Suphisellus nigrinus (Aubé, 1838)

Scheers, Kevin & Thomaes, Arno, 2014, A review of the Burrowing Water Beetles of Belize with a key to the species (Coleoptera: Noteridae), Belgian Journal of Entomology 51, pp. 1-17 : 1-17

Suphisellus nigrinus (Aubé, 1838)

( Figs 1G , 2F , 3G )

= Hydrocanthus nigrinus Aubé, 1838

= Canthydrus rufipes Sharp, 1882

TYPE LOCALITY. Antilles , Brazil .

MATERIAL EXAMINED. BELIZE DISTRICT: La Democracia, shallow exposed pool, 17°21'23,5"N, 88°33'1,8"W, 09. V.2015, Leg. K. Scheers & A. Thomaes (1ex.) STANN CREEK: Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary, Wari Lagoon , 16°46'46,1"N, 88°28'2,4"W, 07. V.2015, Leg. K. Scheers & A. Thomaes (3ex.) TOLEDO: Bladen NR, pond savannah, 16°31'11,7"N, 88°42'3,8"W, 19.IV.2015, Leg. K. Scheers & A. Thomaes (1ex.) ; Punta Gorda , fishpond, 16°06'24,6"N, 88°48'25,5"W, 13.IV.2015, Leg. K. Scheers & A. Thomaes (5ex.) ; Punta Gorda , fishpond, 16°06'24,6"N, 88°48'25,5"W, 23.IV.2015, Leg. K. Scheers & A. Thomaes (6ex.) ; Punta Gorda , fishpond, 16°06'24,6"N, 88°48'25,5"W, 04. V.2015, Leg. K. Scheers & A. Thomaes (2ex.) ; Punta Gorda , pond edge forest, 16°06'30,6"N, 88°48'24,5"W, 13.IV.2015, Leg. K. Scheers & A. Thomaes (4ex.) ; Punta Gorda , tyre track edge forest, 16°05'24"N, 88°51'6,5"W, 25.IV.2015, Leg. K. Scheers & A. Thomaes (4ex.) ; Punta Gorda , cattle pond, 16°05'12,8"N, 88°51'1,5"W, 25.IV.2015, Leg. K. Scheers & A. Thomaes (10ex.) ; Punta Gorda , small stream, 16°05'17,8"N, 88°52'4"W, 25.IV.2015, Leg. K. Scheers & A. Thomaes (7ex.) ; Punta Gorda , puddle in temporary marsh, 16°05’19,3”N, 88°52’3,7”W, 25.IV.2015, Leg. K. Scheers & A. Thomaes

10 (4ex.); Nim Li Punit , small ditch near road, 16°19'3,6"N, 88°49'14,5"W, 29.IV.2015, Leg. K. Scheers & A. Thomaes (13ex.) ; Indian Creek , Lake of former Lodge, 16°18'45,1"N, 88°49'31,4"W, 29.IV.2015, Leg. K. Scheers & A. Thomaes (28ex.) ; Punta Gorda , shallow pool, 16°05'19,7"N, 88°48'53,4"W, 05. V.2015, Leg. K. Scheers & A. Thomaes (1ex.) ; Punta Gorda , temporary puddle, 16°05'20,9"N, 88°48'41,9"W, 05. V.2015, Leg. K. Scheers & A. Thomaes (1ex.) .

Published records from Belize: This species is newly recorded from Belize.

DIAGNOSIS. TL = 2.8–3.8 mm; color uniformly dark reddish brown to pitchy black, with margins of pronotum and elytra somewhat lighter ( Fig. 1G ). Male genitalia with aedeagus straight in the first 2/3, then abruptly bent 90° ( Fig. 2F ). The dark color sets this species apart from all other Noteridae occurring in Belize and neighbouring countries. Suphisellus curtus ( Sharp, 1882) , which is known in Central America only from Panama, is externally similar to S. nigrinus but is smaller (TL = 2.6–2.8 mm) and is easily recognized by the different male genitalia ( YOUNG, 1979).

DISTRIBUTION. (NT) Antigua, Argentina, Belize (first records), Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Suriname, Trinidad, Uruguay, Venezuela.

HABITAT. S. nigrinus is the most common Noterid in Belize and in Central America as a whole. This species was found to occur in a wide range of lentic habitats, as long as they were permanent or semi-permanent and had at least some vegetation. It was also found in a tyre track pool on a forest road near Punta Gorda and a semi-permanent shallow pool in the savanna on bare sand, which indicates that this species is capable of flight.

Figures

Fig. 1. Dorsal view of the species of Noteridae in Belize. A, Hydrocanthus debilis Sharp, 1882; B, Hydrocanthus marmoratus Sharp, 1882; C, Mesonoterus laevicollis Sharp, 1882; D, Suphisellus insularis (Sharp, 1882); E, Suphisellus lineatus (Horn, 1871); F, Suphisellus neglectus Young, 1979; G, Suphisellus nigrinus (Aubé, 1838); H, Suphisellus varians (Sharp, 1882); I, Notomicrus sharpi J. Balfour-Browne, 1939.

Fig. 2. Left lateral view of the aedeagus. A, Hydrocanthus debilis Sharp, 1882; B, Hydrocanthus marmoratus Sharp, 1882; C, Suphisellus insularis (Sharp, 1882); D, Suphisellus lineatus (Horn, 1871); E, Suphisellus neglectus Young, 1979; F, Suphisellus nigrinus (Aubé, 1838); G, Suphisellus varians (Sharp, 1882); H, Notomicrus sharpi J. Balfour-Browne, 1939.

Fig. 3. Distribution maps of the species of Noteridae in Belize. A, Hydrocanthus debilis Sharp, 1882; B, Hydrocanthus marmoratus Sharp, 1882; C, Mesonoterus laevicollis Sharp, 1882; D, Suphisellus insularis (Sharp, 1882); E, Suphisellus lineatus (Horn, 1871); F, Suphisellus neglectus Young, 1979; G, Suphisellus nigrinus (Aubé, 1838); H, Suphisellus varians (Sharp, 1882); I, Notomicrus sharpi J. Balfour-Browne, 1939 (white dots indicate sampled sites and black dots indicate sites where the species is recorded, elevation map as background in which dark shading increases with height).