Exocelina pseudoeme Shaverdo & Balke

Shaverdo, Helena, Sagata, Katayo, Panjaitan, Rawati, Menufandu, Herlina & Balke, Michael, 2014, Description of 23 new species of the Exocelinaekari-group from New Guinea, with a key to all representatives of the species group (Coleoptera, Dytiscidae, Copelatinae), ZooKeys 468, pp. 1-83 : 23-24

Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera Dytiscidae

16. Exocelina pseudoeme Shaverdo & Balke sp. n. Figs 27, 52

Exocelina undescribed sp. MB3759: Toussaint et al. 2014: Supplementary figs 1-4, Tab. 2.

Type locality.

Papua New Guinea: Sandaun Province, Mianmin, 04°53.42'S; 141°37.03'E.

Type material.

Holotype: male "Papua New Guinea: Sandaun, Mianminold [!], 898m, 20.x.2003, 4 53.419S 141 37.028E, K. Sagata (WB66)" (ZSM). Paratypes: 1 male, 1 female "Papua New Guinea: Sandaun, Mianmin (pool), 700m, 21.x.2008, 04.52.858S 141.31.706E, Ibalim (PNG 198)" and with two green labels "DNA M.Balke 3747", "DNA M.Balke 3759" respectively (ZSM).

Diagnosis.

Beetle small, dark brown to piceous, with paler anterior part of head and pronotal sides, shiny; pronotum without lateral bead; male antennomeres 5-10 slightly stout; male protarsomere 4 with large, slender, strongly curved anterolateral hook-like seta; median lobe with submedian constriction in ventral view and elongate apex in lateral view; paramere with notch on dorsal side and subdistal part elongate, with large brush of two kinds of setae: upper setae thin and less numerous and lower setae long, thick, somewhat flattened, and curved at apex; setae of proximal part shorter, thinner, less evident. The species is very similar to Exocelina eme Shaverdo, Hendrich & Balke, 2012 except for more weakly impressed dorsal microreticulation, especially on pronotum, beetle dorsally slightly shinier, as well as for structure and setation of genitalia: median lobe with stronger submedian constriction and symmetrical apex in ventral view; subdistal part of paramere with upper thin setae less numerous making brush smaller.

Description.

Size and shape: Beetle small (TL-H 3.15-3.55 mm, TL 3.5-4.0 mm, MW 1.65-1.85 mm), with oblong-oval habitus, broadest at elytral middle. Coloration: Head dark brown to piceous, paler anteriorly; pronotum dark brown to piceous, with red to reddish brown sides; elytra uniformly dark brown to piceous; head appendages red to reddish brown, legs darker, especially metathoracic legs (Fig. 52).

Surface sculpture: Head with dense punctation (spaces between punctures 1-3 times size of punctures), finer and sparser anteriorly; diameter of punctures smaller than diameter of cells of microreticulation. Pronotum with much finer and sparser punctation than on head. Elytra with very sparse and fine punctation, almost invisible. Head, pronotum, and elytra with weakly impressed microreticulation, dorsal surface shiny. Head with microreticulation stronger. Metaventrite and metacoxa distinctly microreticulate, metacoxal figs with longitudinal strioles and transverse wrinkles. Abdominal ventrites with distinct microreticulation, strioles, and fine sparse punctation, coarser and denser on two last abdominal ventrites.

Structures: Pronotum without lateral bead. Base of prosternum and neck of prosternal process with distinct ridge, smooth and less rounded anteriorly, with small anterolateral extensions. Blade of prosternal process lanceolate, relatively narrow, slightly convex, with distinct lateral bead and few setae; neck and blade of prosternal process evenly jointed. Abdominal ventrite 6 broadly rounded apically.

Male: Antennomeres 5-10 slightly stout (Fig. 27A). Protarsomere 4 with large, slender, strongly curved anterolateral hook-like seta. Protarsomere 5 ventrally with anterior row of 14 and posterior row of 5 short setae (Fig. 27B). Abdominal ventrite 6 with 5-6 lateral striae on each side. Median lobe with submedian constriction and symmetrical apex in ventral view and elongate apex in lateral view (Figs 27C, D); paramere with notch on dorsal side and subdistal part elongate, with large brush of two kinds of setae: upper setae thin and less numerous and lower setae long, thick, somewhat flattened, and curved at apex; setae of proximal part shorter, thinner, less evident (Fig. 27E).

Holotype: TL-H 3.55 mm, TL 4 mm, MW 1.85 mm.

Female: Without evident differences in external morphology from males, except for abdominal ventrite 6 without striae.

Distribution.

Papua New Guinea: Sandaun Province. This species is known only from Mianmin region (Fig. 53).

Etymology.

This species was mistaken for Exocelina eme due to their external similarity. The name is a noun in the nominative singular standing in apposition.