Novochares guadelupensis ( d'Orchymont , 1926)

Short, Andrew Edward Z. & Giron, Jennifer C., 2023, Revision of the Neotropical water scavenger beetle genus Novochares Giron & Short (Coleoptera, Hydrophilidae, Acidocerinae), ZooKeys 1171, pp. 1-112 : 1

Novochares guadelupensis ( d'Orchymont, 1926)

Figs 17A , 19A-H , 23

Helochares (s. str.) guadelupensis d’Orchymont, 1926: 233.

Novochares guadelupensis ( d’Orchymont, 1926); Girón and Short 2021: 204.

Material examined

(155 exs.). Brazil: Pará: Rio Xingu Camp, ca. 60 km S. Altamira, Igarape Jabuti, 8-16.x.1986, leg. P. Spangler & O. Flint, malaise trap (1, USNM); Rio Xingu Camp , ca. 60 m S. Altamira, 8.x.1986, leg. P. Spangler & O. Flint, first jungle stream on trail 4, Colln. #14 (4, USNM); same data but 10.x.1986, Colln. #19 (4, USNM) . Roraima: BR-401, ca. 26 km NE of Boa Vista, 2°56.191'N, 60°28.017'W, 92 m, 12.i.2018, leg. Short, pooled up morichal, BR18-0112-06B (29, INPA, SEMC); Amajari, ca. 16 km W on RR-203, 3°36.874'N, 61°33.470'W, 125 m, leg. Short, Benetti & Santana, marsh, BR18-0113-04A (3, SEMC); Sitio Bem Querer, ca. 2 km W, along road, 1°55.737'N, 61°01.372'W, 116 m, leg. Short, Benetti, & Santana, forested detrital pool, BR18-0116-03A (1, SEMC); Caroebe , Rio Jatapu , nr. Usina de Jatapu , 00°50.939'N, 59°18.262'W, 145 m, 17.i.2018, leg. A. Short, marginal pools of river, BR18-0117-02A (9, SEMC) . French Guiana: Anapaike Village, Lawa River, 22-25.ix1963, leg. B. Malkin (26, USNM); Auberge des Orpailleurs , Marsh on RN2, 4.51138, -52.35079, 14 m, 11.iii.2020, leg. Short & Neff, shallow marsh, FG20-0311-02A (1, SEMC) . Guadeloupe: Pointe-a-Pietra , 1936, leg. H. Stehle (3, USNM) . Guyana: Region 9: Tributary of the Takatu River , NW of Kusad Mts., 2°50.563'N, 59°59.113'W, 109 m, 24.x.2013, leg. Short, Isaacs, & Salisbury, vegetated creek margins, GY13-1024-02B (8, SEMC, including DNA voucher SLE1200); Ziida Karisihizi (Lake), nr. Kusad Mts. , 2°49.793'N, 59°48.361'W, 123 m, 25.x.2013, leg. Short, Isaacs, & Salisbury, large vegetated marsh, GY13-1025-01A (2, SEMC). Parabara, trail to mines, 2°05.095'N, 59°14.174'W, 250 m, 2.xi.2013, leg. Short, Isaacs and Salisbury, detrital pools in forest, GY13-1102-01A (1, SEMC); Parabara north side of river, 2°06.492'N, 59°13.653'W, 274 m, 3.xi.2013, detritus margins and leaf packs, GY13-1103-02A (1, SEMC); Parabara, at N. edge of village, 2°05.733'N, 59°14.390'W, 248 m, leg. Short, Isaacs and Salisbury, small vegetated marsh, GY13-1103-03A (14, CBDG, SEMC, TTU-Z) . Puerto Rico: L[aguna] Tortuguero , 2.viii.1962, leg. O. & R. Flint, Matthews (4, USNM, including homotype designated by P. Spangler) . Suriname: Para: nr. Overbridge River Resort , 5°31.8'N, 55°3.5'W, 14-15.ii.2010, leg. P. Skelley, W. Warner, & C. Gillet (2, SEMC) . Sipaliwini: Iwaana Saamu, forest swamp, 26.viii.2010, leg. Short, SR 10-0826-01A (1, SEMC); Camp 3, Werehpai , 2°21.776'N, 56°41.861'W, 237 m, 3-7.ix.2010, leg. Short and Kadosoe, pooled up detrital creek, SR10-0903-01A (4, SEMC); same data except detrital forest pools, SR10-0903-02A (4, SEMC); same data except 5.ix.2010, small stream, SR10-0905-01A (1, SEMC); Sipaliwini Savanna Nature Reserve , Sipaliwini Village , 2°01.194'N, 56°07.433'W, 270 m, 29.iii.2017, leg. Short; flooded forest along path to ACT, SR17-0329-01A (1, SEMC); Kabalebo Nature Resort, Moi Moi Creek , 4.42313°N, 57.19198°W, 104 m, 10-14.iii.2019, leg. Short, detrital pool, SR19-0310-01G (19, NZCS, SCC, SEMC, TTU-Z, including DNA voucher SLE1803); Kabalebo Nature Resort: Sand Creek , 4.38476°N, 57.24636°W, 72 m, 13-15.iii.2019, leg. Short & Baca, large isolated pool near creek SR19-0313-01B (5, SEMC, including DNA voucher SLE2117). Suriname District : Krakka-Phedra Rd. , 25.x.1962, leg. B. Malkin (1, USNM) . Venezuela: Monagas: La Esperanza, 10.vi.1967, leg. J. Salcedo & L. Rodriguez (2, MIZA) ; Sucre: El Pilar , approx. 5 km SE, 10°31.419'N, 63°7.070'W, 2 m, 29.i.2010, leg. Short & García, marsh/swamp along road, VZ10-0129-04A (4, MIZA, SEMC) .

Differential diagnosis.

This is one of only two species in which the dorsal plate of the median lobe extends beyond the apices of the parameres (Fig. 19A ). The only species it could be confused with is N. kawsay (Fig. 19I ) which is extremely similar except for the distinct apical notch and subapical constriction of the dorsal plate of the median lobe.

Description.

Body length 4.9-6.6 mm. Coloration: Dorsal surfaces brown to dark brown, with slightly paler (brown to yellow) margins of clypeus, pronotum and elytra. Head: Maxillary palps 1.4-1.6 × width of head, uniformly brown in color (Fig. 17A ). Thorax: Ground punctation on pronotum and elytra relatively dense and shallowly impressed. Elytra without rows of serial punctures, each with very faint rows (one dorsal and two or three lateral) of scarce and weakly marked systematic punctures. Prosternum flat to medially very weakly convex. Posterior elevation of mesoventrite weakly, broadly, and somewhat longitudinally elevated, with low medial longitudinal ridge extending anteriorly. Abdomen: Apical emargination of fifth ventrite relatively deep and broad, U-shaped. Aedeagus: (Fig. 19A-H ) Overall shape sub-rectangular, nearly 1.4-1.8 × longer than wide, with outer lateral margins of parameres weakly convex and very weakly sinuate near mid-length; apical region of each paramere rounded and partly membranous, with outer margin pointed; at closest point, dorsal inner margins of parameres separated by distance 0.25 × greatest width of a paramere; dorsal plate of median lobe extending beyond apex of parameres, spatula-like, with narrowest point of neck near mid-length of plate, 0.2 × as broad as base, gradually widening towards third 1/4, then nearly parallel-sided to apex; arms of dorsal plate of median lobe very short, sometimes only indicated by a medial emargination at apex of plate; each arm rounded at apex; gonopore placed at base of dorsal plate of median lobe; ventral plate of median lobe not visible; basal piece 0.3 × length of a paramere. In lateral view, aedeagus triangular, straight at base, with ventral outline of parameres 1.8 × longer than greatest width near base; dorsal outline of aedeagus in lateral view obliquely straight nearly along basal 5/6.

Distribution.

Brazil (new record; Pará, Roraima), French Guiana (new record), Guadeloupe, Guyana (new record), Peru (new record), Puerto Rico (new record), Suriname (new record), Venezuela (new record) (Fig. 23 ).

Habitat.

This species has been collected from a broad range of habitats, including open ponds and marshes as well as forested pools and creek margins.

Remarks.

After this species was described 96 years ago by d’Orchymont, it was never discussed or reported again, nor has its aedeagus been previously illustrated. Although described from the relatively small island of Guadeloupe in the Lesser Antilles, it is actually fairly widespread in northern South America. The original description by d’Orchymont (1926) mentions the median lobe is quadrate and spatulate, which matches the form of the specimens we have seen, including those from Guadeloupe. In addition, we examined a homotype of this species designated by Paul Spangler from Puerto Rico that matches our concept here, although we did not examine the type material. The apex of the dorsal plate of the median lobe in Fig. 19D is longitudinally broken at apex, which does not represent observed intraspecific variation.

Figures

Figure 17. Dorsal habitus of Novochares spp. A N. guadelupensis B N. pichilingue C N. cochlearis D N. quadrispinus.

Figure 19. Aedeagi of the Novochares sallaei species group A-H N. guadelupensis I-L N. kawsay A-C Guadeloupe D-G Suriname H Guyana I-K Ecuador L Peru A, D, E, H, I, L dorsal view B, F, J ventral view C, G, K lateral view.

Figure 23. Distribution of Novochares sallaei species group. N. sallaei (red: circles, examined specimens; squares, literature / unconfirmed records), N. guadelupensis (yellow), N. yanomami (blue), N. kawsay (green).