The genus Pheggomisetes Knirsch, 1923 (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Trechinae) in Serbia: taxonomy, morphology and molecular phylogeny

Abstract

The genus Pheggomisetes Knirsch, 1923 consists of stenoendemic troglobitic ground beetles restricted to underground habitats in both Western Bulgaria and Southeast Serbia. A review of the genus in Serbia is given in this article. The following new taxa are described from three caves and pits on slopes of the Stara Planina Mountains in Southeast Serbia: Pheggomisetes serbicus sp. nov., P. serbicus belensis subsp. nov. and P. globiceps ciniglavcensis subsp. nov. Also, Pheggomisetes ninae S. Ćurčić, Schönmann, Brajković, B. Ćurčić & Tomić, 2004, originally described as an independent species, is downgraded to a subspecies of P. globiceps Buresch, 1925 – P. globiceps ninae S. Ćurčić, Schönmann, Brajković, B. Ćurčić & Tomić, 2004 comb. & stat. nov. All the important morphological features of the taxa are listed in the article. The diagnoses of taxa are based on the characters ascertained by bright-field microscopy and nonlinear microscopy (NLM). The use of NLM in investigating Pheggomisetes anatomy is explained, and it is shown to be superior to classical microscopy in observing minute details of different structures (e.g. genitalia) on cross and longitudinal sections. A key to the species of Pheggomisetes (including the Serbian taxa) is given. In addition, we have included morphometric and molecular analyses of all Serbian Pheggomisetes taxa.