Balkanopetalum petrovi sp. n.

Figs 10­12.

Material examined (all from Bulgaria): Holotype: adult M; 54 pleurotergites, length ca. 65 mm, width ca. 4 mm; NMNH­Sofia, Callipodida collection; Bulgaria, Eastern Rhodopi Mts., Momchilgrad District, Ribino Village, Samara Cave, 11.10.1995, B. Petrov, P. Stoev leg. — Paratypes: East Rhodopi Mts.: 3 subad., Ribino Village, Samara Cave, 20.04.1995, B. Petrov leg. ; F, 2 subad., same locality, 11.10.1995, B. Petrov, P. Stoev leg.; F, same locality, 20.09.1996, T. Ivanova, A. Georgieva leg. ; M, F, same locality and collectors, 03.01.1997; F, same locality, 01.05.1998, T. Ivanova leg .; 2 FF, subad., same village, Ogledalnata Peshtera (Aina­ini) Cave, guano, clay, 10.02.1998, B. Petrov leg. ; 2 MM, F, 4 juv. (1M, 1F, 4 juv., ZMUC), Kremen (Akcha) Village, Zlatnata yama (= Kremenskata Peshtera) Cave, 27.04.1996, B. Petrov, P. Stoev leg. ; M, 14 FF, same locality, 250 m alt., clay, 27.04.1996, P. Stoev, B. Petrov leg.; 3 MM, F, same locality, 20.07.1996, T. Ivanova, T. Troanski leg .; F, 2 subad., same locality, 07.11.1999, B. Petrov, S. Beshkov, D. Vasilev leg.; F, Krumovgrad Distr., Krun Village near Kukuryak, mine gallery on the road, 700 m alt., under stones, 07.11.1999, B. Petrov, S. Beshkov, D. Vasilev leg.

Etymology. The species honors Boyan Petrov, a friend and colleague of P.S., who collected most of the specimens that are object of this study.

Description. Length: ca. 65 mm, Width ca. 4 mm, 53­54 body pleurotergites. Head concavity in males hairless; row of several bristles between the concavity and the labrum. Ocellaria composed of ca. 36­37 black ocelli. Antennomeres 1 and 5­8 white, 2­4 brown, speckled with irregular white spots.

Collum pale yellowish with much darker posterior part; with two anterior and six posterior setae.

All legs whitish­yellowish.

Usually sixteen (8+8) setae in posterior position on the seventh pleurotergite.

Chaetotaxy, see Table 4.

Male gonopods: coxa with a single anterior coxal process divided apically into two tines and with sparse setae. Posterior coxal process long, apically with a hook curving posteriad, i.e., in opposite direction of the femoroid. Femoroid elongate, apically curved anteriad. Distal process angular, sharp, pointed. Ovoid plate moderately long, rounded. Solenomerite trifid (Figs 10, 11). Prefemur of male 7th leg­pair not swollen, mesally covered with sparse setae (Fig. 12).

Notes. This species occurs in caves and deserted mine galleries in the regions of Ribino, Krun and Kremen, the East Rhodopi Mts. It is morphologically close to graecum, but differs in many aspects, most striking difference being the elongated stem of the femoroid (not broadened as a shield), the shape of the distal process of the femoroid and the unmodified prefemur of the male 7th leg­pair. In the region of Ribino it coexists with Harpolithobius banaticus rhodopensis Kaczmarek, 1975 (Chilopoda) and Trichoniscus rhodopiense Vandel, 1965 (Isopoda) .