Desmopachria wolfei, Miller, 2022

Miller, Kelly B., 2022, Nineteen new species of Desmopachria Babington, 1841 (Coleoptera, Adephaga, Dytiscidae, Hydroporinae, Hyphydrini) with notes on the taxonomy of the genus, ZooKeys 1136, pp. 1-56 : 1

Desmopachria wolfei sp. nov.

Figures 46-50 , 79

Type locality.

Venezuela, Bolivar State, Rio Aponwao at Highway 10, 5°50'49.2"N, 62°28'2.4"W.

Diagnosis.

This species belongs to the Desmopachria nitida group sensu Miller (2001) because of presence of deeply bifid male lateral lobes (Fig. 50 ). Within the group, the species has a bilaterally symmetrical, but extremely complicated male median lobe that is very unique in shape, medially distinctly constricted, apically broadly truncate, and with an apicomedial emargination, among other shape characteristics (Figs 47-50 ). Dorsal coloration is simple with the head and pronotum orange and elytron brown.

Description.

Measurements. TL = 1.8-1.9 mm, GW = 1.2-1.3 mm, PW = 0.9-1.0 mm, HW = 0.6-0.7 mm, EW = 0.3 mm, TL/GW = 1.4-1.5, HW/EW = 1.9-2.0. Body broad, elongate oval, laterally broadly curved, lateral margins continuous between pronotum and elytron, body broadest across elytra at midlength of body (Fig. 46 ).

Coloration (Fig. 46 ). Dorsal surface of head and pronotum evenly pale orange. Elytron dark orange, darker than surface of pronotum. Head appendages, legs and ventral surfaces orange to dark orange or orange-red.

Sculpture and structure. Head broad; anterior margin of clypeus evenly curved, flattened, margined with conspicuous, continuous narrow bead; surface of head shiny, finely and sparsely punctate; eyes large (HW/EW = 1.9-2.0); antennae short, scape and pedicel relatively large and rounded, flagellomere III long and slender, apically expanded, antennomeres IV-X short and broad, lobed at anterodorsal angle, antennomere XI elongate, apically pointed. Pronotum short, lateral margins short, sublinear with continuous narrow bead, slightly wider medially; surface shiny, impunctate medially, punctation denser along anterior and posterior margins, punctation fine. Elytron moderately broad, laterally broadly curved; surface shiny, more coarsely and evenly punctate than pronotum, punctation distinctive and prominent. Prosternum extremely short, longitudinally compressed, medially slightly carinate; prosternal process slender anteriorly, with distinctive, small medial tubercle, apical blade short and broad, basally transversely carinate, medially concave, apically broadly pointed. Metaventrite broad and evenly smoothly convex medially, surface shiny, very finely and sparsely; metaventrite wings extremely slender. Metacoxa with medial portion short, <1/3 length of metaventrite medially, metacoxal lines divergent anteriorly; lateral portion of metacoxa extremely large, anteriorly strongly expanded; surface shiny, very finely and sparsely punctate. Metatrochanter large, subequal to length of ventral margin of metafemur; legs otherwise not noticeably modified. Abdomen with surfaces shiny and smooth, very finely and sparsely punctate.

Male genitalia. Male genitalia complex; median lobe elongate in lateral aspect, broad basally, medially constricted, broadly sinuate, apex strongly curved dorsal, apically pointed (Fig. 47 ); median lobe in ventral aspect very broad, lateral margins subparallel in basal half, with distinct constriction medially due to distinct lateral emarginations, apical half with lateral margins curved to apicolateral angle, apex very broadly truncate with distinct medial emargination (Figs 48 , 49 ). Lateral lobe in broad basally, apically conspicuously bifurcate, dorsal branch apically broadly rounded, ventral branch apically truncate with dorsal corner acutely pointed dorsad (Fig. 50 ).

Sexual dimorphism. No obvious sexual dimorphic features were discovered.

Variation. Some specimens are variously paler or darker in coloration than others.

Etymology.

This distinctive species is named Desmopachria wolfei for G.W. Wolfe, gifted coleopterist, exemplary water beetle biologist, exceptionally fine husband and father, and the author’s dear friend for many years.

Distribution.

This species is known only from Bolivar State, Venezuela (Fig. 79 ).

Type material.

Holotype in MIZA, male labeled, "VENEZUELA: Bolivar State 5°50'49.2"N, 62°28'2.4"W, 1340 m Rio Aponwao @ Hwy 10 31.vii.2008; leg. A.Short, M. García AS-08-060a; small vegetated pool/ SM0827530 KUNHM-ENT [barcode label] / HOLOTYPE Desmopachria wolfei Miller, 2021 [red label with black line border]." Paratypes, 23; 9 in MIZA and SEMC labeled same as holotype except with “… PARATYPE Desmopachria wolfei Miller, 2021 [blue label with black line border]" and different barcode labels (see Table 1 ); 14 in SEMC labeled, "VENEZUELA: Bolivar State 4°49.944'N, 61°3.813'W, 890m ca. 25 km S. San Francisco 3.viii.2008; A.Short & M. García AS-08-069; large marsh/..."

Checklist of species in the Desmopachria nitida species group

Desmopachria annae Miller, 2005 - Bolivia

Desmopachria anauine Braga & Ferreira-Jr., 2018 - Brazil

Desmopachria aschnae Makhan, 2012 - Suriname. This species is hereby placed into the Desmopachria nitida species group based on published figures of bifid lateral lobes ( Makhan 2012: fig. 4).

Desmopachria balionota Miller, 2005 - Peru, Brazil (Braga and Ferreira-Jr. 2010, 2014).

Desmopachria curseenae Miller & Wolfe, 2018 - Suriname

Desmopachria darlingtoni Young, 1989 - Jamaica, Cuba, Haiti, Colombia

Desmopachria delongi Miller & Wolfe, 2018 - Suriname

Desmopachria draco Miller, 1999 - Bolivia, Brazil (Braga and Ferreira-Jr. 2010)

Desmopachria gingerae Miller & Wolfe, 2018 - Venezuela

Desmopachria granoides Young, 1986 - Brazil (Braga and Ferreira-Jr. 2014), Bolivia, Suriname, Venezuela, Trinidad

Desmopachria gyrationi Miller & Wolfe, 2018 - Guyana

Desmopachria hardyae Miller & Wolfe, 2018 - Guyana

Desmopachria kemptonae Miller & Wolfe, 2018 - Venezuela

Desmopachria leptophallica Braga & Ferreira-Jr., 2014 - Brazil

Desmopachria liosomata Young, 1986 - Brazil

Desmopachria lloydi Miller & Wolfe, 2018 - Bolivia

Desmopachria margarita Young, 1990 - Panama, Brazil? (Braga and Ferreira-Jr. 2014).

Desmopachria nitida Babington, 1841 - Brazil

Desmopachria nitidoides Young, 1990 - Paraguay

Desmopachria phacoides Guignot, 1950 - Paraguay, Bolivia

Desmopachria psarammo Miller, 1999 - Bolivia

Desmopachria rhea Miller, 1999 - Bolivia

Desmopachria singhae Miller & Wolfe, 2018 - Venezuela

Desmopachria subnotata Zimmermann, 1921 - Brazil (Braga and Ferreira-Jr. 2010).

Desmopachria subtilis Sharp, 1882 - Brazil

Desmopachria vohrae Miller & Wolfe, 2018 - Venezuela

Desmopachria wolfei sp. nov. - Venezuela

Desmopachria zelota Young, 1990 - Brazil

Figures

Figures 46 - 50. Desmopachria wolfei. 46 habitus 47 male median lobe, right lateral aspect 48 male median lobe, ventral aspect 49 male median lobe and right lateral lobe, ventral aspect 50 right lateral lobe, right lateral aspect. Scale bar: 1.0 mm.

Figures 79, 80. Desmopachria species distributions. 79 Desmopachria nitida species group and Desmopachria portmanni-aldessa species group 80 Desmopachria portmanni-aldessa species group.