Copelatus panguana Hájek, Hendrich & Balke, 2024

Hájek, Jiří, Alarie, Yves, Benetti, Cesar J., Hamada, Neusa, Springer, Monika, Hendrich, Lars, Villastrigo, Adrián, Torres, Rodulfo Ospina, Basantes, Michael S. & Balke, Michael, 2024, Underestimated diversity and range size of diving beetles in tank bromeliads-Coleoptera of ‘ hygrofloric’ lifestyle (Dytiscidae), Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society (Zool. J. Linn. Soc.) 200 (3), pp. 720-735 : 729-731

Copelatus panguana Hájek, Hendrich & Balke , sp. nov.

( Figs 4D , 2H )

Zoobank registration: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:39B7EEED-0D74-4B97-A99F-BF6B86BA7D64 .

Type material: Holotype ♂ ( MUSM), labelled: ‘ PERU Dep. Huanuco / Panguana ACP Rio Yuyapichis / 3.XII.2017, fogging “tree Renako”/ Nr. 34 ZSM-HYM-FOG 171234/ 09°37ʹS 74°56ʹW leg. A. Floren [p]// HOLOTYPE/ COPELATUS / panguana sp. nov. / J. Hájek et al. det. 2020 [red label, p]’. Paratypes: 1♂, 1♀, same label data as holotype ( ZSMG). Each paratype provided with the respective red printed label .

Description of male holotype: Habitus ( Fig. 4D ) broadly oblong oval, strongly attenuated posteriorly, broadest at 1/3 of elytral length, strongly convex. Dorsal surface submatt.

Coloration: Body testaceous; elytra blackish with small transverse testaceous spot on the base, reaching neither suture nor lateral side.

Head: Small, c. 0.53 × width of pronotum, trapezoidal. Anterior margin of clypeus slightly concave. Antennae with antennomeres rather broad (antennomeres II–X c. 1.5 × longer than width), thus of stouter appearance. Reticulation consisting of fine, shallowly impressed isodiametric polygonal meshes. Numerous long, oblique, shallow strioles present posterolaterally from eyes. Punctation double; several large setigerous punctures present in fronto-clypeal depressions, frontal depressions at level of anterior margin of eyes, and in depressions along inner margin of eyes; fine, sparsely and irregularly distributed punctures placed among meshes of reticulation.

Pronotum: Transverse, broadest at posterior angles. Anterior angles acute, posterior angles rectangular. Sides strongly and evenly curved, lateral beading distinct except for anterior corners. Anterior margin straight, posterior margin nearly straight with only indistinct sinuation medially. Reticulation consisting of badly perceptible elongate polygonal meshes. Surface of pronotum with numerous long shallow longitudinal strioles; centre of disc with shallow longitudinal scratch. Punctation double; row of coarse setigerous punctures presents along anterior margin, laterally close to sides, and in basolateral depressions along basal margin; very fine punctures placed irregularly among meshes of reticulation.

Elytra: Elytral striation consisting of 11 superficially impressed discal striae, which are difficult to recognize due to strong striolation of elytra; striolae very long and dense, covering whole surface of elytra except for apex. Surface reticulation consisting of very fine, badly perceptible polygonal meshes; meshes elongate in basal half, but isodiametric or transverse in apical third of elytra. Punctation double; large setigerous punctures present along lateral margin of elytra; badly perceptible, very fine punctures sparsely distributed among meshes of reticulation.

Legs: Protibia modified, slightly angled near base, distinctly broadened distally, club shaped. Pro- and mesotarsomeres 1–3 distinctly broadened, ventrally with adhesive setae. Natatorial setae developed on dorsal side of tibiae and both sides of metatarsomeres.

Ventral side: Prosternum sinuate anteriorly, obtusely keeled medially. Prosternal process shortly lanceolate, in cross-section convex, apex obtuse; process distinctly bordered; reticulation consisting of well impressed polygonal meshes; punctation consisting of setigerous punctures along margin. Metaventrite with microsculpture consisting of polygonal meshes, meshes elongate laterally; lateral parts of metaventrite (ʻmetasternal wingsʼ) tongue-shaped, slender. Metacoxal lines well impressed, nearly complete—absent only close to metaventrite. Metacoxal plates covered with long longitudinal strioles; reticulation consisting of extremely elongated, longitudinal polygonal meshes. Metacoxal processes rounded and incised at posterior margin. Abdominal ventrites I–II with longitudinal strioles; ventrites III–IV with oblique strioles laterally. Abdominal reticulation consisting of elongate polygonal meshes, longitudinal on ventrites I–II, oblique on ventrite III and transverse on ventrites IV–VI. Punctation double; coarse setigerous punctures present medially and medio-laterally on ventrites III–VI; fine punctures sparsely distributed on surface of ventrites, clusters of somewhat coarser punctures present laterally on ventrite V and basolaterally on ventrite VI.

Male genitalia: Median lobe in lateral aspect ʻCʼ- shaped, broad throughout most of its length, then abruptly attenuated to thin pointed apex; in ventral aspect median lobe attenuated in apical fourth, thin apical part straight. Parameres moderately broad, subparallel-sided ( Fig. 2H ).

Female: In habitus similar to males, but sides of pronotum less curved. Protibia nearly straight, apically less broadened; pro- and mesotarsi slender, without adhesive setae. Transverse testaceous spot on elytra extended, covering base of elytra from suture to lateral margin. Striolation of pronotum and elytra finer and sparser, thus 11 elytral striae easily perceptible. The single female available is smaller than males—see measurements.

Variability: No variability can be seen between two males of the type series.

Measurements (N = 3): TL ♂♂: 6.0– 6.4 mm (holotype: 6.4 mm); TL-h ♂♂: 5.5–5.9 mm (holotype: 5.9 mm); MW ♂♂: 3.2–3.4 mm (holotype: 3.4 mm). TL ♀: 5.2 mm; TL-h ♀: 4.9 mm; MW ♀: 2.9 mm.

Identification: Compared with the other bromeliadicolous Copelatus , this new species can be easily recognized based on strongly convex, broadly oval oblong habitus, head and pronotum testaceous, male with imperceptible striae and female with 11 dorsal striae on elytra ( Fig. 4D ), and by the characteristic shape of the median lobe of the aedeagus—in lateral view, the median lobe is subequally broad in basal 5/6 of its length, apical 1/6 is very thin and almost straight; apex is sharply pointed ( Fig. 2H ).

Etymology: The new species is named after its type locality, ‘Área de Conservación Privada Panguana’. The name is a noun in the nominative singular standing in apposition.

Collecting circumstances: Fogged from a renaco tree ( Ficus trigona L.f.). We suggest that this species actually stems from epiphytic bromeliads observed on that tree, as no beetles were collected in forest floor puddles in spite of intensive sampling efforts.

Distribution: The species is so far known only from the type locality at the Panguana Research Station, Peruvian Amazonia ( Fig. 3 ).

Figures

Figure 2. Male genitalia of Copelatus. A, C. bimaculatus (Santo Amaro da Imperatriz). B, C. bimaculatus (Nova Friburgo).C, C.bromeliarum (El Tucuche).D, C. bromeliarum (Henri Pittier). E, C. espinhasso (holotype).F, C. florae (Alto de Piedra). G, C. florae (Manaus). H, C.panguana (holotype). a, median lobe in lateral view. b, median lobe in ventral view.c, paramere.Scale bar = 1.0 mm.

Figure 3. Distributional map of bromeliadicolous Copelatus species.

Figure 4. Habitus of bromeliadicolous Copelatus. A, C. florae (holotype). B, instar III larva of C. florae (Alto de Piedra).C, C. florae (Manaus). D,C. panguana (holotype). Scale bar = 2.0 mm.