Euscelis venitala nov. sp., a new Euscelis taxon from the Appennine Mountains of Central Italy.

Abstract

Euscelis venitala n. sp., a new Euscelis taxon from the Appennine Mountains of Central Italy. E. venitala n. sp. is rather similar and probably most closely related to E. venosus (Kbm.), but clearly differs in structures of the male (“Dorsalrand-Struktur”, edeagus) and female (base of G VIII, “Intervalvenstück”) genitalia. Living on meadows it is so far known from 4 localities situated between 1000 and 1400m elevation in the Central Appennine Mountains (Monti della Laga, Maiella), i.e. allopatrically distributed with E. venosus (Kbm.) inhabiting a large “montaneous” area from northern Spain and Great Britain into Russia (recorded as far east as Kazakhstan and Altai Mts.), but in Italy apparently confined to the Alps. As structural differences between both taxa are distinct and no “transitional” variation was found in each taxon, we take these differences as a proof for interrupted gene flow due to a low “spread ability” of both taxa (all specimens - 130 - of E. venitala n. sp. seen so far are brachypterous, and so are most of E. venosus (Kbm.)). Until contrary evidence is brought up we consider E. venitala n. sp. as endemic species of the Central Region of the Appennine Mountains - a region rich in endemic taxa also in other groups of animals.