Questioning the monophyly of Anthroherponina (Coleoptera: Leiodidae: Cholevinae: Leptodirini) and description of three new, ecologically ultraspecialized subterranean species.

This article focuses on the phylogenetic relationships, taxonomy, and evolutionary history of the beetle subtribe Anthroherponina (Coleoptera: Leiodidae), particularly its ecologically specialized semi-aquatic hygropetricolous genera from the Dinaric Karst region. Using combined morphological and multilocus molecular analyses, the study reveals that Anthroherponina, as traditionally defined, is polyphyletic, with two distinct clades corresponding to Southern and Northern Dinaric distributions; the Northern genera Croatodirus and Velebitodromus likely represent convergent adaptations rather than close evolutionary relationships and should be excluded from the subtribe. The research describes three new hygropetricolous species—two in the genus Hadesia and one in Nauticiella—and situates the diversification of Southern Dinaric Anthroherponina within the Miocene orogeny of the Dinarides, with most speciation events occurring during the Pleistocene. Findings also highlight notable morphological variability linked to ecological niche differentiation and raise questions about subterranean beetle evolution and adaptation in specialized habitats such as cave hygropetric environments.