Hydrocanthus (Sternocanthus) indicus WEHNCKE 1876

Toledo, M. & Hendrich, L., 2006, Taxonomic revision of the Australasian Hydrocanthus SAY 1833, with description of two new species (Coleoptera: Noteridae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 38 (1), pp. 935-952 : 941-943

Hydrocanthus (Sternocanthus) indicus WEHNCKE 1876 ( Figs 5, 6 , 11 , 16 )

Hydrocanthus indicus WEHNCKE 1876: 223 (orig. descr.).

Hydrocanthus indicus WEHNCKE 1876 - SHARP 1882: 279; BRANDEN 1885: 18; RÉGIMBART 1888: 609; 1889a: 150; 1889b: 51; 1891: 538; 1899: 252; 1900: 147; 1904: 81; ZIMMERMANN 1919: 118; 1920: 15; 1927: 10; SATÔ 1972: 143; VAZIRANI 1975: 41; VAZIRANI 1977: 4; ROCCHI 1976: 179; BALKE, HENDRICH & YANG 1999: 325; HENDRICH, BALKE & YANG 2004: 108.

Hydrocanthus (Sternocanthus) indicus WEHNCKE 1876 - GUIGNOT 1956: 60; BAMEUL 1994: 362; TOLEDO 2003: 76; NILSSON & VONDEL 2005: 117.

Type material: Lectotype: Male ( MNHN), here designated: pinned, labelled " Schmidt [Small rectangular label as for H. australasiae ] / Cochinchina [slightly larger, rectangular, yellow label, black bordered, handwritten]" . Paralectotype: Female ( MNHN): originally pinned, then glued on small, triangular card, unlabelled.

M a t e r i a l e x a m i n e d:

Brown specimens: CHINA: 2 exs.: Hong Kong, Luk keng marsh, 23.VI.1995, Dudgeon leg. ( NMW). INDONESIA: 2 ex.: W Sumatra, Talu , VII.1992, Dr. W.G. Ullrich leg. ( NHMB) ; 18 exs.: E Kalimantan, Pond of Mekhat Stream, nr. Eheng village, 13.VII.1995, P. Mazzoldi leg. ( MTP, PMB). LAOS: 6 exs.: S Laos, Prov. Champasak, ca. 50 km S Pakse, nr. Ban Phautoumphone, 50- 100 m (1a), 23-24.V.1996, H. Schillhammer leg. ( NMW). MALAYSIA: 39 exs.: Pahang – Johor, Endau Rompin Nat. Park , 100 m, Salendang , 28.II-13.III.1995, Strba & Hergovits leg. ( NMW) ; 8 exs.: Trengganu, Rantau Abang, coastal stream, 11.XI.1991, K. Lim & S. Lim leg. ( ZRC). MYANMAR: 1 ex.: Rangoon, Taikkyi , Nyaunggon , 19-31.V.2001, M. Klìchà leg. ( MTP). THAILAND: 1 ex.: E Thailand , Ko Chang , Klong Prao , pond (13, 1), 11.XII.1990, M. Jäch leg. ( NMW) ; 1 ex.: Narathiwat Prov., Sungai Padi, 23.X.1998, HK Lua leg., LHK0403 ( ZRC). VIETNAM: 40 ex.: S Vietnam, Nam Cat Nat. Park , 1-5.V.1994, Pacholatko & Dembicky leg. ( NHMB) ; 72 exs.: S Vietnam, Nam Cat Nat. Park , 1-5.V.1994, Pacholatko & Dembicky leg. ( NMW) ; 1 ex.: N Vietnam, (Ben En) 180 km SSW Hanoi 40 km SW Than Hoa, Ben En National Park , 50 m, 29.-30.VII.1997, A. Napolov leg. ( NME) ; 2 exs.: N Vietnam, (Ben En) 180 km SSW Hanoi 40 km SW Than Hoa, Ben En National Park , 50 m, 27.VIII.1997, A. Napolov leg. ( CHB) .

Black specimens: INDIA: 9 exs.: Assam, Kaziranga Nat. Pres., V.1991, S. Ja’ ki leg. ( MTP, JSL). SRI LANKA: 3 exs.: Surroundings of Colombo, 12.XI.1980, M. Jäch leg. ( NMW).

Intermediate specimens: INDONESIA: 18 exs.: Eastern Sumatra, Riau Prov., Bukit Tigapuluh Nat. Park , 0°50'102°26', 18-25.I.2000, J. Bezdèk leg. ( MTP) ; 4 exs.: Siberut, Saliguma , 30.VIII.1992, Barries & Cate leg. ( NMW) ; 2 exs.: Siberut, Bakeuluk – Madobak , 18.II.1992, (23) M. Jäch leg. ( NMW). LAOS: 3 exs.: N Laos, Prov. Luang Nam Tha, Luang Nam Tha, 550 m, at light, 15.VI.1996, leg. H. Schillhammer leg. ( NMW) .

D i a g n o s i s: Small Hydrocanthus , broadly oval, weakly convex; dorsal surface strongly iridescent; coloration uniformly dark brown or deep black. Left side of aedeagus without transverse ridge.

D e s c r i p t i o n: total length: 5.3-5.8 mm (lectotype: 5.7 mm); total length without head: 4.65-5.3 mm (lectotype: 5.1 mm); maximum width: 2.6-2.9 mm (lectotype: 2.9 mm).

Head: dark, dorsal surface with a very fine reticulation of small meshes arranged in short, longitudinal wrinkles, together wit very few sparse and fine dots. Underside and labrum reddish-brown, antennae and mouthparts testaceous ( Figs 5-6 ).

Pronotum: dark reddish or black, iridescent; lateral sides deeply rounded, with bead strong and in relief, gradually narrowed to the base; anterior bead quite strong. Dorsal surface very finely sculptured with longitudinal meshes as on head, but quite longer and slightly more impressed.

Elytra: dark brown (in this case a little darker than pronotum) or deep black, maximum width behind the base, at about the first sixth of their length; lateral side, seen in lateral view, weakly concave at the shoulders. Surface strongly iridescent, more than on pronotum; sculpture very fine, as on pronotum; two longitudinal series of dots are visible: the

dots are small, quite regular on the basal half being more irregular in the hind half.

Underside: uniformly reddish-brown, a little darker on abdominal sternites, covered by a sculpture of polygonal meshes, more strongly impressed on metacoxae and metasternal wings, smoother on sternites. Hairy dots on prosternum and prosternal process quite uniformly spaced; prosternal process wide, strongly narrowed between the coxae. Punctuation on metasternal and metacoxal plates as on prosternal process. Legs: reddishbrown; metafemora with a row of dots along fore and hind side, this latter being irregular close to the apex.

: Median lobe of aedeagus ( Fig. 11 ) broad, sickle-shaped, without traces of transverse ridge on left side. Left paramere ( Fig. 16 ) with a series of hairs along the whole anterior side and with apical tuft poorly distinguished from the other hairs.

. Similar to, not differing from male externally.

D i s t r i b u t i o n: Widespread in the Oriental Region: formally known from Bangladesh, Cambodia, China ( Hong Kong), India (at least Eastern India), Laos, Indonesia (Java, Kalimantan, Siberut, Sumatra), Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam. Collected also at light ( VAZIRANI 1975).

N o t e s: This species is distinctive in having different colour forms. The most widespread one is dorsally dark-brown (typical form) and it is known for the whole distribution of H. indicus , except for Eastern India (Assam) and Sri Lanka, where deep-black specimens with a bluish sheen occur (see Figs 5-6 ); specimens seen from Laos (Luang Nam Tha), Sumatra and Siberut share an intermediate brown-black colouration. Perhaps these forms should be considered as geographical races?

Figures

Figs 1-6: Habitus of: (1) Hydrocanthus balkei; (2) H. pederzanii; (3) H. australasiae; (4) H. waterhousei; (5) indicus, f. typica; (6) indicus, black form (scale: 2 mm).

Figs 7-11: Median lobes of aedeagus (left lateral view, rotated): (7) Hydrocanthus balkei; (8) H. pederzanii; (9) H. australasiae; (10) H. waterhousei; (11) H. indicus.

Figs 12-16: Left paramere (inner face, rotated): (12) Hydrocanthus balkei; (13) H. pederzanii; (14) H. australasiae; (15) H. waterhousei; (16) H. indicus.