Helobata quatipuru Fernández & Bachmann, 1987

Clarkson, Bruno & Almeida, Lúcia M., 2018, On Brazilian Helobata Bergroth, 1888 (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae) II: new distribution data, Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia 58, pp. 1-6 : 2

Helobata quatipuru Fernández & Bachmann, 1987 ( Figs. 1-6 )

Material examined: BRAZIL: Minas Gerais State: Arinos Municipality:“Arinos/ M. Gerais – Brasil/ 6-8.XI.1964 / Exp. Dep.Zool.// Helobata quatipuru / Fernández & Bachmann, 1987 / Clarkson det. 2018” (1 male: MZSP).

Distribution: Brazil ( Fig. 12 ): Pará, Minas Gerais (new record) and Rio de Janeiro States.

Discussion: This species was described based on a single male from Quatipuru Municipality, Pará State coast, Northern Brazil, Amazon rainforest biome. Clarkson et al. (2016) recorded H. quatipuru from Atlantic rainforest area in Rio de Janeiro State, Southeastern Brazil, revealing an apparent disjunct distribution. The species is herein recorded for the first time from the Cerrado Biome (Brazilian savanna), based on the aforementioned specimen collected in northwestern Minas Gerais State (Southeastern Brazil). Cerrado sensu latu ( Batalha, 2011) is localized between Amazon rainforest and Atlantic rainforest.The presence of the species in this biome may indicate a widespread continuous distribution of a rare and hard-to-find species.

The examined specimen is identified as H. quatipuru mainly by the morphology of the male genitalia ( Figs. 3-5 ) which has maximum width of phallobase at about half of its length; manubrium short and narrow, truncated at base; parameres longer than median lobe, inner margins sinuate in ventral view ( Fig. 3 ), convex on basal half, concave on apical half, outer margins slightly convex, almost straight, apex slightly truncate, strongly bent inwards ( Figs. 3-4 ); median lobe with shallow apical emargination on dorsal lobule (ca. 0.13 x the length of median lobe) ( Fig. 4 ); ventral lobule as long as dorsal lobule, with apex visible on dorsal view, rounded, produced ventrally as a hook, visible in lateral view ( Fig. 5 ); by the shape and morphology of head – anterior clypeal margin sinuous, anterolateral angles tooth-like produced ( Figs. 1-2 ) and frontoclypeal suture inconspicuous ( Fig. 1 ); and by the general morphology of the ventral projections – posteromedial elevation on mesoventrite semi-trapezoidal, very wide (1.60 x longer than wide), with strongly raised lateral carinae, oblique and converging anteriorly, widely distant, convex posteriorly, not strongly connected with the metaventral projection ( Fig. 2 ); metaventral projection (between mesocoxae) forming an elevated longitudinal carina strongly connected with, somewhat higher than, metaventral medial carina ( Fig. 2 ). Dorsal coloration – dark brown with black areas, head and pronotum without metallic sheen, pronotum with faintly delimited central black area, inconspicuous black spots around scutellum and some spots spread throughout elytral disc ( Fig. 1 ), abdominal ventrites dark brown ( Fig. 6 ); fine and very short,decumbent setae distributed on anterior half of the clypeus, and on lateral portions of frons; mouth parts – maxillary palpomere 3 and 4 subequal in length and mentum finely rugose on lateral portions ( Fig. 2 ) and the punctures on elytral rows fine and irregularly spaced on row 10 also corroborate the identification.

The examined specimen ( Figs. 1-6 ) shows variations in body length – 7.40 mm in length (remaining described species have 6.10 to 6.90 mm in length); on head microsculpture – clypeal disc and frons without distinct microsculpture on interstices of ground punctuation (shagreened in the specimens from Rio de Janeiro); punctures on elytra marked on rows 8-10 and striae 7-10 weakly marked (punctures weakly marked on rows 8-10 in the remaining described specimens). The general coloration of the specimen is slightly lighter than those examined in Clarkson et al. (2016). Based on the coloration of the ventral plates of thorax and abdomen we conclude this is a teneral specimen.

Figures

Figure 12. Updated distribution map of the Helobata Bergroth species in Brazil based on Fernández & Bachmann(1987),Clarkson et al.(2016) and the current work.

Figures 1-6. Helobata quatipuru Fernández & Bachmann. Habitus, (1) dorsal view,(2) ventral view, scale = 2.0 mm; aedeagus, (3) ventral view, (4) dorsal view, (5) lateral view,scale = 0.5 mm;abdominal ventrites,(6) ventral view,scale = 1.0 mm.