according to the only

inhabitant of the island (the elderly lady born and raised on Kinaros, pers. comm. with Margiolis) only a small rock shelter exists, around 200 m lower than where the specimen was collected. Thus, it is reasonable to assume that the population of D. margiolis Di Russo & Rampini, n. sp. inhabits either an unknown subterranean hollow space or the network of fissures and crevices of Kinaros (or most likely both), where the relatively stable conditions of temperature and humidity allow for the successful conclusion of its life circle.