Novochares pastinum, 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 pastinum sp. nov.

Figs 21A-D , 22A

Type material.

Holotype (male): ECUADOR: Sucumbíos / Sacha Lodge, 0.5°S,/ 76.5°W, 270 m, 22II-4III/ 1994, Hibbs, ex: malaise" (SEMC). Paratype (2 exs.): Ecuador: Same data as holotype (1, SEMC). Napo: Lago Agrio, 26.vi.1978, leg. J. J. Anderson, swamp under secondary forest (1, USNM).

Differential diagnosis.

The aedeagal form of this species (Fig. 21A ) somewhat resembles that of N. quadrispinus (Fig. 21E ) but that species has four rather than two projections at the apex of the dorsal plate of the median lobe.

Description.

Body length 5.8 mm. Coloration: Dorsal surfaces brown, with slightly paler (yellowish) margins of clypeus, pronotum and elytra. Head: Maxillary palps nearly 1.5 × width of head, uniformly brown or 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 (one dorsal and two or three lateral) of scarce and weakly marked systematic punctures. Prosternum medially very weakly convex. Posterior elevation of mesoventrite weakly, broadly, and somewhat longitudinally elevated, with low medial longitudinal ridge extending anteriorly. Abdomen: Apical emargination of fifth ventrite relatively narrow and deep, U-shaped. Aedeagus: (Fig. 21A-D ) Overall shape pear-like, 2.2 × longer than wide, with outer lateral margins of parameres evenly convex up to apical region; apical region of each paramere rounded, with outer margin laterally pointed; at closest point, dorsal inner margins of parameres separated by distance 0.6 × greatest width of a paramere; dorsal plate of median lobe with neck 0.6 × as broad as base; arms of dorsal plate of median lobe parallel-sided along basal 1/2, diverging along distal 1/2, dorsally concave, nearly 0.2 × length of dorsal plate of median lobe; each arm nearly uniformly wide along basal 1/2, then narrowing to narrowly rounded apex; notch between arms very narrow at base; gonopore placed near mid-length of dorsal plate of median lobe; ventral plate of median lobe membranous, extending to near base of fork of dorsal plate; basal piece 0.2 × length of a paramere. In lateral view, aedeagus oblique at base, with ventral outline of parameres 3.5 × longer than greatest width near basal 1/3; dorsal outline of aedeagus in lateral view concave along basal 1/3, then evenly convex up to apical region of parameres.

Etymology.

Pastinum (L.), a hoe, a two-pronged instrument used for digging, in reference to the two prongs of the dorsal plate of the median lobe.

Distribution.

Ecuador (Fig. 22A ).

Habitat.

One specimen was collected in a swamp, the other two were taken in a malaise trap.

Figures

Figure 21. Aedeagi of the Novochares sallaei species group A-D N. pastinum E, F N. quadrispinus G-J N. tridentis K, L N. pichilingue A, E, G, K dorsal view B ventral view C, F lateral view D, I (dorsal) J (ventral) L oblique view.

Figure 22. Distribution of Novochares sallaei species group A N. cochlearis (red: circles, examined specimens; squares, literature / unconfirmed records), N. dicranospathus (yellow), N. pastinum (blue) B N. atratus (red: circles, examined specimens; squares, literature / unconfirmed records), N. clavieri (yellow), N. bisinuatus (blue), N. garciai (green) C N. chaquensis (red: circles, examined specimens; squares, literature / unconfirmed records), N. pichilingue (yellow) D N. fernandezae (red), N. tridentis (yellow), N. quadrispinus (blue), N. unguis (green).