Coelometopon punctipennis, Perkins, 2005

Perkins, Philip D., 2005, A revision of the African hygropetric genus Coelometopon Janssens, and description of Oomtelecopon new genus (Coleoptera: Hydraenidae), Zootaxa 949 (1), pp. 1-103 : 1-103

Coelometopon punctipennis new species

(Figures 15, 16, 73)

Type Material. Holotype (male): South Africa: Cape Prov., Xalanga District, Cala Pass, tributary of Tsomo River , on wet rocks, stn. 102, 31° 31' S, 27° 41' E, 26–27 March 1954, J. Balfour­Browne; deposited in the BMNH . Paratypes (10): Same data as holotype — (7 BMNH); Natal Prov. , Mont­aux­Sources, Mahai River, cascades, on wet rock­wall above river, elev. 1371.6 m, 28° 40' S, 29° 0' E, 6 April 1954, J. Balfour­Browne (stn. 153) — (3 BMNH). Representative specimens deposited in AMG and MCZ .

Diagnosis. Recognized among endroedyi group members with angulate sides of the pronotum by the large and deep elytral punctures, the bicolored dorsum with the head and pronotum piceous, the elytra brown. Similar to C. balfourbrownei in having the pronotum straight behind the widest part, but C. balfourbrownei is piceous dorsally, and has the clypeus and frons disc on the same plane, not at an angle to one another as in C. punctipennis . The aedeagi of the two species are distinctly different (Figs. 16, 32, 33).

Description. Size (length/width, mm x 100) holotype: body (length to elytral apices) 241/104, head 56/63, pronotum 52/89, elytra 156/104. Bicolored, head and pronotum piceous, elytra and legs brown. Maxillary palpus length subequal width of anterior margin of clypeus, last three palpomeres subequal in length, last two subequal in width. Mentum weakly produced apicomedially; depressed on each side of midline near base. Granules with comparatively short setae. Granules on frons and pronotum similar in size, much finer and sparser on clypeus. Pronotum with non­granulate areas, including middle of median groove and along base; granules very sparse on lateral depressions; sides angulate at midlength, emarginate in front of and behind angulation.

Elytra with serial punctures comparatively large and deep, equal to or slightly wider than intervals. Intervals as follow: 2nd with three distinct callosities; 4th with two smaller callosities; odd numbered 1st to 7th each with unilinear row of very fine and widely spaced granules. Metasternum with deep oval depression. Female last sternite apicomedially weakly emarginate, subapical depression rimmed posteriorly; last tergite bilobate, with strong short spines not divided into two groups.

Aedeagus length 0.63 mm; mainpiece nearly straight in ventral aspect, slightly sinuate in lateral aspect, base robust, ridged process angulate, short; gonopore process bending to left side in ventral aspect, tip well above level of ridged process; membranous process short and very wide (Fig. 16).

Etymology. Named in reference to the punctate elytra.

Distribution. Currently known from one locality each in Cape and Natal Provinces (Fig. 73).