Copelatus sociennus J. Balfour-Browne, 1952

Sheth, Sayali D., Ghate, Hemant V. & Hájek, Jiří, 2018, Copelatus Erichson, 1832 from Maharashtra, India, with description of three new species and notes on other taxa of the genus (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae: Copelatinae), Zootaxa 4459 (2), pp. 235-260 : 255-257

Copelatus sociennus J. Balfour-Browne, 1952

( Figs 49–51 )

Copelatus sociennus J. Balfour-Browne in Guignot, 1952: 26 .

Copelatus bangalorensis Vazirani, 1970: 311 ; new synonymy.

Type localities. Copelatus bangalorensis : " India: Bangalore". C. sociennus : " China: ( Hongkong)".

Type material. Copelatus bangalorensis : Holotype ♂, deposited in Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris, France (not found; A. Mantilleri, pers. comm.).

Copelatus sociennus : Holotype ♂ (BMNH), labelled: "833 [hw, round label] // Hong Kong / [on reverse:] 48 / 60 [hw] // Copelatus / discoideus Shp [hw] // Copelatus / japonicus / ♂ Sharp. / det.J.Balfour-Browne [hw, blue ink] // Copelatus ♂ / chinensis Rég. [hw] / J.Balfour-Browne det. [p] / Det. from Descr. [p] ii.1946 [hw] // HOLOTYPE ♂ / COPELATUS / sociennus / J.Balfour-Browne, 1952 / labelled by J. Hájek 2016 [p, red label]". Paratypes: 1♂ (BMNH), labelled: "Bowring / China [hw] // 457 / 17/8/49 [hw, round label] // Copelatus / japonicus / ♂ Sharp. / det.J.Balfour-Browne [hw, blue ink] // Copelatus ♂ / chinensis Rég. [hw] / J.Balfour-Browne det. [p] / Det.from Descr. [p] ii.1946 [hw]"; 1♂ (BMNH), labelled: "Bowring / China [hw] // 457 / 7/8/53 [hw, round label] / / Copelatus /? chinensis Rég. [hw] / J.Balfour-Browne det. [p]"; 1♀ (BMNH), labelled: "Bowring / China [hw] // 457 / 9/6/52 [hw, round label]". All paratypes provided with additional label "PARATYPE ♂ [♀, respectively] / COPELATUS / sociennus / J.Balfour-Browne, 1952 / labelled by J. Hájek 2016 [p, red label]".

Additional material studied. India: 1♂ 1♀, Uttar Pradesh [currently Uttarakhand], Rhishikesh , 23.x.1997, J. Šťastný leg. ( JSCL) ; 1♂, Uttaranchal [Uttarakhand], 30 km W of Mussoorie, Dakpathar vill., Yamuna river , 790 m, 4.viii.2003, Z. Kejval & M. Trýzna leg. ( NMPC) ; 1♀, Karnataka, Western Ghats Mts., Chikmagalur, 31.v.2006, V. Ryjáček lgt. ( NMPC). Nepal: 2♂ 2♀, Bagmati Prov., Nagarjun forest , 27.45N, 85.17E, 1387 m, at light, D. Král leg. ( NMPC) ; 1♂, same data, but J. Farkač leg. ( NHMB).

Comments on classification. Vazirani (1970) diagnosed Copelatus bangalorensis based on the unique dorsal (ventral in the current concept) projection of the median lobe. Indeed, the shape of the median lobe of the species is very characteristic within all Oriental Copelatus . However, the author was apparently not aware of C. sociennus described from Hong Kong, the median lobe of which has exactly the same dorsal protuberance and ventral projection. Although we were not able to study the holotype of C. bangalorensis , the comparison of its description, especially the elytral coloration, and drawing of the median lobe ( Fig. 50 ), with the type material of C. sociennus ( Fig. 51 ) and additional material from the region leaves no doubt that the two taxa are conspecific. Therefore, we establish the following synonymy: Copelatus sociennus J. Balfour-Browne, 1952 = Copelatus bangalorensis Vazirani, 1970 syn. nov.

Distribution. A species occurring in the Indian subcontinent, Sri Lanka, southern China, and also reaching continental Southeast Asia. Here, we present the first record from the Indian state of Uttarakhand.

Figures

FIGURES 49–51. Copelatus sociennus. 49. male habitus (Nepal); 50. median lobe in lateral view (redrawn from original description of C. bangalorensis); 51. same (paratype of C. sociennus). Scale bar 0.5 mm (Figs 50–51).