Novochares aperito, Short & Girón, 2023

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 aperito sp. nov.

Figs 11A-C , 13A

Type material.

Holotype (male): "BOLIVIA: Santa Cruz Dept./ Potrerillos del Guenda,/ Preserva Natural, 17°40'S, 63°27'W, 370m, 12-13-X-2007/ ex. BL/MV, A.R Cline & J.E./ Wappes BOL1Cline07 004.5" (SEMC).

Differential diagnosis.

See species group diagnosis.

Description.

Body length 4.9 mm. Coloration: Dorsal surfaces orange, with paler clypeus and margins of pronotum. Head: Maxillary palps slightly longer than width of head, uniformly orange in color. Thorax: Ground punctation on pronotum and elytra relatively dense and very shallowly impressed. Elytra without rows of serial punctures, each with very faint rows of weakly marked systematic punctures on lateral 1/2. Prosternum weakly medially convex. Posterior elevation of mesoventrite transversely elevated. Abdomen: Apical emargination of fifth ventrite relatively deep, U-shaped. Aedeagus: (Fig. 11A-C ) 2.3 × longer than wide, with outer lateral margins of parameres slightly convex along basal 1/2, then weakly sinuate up to apical region; apical region of each paramere rounded, with outer margin somewhat hook-like; at closest point, dorsal inner margins of parameres separated by distance 0.33 × greatest width of a paramere; dorsal plate of median lobe with neck 0.7 × as broad as base; arms of dorsal plate of median lobe not clearly indicated; apical region of dorsal plate of median lobe dorsally concave, apically pointed; ventral plate of median lobe membranous, neck of dorsal plate; basal piece 0.3 × length of a paramere. In lateral view, aedeagus straight at base, with ventral outline of parameres 3 × longer than greatest width near base; dorsal outline of aedeagus in lateral view slightly convex along basal 1/4, then oblique to apical region; ventral outline of aedeagus in lateral view straight.

Etymology.

Aperito (L.) meaning to open, referring to the distinctive shape of the apical region of the parameres which resemble a bottle opener.

Distribution.

Only known from the type locality in Bolivia (Fig. 13A ).

Habitat.

Nothing is known about the habitat of this species as it was collected at lights.

Remarks.

Among the thousands of specimens studied here, we only found one specimen of this species, which might be an indicator of their rarity in nature, or a reflection of the lack of sampling in the lowlands of Bolivia. The specimen is in modest condition, with one maxillary palp and a few tarsi missing.

Novochares garfo species group

Species group diagnosis. Body length 4.9-6.5 mm. Coloration: Dorsal surfaces pale brown (orange to yellowish), with slightly paler margins of pronotum and elytra, sometimes also clypeus. Head: Maxillary palps slightly to 1.3 × longer than width of head, uniformly orange or yellow in color. Thorax: Ground punctation on pronotum and elytra relatively dense and shallowly impressed. Elytra without rows of serial punctures, each with very faint rows (sometimes one dorsal and two or three lateral, more usually only lateral) of scarce and weakly marked systematic punctures. Prosternum medially broadly and weakly convex. Posterior elevation of mesoventrite broadly elevated, somewhat transverse, often with glabrous longitudinal ridge extending anteriorly. Abdomen: Apical emargination of fifth ventrite relatively deep, U- or V-shaped. Aedeagus: (Fig. 12 ) Overall shape sub-rectangular or oval to pear-like, joint basal margins of parameres truncate to medially pointed or medially emarginate in dorsal view; outer margin and apical region of each paramere weakly to strongly pointed; parameres longer than median lobe, with apex rounded; parameres with apical region variable in degree of sclerotization; dorsal inner margin of each paramere straight to sinuate; dorsal plate of median lobe (in dorsal view) forming a narrow neck; notch between arms variable; arms usually parallel, variable in shape and length; gonopore placed at or near base of dorsal plate of median lobe; ventral plate of median lobe moderately sclerotized, triangular, slender, and apically rounded, not reaching base of fork of dorsal plate; basal piece nearly 0.3 × length of a paramere. In lateral view, aedeagus somewhat triangular, straight to weakly oblique at base, with ventral outline of parameres 3-4 × longer than greatest width.

Composition. The Novochares garfo species group is composed of four species: Novochares bidens sp. nov., N. furcatus sp. nov., N. garfo sp. nov., and N. tenedor sp. nov.

Remarks. All four species in this group are relatively light brown/yellow in dorsal coloration, making them resemble the much more common members of the Novochares abbreviatus species group. Species in this group can be recognized by the relatively simple shape of the dorsal plate of the median lobe which resembles a bifid fork in all four species, as well as the shape of the parameres, which are typically straighter and with only a very small tooth near the apex (except N. tenedor , in which the apex is more curved and well developed).

Figures

Figure 11. Aedeagi of Novochares spp. A-C N. aperito D-F N. orchis G-K N. minor G-J Peru K Venezuela A, D, G, K dorsal view B, E, H ventral view C, F, J oblique view I lateral view.

Figure 12. Aedeagi of the Novochares garfo species group A-C N. bidens D-F N. furcatus G-J N. garfo K-M N. tenedor A, D, G, K dorsal view B, E, H, L ventral view C, I, M lateral view F, J oblique view.

Figure 13. Distribution of Novochares spp. A N. aperito (red), N. minor (yellow), N. orchis (blue) B N. bidens (red), N. furcatus (yellow), N. garfo (blue), N. tenedor (green).