Copelatus florae Hájek, Alarie, Benetti, Basantes, 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 : 726-729

Copelatus florae Hájek, Alarie, Benetti, Basantes, Hendrich & Balke , sp. nov.

( Figs 4A–C , 2F–G , 5 )

Zoobank registration: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:6CE5DC86-AD85-4478-95EF-8448C80A356C .

Type material: Holotype ♂ ( NMPC), labelled: ‘ PANAMA: VERAGUAS 12.-13.ix.2017 / Santa Fé env., below Alto de Piedra / 08°31.451ʹN, 81°7.650ʹW, 670 m / pasture with solitary trees; in bromeliads; Fikáček, Hájek, Seidel & Sekerka lgt. [p]// HOLOTYPE/ COPELATUS / florae sp. nov. / J. Hájek et al. det. 2022 [red label, p]’. Paratypes: PANAMA 7♂♂, 6♀♀, same label data as holotype (NMPC, ZSMG); 3♀♀, labelled: ‘ PANAMA: PANAMá 13.ix.2017 / PN Altos de Campana: Cerro Campana/ 08°41.1ʹN, 79°56.0ʹW, 800– 900 m / lower montane forest; in bromeliads/ Fikáček, Hájek, Seidel & Sekerka lgt. [p]’ (NMPC, ZSMG). COSTA RICA 17 exs, labelled: ‘Costa Rica: Alajuela,/ NNW San Ramon,/ 810 m, 13.iii.2022, [p]// 10.2253° -84.5553°,/ Springer & Balke/ (CR_MB_2022_06) [p]’, two males with additional labels ‘MB 8902 [p, green typing]’ and ‘MB8903 [p, green typing]’, respectively (UCR, ZSMG). BRAZIL 2♂♂, 1♀, labelled: ‘SNSB-Zoologische, Staatssammlung München, Digital imaging, ZSM-COL-00182’/ ‘Brazil: Amazonas, Manaus; Reserva Ducke, proximo ao Igarapé Acará, 02º56’06”S / 59º57’12”W, 17.iv.2017, 72 m, G. Jorge’, two males with additional labels ‘MB 8946 [p, green typing]’ and ‘MB8948 [p, green typing]’ (INPA, ZSMG); 2 exs, labelled; ‘Brazil: Amazonas, Manaus, Reserva da Campina, BR 174, 02º35’52”S, 60º02’05”W, Jorge G., 06.i.2022, in bromelia’ (INPA, ZSMG). COLOMBIA 4 exs: ‘Colombia: Boya., Sta Maria, 1200 m, 29.x.2022, 4,8807° -73,2533°, Balke et al. (COL_MB_2022_10)’; 2 exs: ‘Colombia: Boya., Sta Maria, 880 m, 29.x.2022, 4,8818° -73,2434°, Balke et al. (COL_MB_2022_11)’; 19 exs: ‘Colombia: Boya., Sta Maria, 740 m, 30.x.2022, 4,8271° -73,2582°, Balke et al. (COL_ MB_2022_12)’ (UNAL, ZSMG). ECUADOR 2 exs: ‘Ecuador: Napo, Road side to Archidona, Bromelia, 770 m, 13.xii.2022, -0,840° -77,7792°, Basantes (ECU_MB_2022_13)’ (INABIO, ZSMG); 2 exs: ‘Ecuador: Napo, Tena, Amazon Park La Isla, Bromelia, 502, 15.xii.2022, -0,994° -77,8174°, Basantes (ECU_ MB_2022_15)’ (INABIO, ZSMG). Each paratype provided with the respective red printed label.

Description of male holotype: Habitus ( Fig. 4A ) drop-shaped, strongly attenuated posteriorly, broadest at base of elytra, slightly convex. Dorsal surface submatt.

Coloration: Body black; sides of pronotum and abdomen somewhat reddish translucent; ventral part of head, prosternum, and appendages testaceous; elytra with oblong transverse orange spot on base between striae 1–5.

Head: Small, c. 0.54 × width of pronotum, trapezoidal. Anterior margin of clypeus slightly concave. Antennae with antennomeres rather broad (antennomeres II–X c. 1.5 × longer than width), club-shaped. Reticulation consisting of fine, well impressed isodiametric polygonal meshes. Numerous short, shallow, and isolated strioles present between 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; very fine and sparsely 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 similar to that of head, meshes longitudinally elongate. Surface of pronotum with numerous long shallow strioles; centre of disc with shallow longitudinal scratch. Punctation double; row of coarse setigerous punctures present along anterior margin, laterally close to sides, and in basolateral depressions along basal margin; fine punctures placed among meshes of reticulation.

Elytra: Elytral striation consisting of six superficially impressed discal striae and a submarginal stria: all discal striae complete, except for stria 5 which is absent at base; submarginal stria long, starting at 1/3 of elytral length. Whole surface of elytra covered with fine, shallow long longitudinal striolae; striolae somewhat sparser and shorter and transverse in apical part of elytra. Surface reticulation consisting of very fine, superficially impressed polygonal meshes; meshes longitudinally elongate in basal half, but isodiametric or transverse in apical half 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 present only on dorsal side 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 distinctly transverse laterally; lateral parts of metaventrite (ʻmetasternal wingsʼ) tongue-shaped, slender. Metacoxal lines well impressed, abbreviated (absent in basal fourth). 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, apex pointed; in ventral aspect median lobe attenuated in apical fourth, apex twisted left (as in Fig. 2F ). Parameres broad, ʻDʼ- shaped.

Female: Females do not differ in external morphology from males except for nearly straight, apically less broadened protibia, slender pro- and mesotarsi without adhesive setae, and sparser and shorter striolation of pronotum and elytra. Females are generally smaller than males.

Variability: This species displays allometric variability—larger specimens are more attenuated posteriorly (more drop-shaped), whereas the smaller specimens are more regularly oval (cf. Fig. 4A, C ). In addition, the specimens vary in size and shape of orange spot at the base of elytra, and in the density of strioles on pronotum and elytra. The median lobe of aedeagus could appear more of less stout even within the same population (cf. Fig. 2F–G ).

Measurements (N = 8 ♂♂ 9 ♀♀): TL ♂♂: 6.2–6.5 mm (holotype: 6.5 mm); TL-h ♂♂: 5.6–5.9 mm (holotype: 5.9 mm); MW ♂♂: 3.1–3.4 mm (holotype: 3.4 mm). TL ♀♀: 5.6–6.1 mm; TL-h ♀♀: 5.0– 5.5 mm; MW ♀♀: 2.8–3.1 mm.

Identification: Compared with the other bromeliadicolous Copelatus , this new species can be easily recognized based on strongly drop-shaped habitus, elytra with transverse basal orange spot, well impressed six discal and a submarginal stria on each elytron, pronotum and elytra densely covered with fine longitudinal striolae ( Fig. 4A, C ), and by the characteristic shape of the median lobe of the aedeagus—in lateral view, the median lobe is in apical half slightly attenuating to pointed, dorsally distinctly curved apex ( Fig. 2F–G ).

Etymology: The new species is dedicated to the partner of the senior author ‘Květa’ which is the Slavic form of the Latin name ‘Flora’; the name is a noun in the genitive case, standing in apposition.

Collecting circumstances: The specimens from Panama were collected at two medium altitude localities (670–900 m a.s.l.) in the thin water layer between leaf axils of a bromeliad species tentatively identified as Werauhia gladioliflora (H.Wendl.) J.R. Grant , growing on solitary trees on pasture, close to forest (Alto de Piedra, Fig. 6 ), and on trees along a forest road (Cerro Campana). The specimens from Brazil were collected at 100 m a.s.l. altitude, in the water layer between leaf axils of bromeliads, growing on trees on the banks of stream, inside the Ducke Forest Reserve. In Colombia, the beetles were collected from bromeliads which were tentatively identified as a Werauhia J.R. Grant species as well as others but without inflorescences that would aid identification. The latter is also true for the samples from Costa Rica.

Distribution: The species has apparently a very wide distribution, covering the area from central Costa Rica through Panama, eastern Colombia and Ecuador to Manaus in the heart of Brazilian Amazonia, more than 2600 km apart ( Fig. 3 ). It inhabits places from lowlands to medium altitude (c. 70–1200 m a.s.l.).

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.

Figure 5. Details of instar III larva of C. florae.A, head capsule, dorsal aspect (scale-like microsculptures not represented). B, maxilla, dorsal aspect. C, labium, dorsal aspect. D, metathoracic leg, anterior surface. E, same, posterior surface. F, last abdominal segment, dorsal aspect. G, same, ventral aspect. Numbers and lowercase letters refer to primary setae and pores, respectively; asterisks refer to secondary seta (including additional setae) or pores. AB, abdominal segment VIII (= LAS). CO, coxa.FE, femur.GA, galea. LA, labium. MX, maxilla.PT, pretarsus.TA, tarsus. TI, tibia. TR, trochanter. UR, urogomphus.sp, spinulae.Pores TAc, TAd, Tae, and TAf not represented. Scale bars = 0.2 mm.

Figure 6. Habitat of C. florae in Alto de Piedra, Panama.A, general view of the pasture with solitary trees.B, large cf.Werauhia bromeliad. C, collecting of beetles from leaf axils. D, specimen of C. florae crawling on the leaf.