NEW RECORD OF NEVRORTHIDAE (NEUROPTERA; NEUROPTERIDA) FROM SERBIA

Abstract

Nevrorthidae is an old and peculiar family of Neuroptera considered as “living fossil” with
immanent phylogenetic importance. Unlike most other neuropteran families, the nevrorthids have
aquatic larvae, which prefer clean mountain rivulets. They also pupate under water, and adults could
be found in the vegetation along these rivulets. Four genera with highly disjunct distribution are
present. The European genus, Nevrorthus Costa, 1863 has four (or five) vicariant species, and it is
considered as Mediterranean faunistical element. The species Nevrorthus apatelios H. Aspock, U.
Aspock & Holzel, 1977 has the widest distribution and it is regarded as balkanopontomediterranean
element. In Serbia, including Kosovo and Metohia there were only a few reported findings of
nevrorthids, namely N. apatelios, and the most recent was back from 1986. During our research on the
slopes of the Stara Planina Mountain, near the city of Pirot (southeastern Serbia), one nevrorthid
larvae was found in the August 20, 2013 in the Dojkinci River. Due to lack of available taxonomic
keys for larval nevrorthids, this specimen could not be identified to lower taxonomic level. Bearing in
mind biogeography of this group and genus, it could be reasonable to assume that found larval
specimen belongs to species N. apatelios. Nevertheless, this finding represents, beside a new locality
of this rare taxon, also the only recent (XXI century) report regarding its presence in Serbia.
Key words: Nevrorthidae, new locality, recent findings, Dojkinci River, Serbia