Carinostoma elegans new to the Slovakian harvestmen fauna (Opiliones, Dyspnoi, Nemastomatidae)

A new genus and species of small harvestman was found for the first time in Slovakia – Carinostoma elegans (Sørensen, 1894). One male and two females were collected in the Mlyňany arboretum of the Slovak Academy of Science (western Slovakia). Descriptions and photographs of both sexes of C. elegans are provided. Additional comments, and a map of distribution of all species of this genus, are provided.

Altogether five species in three genera from the family Nemastomatidae are known to occur in Slovakia.During a brief zoological investigation into the arachnid fauna in the arboretum Mlyňany of the Slovak Academy of Science three specimens of a harvestman so far not known as a member of the Slovakian opilionid fauna were found.The specimens were identified as Carinostoma elegans Sørensen, 1894.The genus Carinostoma Kratochvíl, 1958 comprises three closely related European species (Schönhofer 2013).They are small, black colored, short-legged with silver spots and dorsal ornamentation forming rows of bridgethorns.Males have a bifid and spined penial glans and chelicera with a single excretion porus (Schönhofer & Martens 2012).The authorship of Carinostoma elegans is officially assigned to William Emil Sørensen, but the species was published thanks to Adolf Lendl.Sørensen was very busy that time, so Lendl asked him for permission to publish his descriptions (Lendl 1894).The presence of this species was expected in Slovakia due to its occurrence close to the border with Hungary and Ukraine (e.g.Kratochvíl 1935, Šilhavý 1956, Martens 1978, Stašiov 2004, Mihál et al. 2009).With this new record of Carinostoma elegans the number of the harvestmen species known from Slovakia reaches 35 and the number of genera increases to 25 (Bezděčka & Bezděčková 2011, Mihál & Astaloš 2011).As the species is new to the Slovakian harvestmen fauna, we provide a description of its morphology and compare its distribution to other species of the genus.

Methods
Specimens were extracted from samples using Berlese funnels and by individual collection.Microphotographs were made using EOS Utility software and a digital camera (Canon EOS 1100D) connected to a Zeiss Stemi 2000-C.Microslides of the ovipositor and penis were photographed using a Leica ICC50 camera connected to a Leica DM1000 using LAS EZ 1.8.0 software.Digital images were combined and edited using Photoshop CS6.Description of the species is based on mature specimens obtained in Slovakia.Material is deposited in 70% ethanol and as permanent microscope slides in Swann's medium in the collection of the Western Slovakia Museum in Trnava.

Diagnosis
Within Carinostoma only C. elegans has two transverse dorsal ridges with the upper one connected to the round post-ocular ridge; C. carinatum (Roewer, 1914) differs by an additional transverse ridge and C. ornatum (Hadži, 1940) lacks connection to the postocular ridge and dorsal spots; however, Karaman (1995) observed specimens, living in sympatry with C. carinatum, with dorsal spots as in C. elegans.Unlike C. carinatum and C. ornatum, males of C. elegans have a longer slender stylus of the penial glans (not thick and curved), and the excretion porus of the cheliceral apophysis is positioned within the cheliceral grove (not outside) (e.g.Hadži 1940, fig. 6g, Martens 1978, fig. 195, Raspotnig et al. 2014, fig.2).
Male.Total length of body 1.5 mm.Basal segment of chelicerae has a small depression with excretion porus (Fig. 2).Penis as in Fig. 4; glans terminally bifid, slender stylus slightly curved, laterally on the margin covered with six pairs of short spines.

Comments
The number of posterior spots varies from one ellipsoid to two small ovals (var.bartoligetiense) (Băbălean 2011).Description of the variety bartoligetiense was based on eastern Hungarian specimens from locality of Bátorliget (Szalay 1951).Later it was categorized as a subspecies by Loksa (1991).Nowadays it is treated as a variety based on the recent taxonomic revision by Schönhofer (2013).Slovakian species represent var.bartoligetiense.Although one of Slovakian females has only one posterior spot, this is an abnormal absence of the left one.In addition no posterior spots were observed in one female from Romania by Cîrdei (1958).

Biological and ecological notes
The genus Carinostoma comprises edaphic thermophilous forest species found in the litter, under tree remnants, stones or in deep humus soil (Avram & Dumitrescu 1969, Băbălean & Ilie 2003, Mitov & Stoyanov 2004, Mitov 2008).Although, caves are not a typical habitat for this genus; several females of C. elegans were recorded near their entrances (Avram & Dumitrescu 1969, Ilie 2002).All species occur in forests, preferring higher altitudes in the southern populations (Schönhofer 2014).
Carinostoma adults seem to be most active around October (e.g.Oltean & Dumitrescu 1973, Novak & Gruber 2000, Raspoting et al. 2014), which corresponds to our discovery in Slovakia.Adults of Carinostoma elegans reach two peaks of maximum activity.The first peak is in autumn (from September to October) and the second in spring (from April to May) (Weiss 1988, Loksa 1991).In C. ornatum fe-  males with eggs were found in spring and autumn (from September to October and from April to June) (Mitov 2004, Mitov & Stoyanov 2004), which is probably similar in C. elegans.

Distribution
Carinostoma elegans is a south-east European species.It is the most eastern species of the genus, and its distribution is enclosed by the Carpathian Mountains.An isolated population was found in the east of Bulgaria (Fig. 8, yellow color).In comparison to the other species the most western one, C. carinatum, occurs from the Eastern Alps, following the Dinaric Alps to Serbia (Fig. 8, blue), and C. ornatum occupies the south-east along the Balkan Mountains and the Rhodopes (Fig. 8, red).According to Staręga (1976) C. elegans seems to be vicariant with C. ornatum, so their distribution may be limited somewhere in the central Balkans, between the "Šipka" through "Iskyr".However, Mitov (2004) predicted C. elegans in the Eastern Rhodopes.All three species of the genus Carinostoma occur in Serbia; moreover C. elegans co-occurs with C. ornatum in Bulgaria and C. carinatum with C. ornatum in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro (Fig. 8, Tab.1).According to the presented map there are some blank places, e.g.Albania, Moldavia, which is probably due to limited research activity.
The recent mention of C. elegans in Slovakia (Raspotnig et al. 2014), was clarified as the expected occurrence according to Martens (1978) (Raspotnig 2014, pers. comm.).However, C. elegans has been expected in Slovakia even earlier (e.g.Kratochvíl 1935, Mihál et al. 2009), but remained either very rare or hard to find.Our records from the arboretum could be caused by human activity.In the years 2011 and 2012 a few plants were imported from Hungary (Tanakajd) (Barta 2013, pers. comm.).Although all plants were placed into a garden nursery, two specimens of C. elegans were found in the oldest part of the arboretum near the castle.Other very recent records of C. elegans in the Aggteleki National Park from Hungary were situated very close to the Slovakian border (Komposch 2004), so it is probably pres- ent in the neighboring NP Slovenský kras (=Slovak Karst National Park) as well.

Disputable and dubious records
Although Roewer (1919) mentioned distribution of C. carinatum in Romania, this could not be confirmed by recent faunistic studies (e.g.Babalean 2001, 2002, 2011, Babalean & Ilie 2003, Mitov 2008).On the contrary, C. ornatum should be expected in Dalmatia (Novak 2004), as was presented by Hadži (1973), but this record has not been confirmed up to the present.

Fig. 8 :
Fig. 8: Schematic map of distribution of the genus Carinostoma; disputable records omitted (for detailed information see Appendix).Yellow: C. elegans, Red: C. ornatum, Blue: C. carinatum.The Slovakian record marked with the largest character.