Nanosaphes hesperus, Girón & Short, 2018

Giron, Jennifer C. & Short, Andrew Edward Z., 2018, Three new genera of acidocerine water scavenger beetles from tropical South America (Coleoptera, Hydrophilidae, Acidocerinae), ZooKeys 768, pp. 113-158 : 141-143

Nanosaphes hesperus sp. n. Figs 16E-H ; 17A-C ; 18B ; 19 ; 20A, C, D

Type material examined.

Holotype (male): " SURINAME: Sipaliwini District/ 2°10.521'N, 56°47.244'W, 228 m/ Camp 1, on Kutari River; leg. Short/ & Kadosoe; forest stream/ 20.viii.2010; SR10-0820-01A/ 2010 CI-RAP Survey" (NZCS). Paratypes (38): GUYANA: Region IX: " 2°06.492'N, 59°13.653'W, 274 m/ Parabara, N. side of river/ small flowing forested creek/ detritus margins & leaf packs/ leg. Short, Isaacs, Salisbury/ 3.xi.2013; GY13-1103-02A" (1, SEMC); Region VI: " 4°09.143'N, 58°11.207'W, 105 m/ Upper Berbice, c. 1 km W/ Basecamp 1; washing sand/ banks; leg. A. Short; 22.iv.2014/ GY14-0921-03E" (1, SEMC); "margins of creek/ leg. Short, Salisbury, La Cruz/ 22.iv.2014/ GY14-0921-03H" (1, SEMC). SURINAME: Sipaliwini District: " 2°21.776'N, 56°41.861'W, 237 m/ Camp 3, Wehepai; leg. Short &/ Kadosoe; sandy forest creek/ 4-6.ix.2010; SR10-0904-01A/ 2010 CI-RAP Survey" (19, SEMC); same, except "small stream/ 5.ix.2010; SR10-0905-01A" (1, SEMC); same, except " 2°10.521'N, 56°47.244'W, 228 m/ Camp 1, on Kutari River/ Short & Kadosoe; forest stream/ 19.viii.2010; SR10-0819-02A" (1, SEMC); same, except "20.viii.2010; SR10-0820-01A" (8, SEMC); same, except " 2.97731°N, 55.38500°W, 200 m/ Camp 4 (low), Kasikasima; sandy/ stream on trail to METS camp/ 20.iii.2012; SR12-0320-02A/ leg. A. Short; 2012 CI-RAP Survey" (3, SEMC, including DNA voucher SLE485); " 04°40.966'N, 56°11.262'W, 96 m/ Raleighfallen Nature Reserve/ plateau below Voltzberg; rock pool/ leg. A. Short, Maier & McIntosh/ 28.vii.2012; SR12-0728-01F" (1, SEMC); " 04°40.910'N, 56°11.138'W, 78 m/ Raleighfallen Nature Reserve/ Voltzberg trail; margin of stream/ leg. C. Maier & V. Kadosoe/ 30.vii.2012; SR12-0730-01A" (1, SEMC); Raleighfallen Nature Reserve, 17.iii.2016, leg. Girón, SR16-0317-04A (1, SEMC, DNA voucher SLE1070).

Differential diagnosis.

Nanosaphes hesperus (Fig. 16E-H ) can be easily recognized by its smooth elytra (as opposed to rather coarsely punctate as in N. punctatus , see Fig. 15E, F ), and the coloration pattern along the body, with brown elytra, yellow pronotum and brown head with orange clypeus (as opposed to uniform brown coloration along the body as in N. castaneus , or uniformly dark brown head (including the clypeus) as in N. tricolor , see Fig. 16D ). Furthermore, it differs from the remaining known species by the sharp, strongly elevated, and pointed carina on the mesoventrite (as opposed to weakly elevated).

Description.

Body length 1.3-1.5 mm, width 0.7-0.9 mm. Body elongate oval, weakly convex, with brown head, orange clypeus, yellow pronotum and brown elytra (Fig. 16E-H ). Dorsal surface shallowly punctate. Posterior elevation of mesoventrite sharply carinate. Pubescence of ventral surface scanty. Aedeagus (Fig. 18B ) with basal piece 0.35-times the length of parameres; parameres as long as median lobe, with narrowly round apex; gonopore situated near apex of median lobe.

Etymology.

Named in reference to the gradation of orange to brown colorations along the body of the beetles, which resembles the colors of the sunset, with the Latin word hesperus meaning evening.

Distribution.

Guyana, Suriname. Elevation range 105-228 m. See Fig. 19 .

Biology.

This species has been collected along the margins of forested streams (see Fig. 20A, C, D .

Figures

Figure 15. Habitus of Nanosaphes spp.: A-D Nanosaphes castaneus: A dorsal view B lateral view C ventral view D head E-H Nanosaphes punctatus: E dorsal view F lateral view G ventral view H head. Scale bars: 0.5 mm.

Figure 16. Habitus of Nanosaphes spp.: A-D Nanosaphes tricolor: A dorsal view B lateral view C ventral view D head E-H Nanosaphes hesperus: E dorsal view F lateral view G ventral view H head. Scale bars: 0.5 mm.

Figure 17. Thorax and abdomen of Nanosaphes spp.: A-C Nanosaphes hesperus: A ventral view of mesoventrite (white arrow pointing longitudinal carina) B posterior view of metafurca: (at) anterior tendon, (c) crux, (ds) dorsal sheath, (fa) furcal arm, (h) hemiductus, (ls) lateral sheath, (s) stalk C fifth abdominal ventrite D Nanosaphes punctatus, fifth abdominal ventrite.

Figure 18. Aedeagus of Nanosaphes spp.: A Nanosaphes tricolor B Nanosaphes hesperus C Nanosaphes castaneus D Nanosaphes punctatus. Scale bars: 0.1 mm.

Figure 19. Distribution of Nanosaphes species.

Figure 20. Habitat of Nanosaphes spp. A Habitat for N. hesperus, Guyana: near Parabara; collecting event GY 13 - 1103 - 02 A B Habitat of N. punctatus, Guyana, upper Potaro near Chenapau, collecting event GY 14 - 0311 - 02 A C Type locality and habitat for N. hesperus, Suriname, along Kutari River, collecting event SR 10 - 0820 - 01 A D Habitat for N. hesperus and N. tricolor, Suriname, near Kasikasima, collecting event SR 12 - 0320 - 02 A E Habitat for N. tricolor, Suriname, near Voltzberg, collecting event SR 12 - 0729 - 02 C F Habitat for N. tricolor, Suriname, Sipaliwini Savanna, collecting event SR 17 - 0331 - 01 B.