Forum Entomologi Italiani

I'm counting on your help
length 19mm

We have any idea

hi tomasz

Tapinopterus sp. ... more probably new than already described... and unless you have male specimens too, most likely to remain nameless for a long, long time...

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maurizio

Or Speluncarius (albanicus?)
I see that it is not easy

Speluncarius albanicus:
Without eyes, color light brown-orange, length 9 mm.
Antennae with hairs starting from the third segment.
So, Tapinopterus sp.

hi tomasz

can you give a detailed, high resolution photo of the head in dorsal view, to see whether eyes are present, although reduced, or totally absent (note that in some Tapinopterus eyes are flat, not clearly protruding from lateral profile of the head, and with ommatide edges somewhat faint, so that eyes may be hardly recognizable)? and another one in lateral view, to see the profile of the dorsum of head (see below)

in any case, even if this will prove "Speluncarius" (actually a complex of eyeless Tapinopterus s.l., to be grouped either in more than one genus, or in some Tapinopterus subgenera) sp., i don't think albanicus; 19 mm are by far too much, moreover Speluncarius (Hypogeobium) albanicus, if i'm not wrong, has 3rd antennomere pubescent in apical half; anyway albanicus has a distinctive conical tubercle at the insertion of posterior sopraorbital seta, with the seta itself inserted on the anterior slope of the tubercle

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maurizio

I came across this article, hence the idea

https://www.researchgate.net/publicatio ... rostichini

Thanks Maurizio and George

Photos will sent tomorrow. Sorry, but I no longer have access to a microscope with built-in camera, but I'll do what I can.
From what I can see is you eyes very small and almost smooth, they do not protrude from the outline of the head, although slightly convex. The third member of antennae has several long bristles at the tip (6 arranged radially), but I do not see tubercule.

Tomasz

ok further photos are unnecessary

Tapinopterus sp.

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maurizio

Maurizio,
I add pictures of the head, maybe something will help in the identification.
Regards!