Naslov
A new isopod genus (Crustacea: Isopoda: Oniscidea) from the cave system Vilina špilja – izvor Omble (Dubrovnik, Croatia): extinction before description?

Autori
Bedek, Jana ; Horvatović, Mladen ; Karaman, Ivo

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Sažeci sa skupova, sažetak, znanstveni

Izvornik
21st International Conference on Subterranean Biology, Abstract book / Kovač, Lubomir ; Uhrin, Marcel ; Mock, Andrej ; Luptačik, Peter - Košice - Košice : Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice, 2012, 27-28

ISBN
978-80-7097-959-4

Skup
21st International Conference on Subterranean Biology

Mjesto i datum
Košice, Slovačka, 02.09.2012. - 07.09.2012

Vrsta sudjelovanja
Poster

Vrsta recenzije
Međunarodna recenzija

Ključne riječi
new genus, new species, cave, Oniscidea

Sažetak
Cave system Vilina špilja – izvor Omble near the town of Dubrovnik is the second longest cave in Dalmatia (3.036 long, 192 meters deep), containing numerous different habitats, both terrestrial and aquatic. With more than 30 troglobiotic species recorded up to date (majority stenoendemic), it is one of the richest caves in Croatia. Seven bat species inhabit the cave and four of them have their nursery colonies in the top most level of the cave. Additionally to its high biological value it is also an important archeological site. The majority of habitats in the cave system are threatened by the construction of hydro power plant Ombla. The dam, power plant and its entire facility is planned to be built inside the cave and hill causing the water level raising up to 130 meters high and consequently flooding two entire lower levels of the cave. The top most level, the only non flooded part, should be drilled to compensate occasional high air pressure from raising water, and therefore will be destroyed too. In the entrance chamber of the topmost level, very unusual terrestrial isopod was found during biospeleological research of Croatian Biospeleological Society. It has extremely elongated body and same width of cephalon, pereon and pleon, which is very rare within Oniscidea and could be compared to the subterranean genus Cylindroniscus Arcangeli, 1929 (Trichoniscidae) from Mexico and Cuba. The new genus belongs to the family Styloniscidae, which has mainly Gondwanian distribution. This family is represented in Europe only by the predominately troglobite genus Cordioniscus, and two still undescribed new troglobite dinaric genera. The new genus shows slight affinity to the undescribed genus present in some caves in Montenegro. The new isopod has capabillity to bend the pereon laterally in the shape of letter „S“, and even spiral along the longitudinal axis of the body. This ability is unique within Oniscidea, and has not been reported to date. This could be adaptation to terrestrial interstitial sediment habitat, where the majority of specimens have been found, which is in concordance with extremely elongated body.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Biologija

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