Katasophistes superficialis, 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 : 133-136

Katasophistes superficialis sp. n. Figs 10E-H ; 12E ; 13 ; 14E, F

Type material examined.

Holotype (male): " ECUADOR: Pastaza Province: "AGIP platform Villano B/ along transect 1 & 2/ 24.v.2008; leg. A.E.Z. Short/ small forest stream AS-08-08b" (PUCE). Paratypes (1): ECUADOR: Same data as holotype (1, SEMC, DNA voucher SLE 1189).

Differential diagnosis.

Katasophistes superficialis can be easily differentiated by its size (~4.5 mm), elongate oval shape, the shallow rows of enlarged systematic punctures along the elytra and its relatively long and slender maxillary palps.

Description.

Body length 4.5 mm, width 2.4 mm. Body elongate oval, weakly convex (Fig. 10 E, F ). General coloration uniformly brown. Each elytron with five rows of shallow enlarged systematic punctures. Apex of fifth abdominal ventrite weakly emarginated. Aedeagus (Fig. 12E ) with basal piece nearly 1.1-times the length of parameres; parameres at widest point, nearly 0.4-times greatest width of median lobe; apex of parameres rounded; apex of median lobe forming an acute angle.

Etymology.

Named in reference to the shallowness of the enlarged systematic punctures along the elytra, with the Latin word superficialis meaning shallow.

Distribution.

Ecuador (Pastaza). See Fig. 13 .

Biology.

This species was collected in forested stream pools with abundant detritus in lowland rainforest. See Fig. 14E, F .

Figures

Figure 10. Habitus of Katasophistes spp.: A-E Katasophistes merida: A dorsal view B lateral view C ventral view D head E-H Katasophistes superficialis: E dorsal view F lateral view G ventral view H head. Scale bar: 1 mm.

Figure 12. Aedeagus of Katasophistes spp.: A-B Katasophistes charynae: A " colln 32 " B " colln 42 a " C Katasophistes cuzco; D Katasophistes merida E Katasophistes superficialis. Scale bars: 0.3 mm.

Figure 13. Distribution of Katasophistes species.

Figure 14. Habitat of Katasophistes spp. A-B Type locality and habitat of K. merida: Venezuela: Merida State, Collecting Event VZ 12 - 0122 - 03 A C-D Habitat of K. merida: Venezuela: Merida State, Collecting Event VZ 12 - 0124 - 01 A E-F Type locality and habitat of K. superficialis: Ecuador: Pastaza Province, Collecting Event AS- 08 - 08 b.