Oocyclus foxae Short & Swanson

Short, A. E. Z. & Swanson, A. P., 2005, A revision of the Oocyclus Sharp of Thailand with description of six new species (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae), Zootaxa 1078, pp. 1-24 : 7-8

Oocyclus foxae Short & Swanson , sp. n.

Type Locality. Thailand: Kanchanaburi Province, Ampur Thong Pha Phum, 6.3 km W of boarder police station at Ban Padsadoo Klang, 14°32N 98°32E, 568 m.

Type Material. Holotype: Female. “ THAILAND: Kanchanaburi Prv. Amphur / Thong Pha Phum sml. wtrfl 6.3 km W of / Boarder Police Stn. at Ban Padsadoo Klang / rock face 568 m L­463 14°32N 98°32E / 10.IV.2003, UMC & CMU teams”, “ HOLOTYPE / Oocyclus / foxae / Short & Swanson” ( USNM). Paratype (1 female): same data as holotype (1: AEZS).

Diagnosis. Posterolateral corners of pronotum distinctly spinose. Procoxae covered with coarse spines. Ventrites uniformly pale in coloration. Glabrous area of metasternum one third the length of the metasternum. General punctuation of elytra coarse. No other species shares this combination of characters.

Description. Size and Form. Length=4.0 mm. EL/EW=1.08. Broadly oval, moderately convex. Elytra slightly longer than wide. Description. Color. Dorsum black. Head and pronotum with distinct green iridescence; also present on elytra, but much less distinct. Maxillary palpi yellow except apex of apical segment, which is lightly darkened; labial palpi yellow. Mentum and stipes dark reddish brown, slightly paler than ventral face of head. Legs, epipleura, lateral margins of prosternum, and most of ventrites yellow to light brown, with remainder of venter slightly to moderately darker reddish brown. Head. General punctation on labrum, clypeus and frons slightly variable in size from almost undetectable to fine; moderately dense, distance between punctures 1.0–1.5x the width of one puncture. Systematic row of punctures on labrum distinct; punctures coarse, distance between punctures ca. 0.5 the width of one puncture; each set with a long erect yellow seta. Frons with an irregular row of systematic punctures mesad of each eye, bearing fine erect setae. Clypeus with a few very indistinct systematic punctures along anterolateral margins, slightly larger than surrounding punctation and usually bearing a short seta. Antennae with scape subequal in length to segments 2–5; first two segments of club subequal in length and apical segment subequal in length to two preceding segments combined. Maxillary palpi very short, subequal in length to the width of the labrum; apical segment 1.5x as long as penultimate. Labial palpi three­fourths as long as width of mentum. Mentum quadrate, anterior margin slightly convex; bearing very fine and scattered punctures, some of which bear fine, long setae. Thorax. General punctation on elytra distinctly of multiple sizes, consisting of very fine punctures evenly mixed with slightly more coarse punctures; pronotum with similar pattern but punctures generally more fine. Pronotal systematic punctures distinct, 2– 3 x the size of larger general punctation and set with a fine recumbent seta; anterior and posterior series each forming an irregular row. Lateral margins of pronotum with a sparse row of setiferous punctures. Posterolateral corners of pronotum weakly but distinctly spinose. Sutural punctation on elytra unmodified from general punctation. Elytra with five diffuse rows of setiferous punctures, which are nearly obscured by the larger general punctures: rows 1–3 with punctures spaced irregularly but linearly and bearing recumbent setae; row 4 more or less a field of irregularly spaced punctures with recumbent to erect setae; row 5 along extreme lateral margin, bearing erect fine setae. Prosternum with median carina along entire length, with a moderately acute tooth anteriorly; without long spines or hairs anteriorly. Mesosternal process with lateral extensions sloping evenly downward; apex set with a few fine setae. Metasternum with small oval glabrous area posteromedially, slightly longer than wide, length of glabrous area about one third the total length of metasternum. Pro­ and mesocoxae covered with short, coarse spines. Protibiae with 8–10 spines on dorsal face. Protarsal segments 1–4 small, subequal in length; apical segment ca. as long as segments 1–4 combined. Abdomen. Ventrites with dense, uniform pubescence, with longest setae shorter to subequal in length to longest setae around mesosternal glabrous area. Fifth ventrite entire. Males not yet known.

Distribution. Thailand; known only from the type locality.

Etymology. Named for Jessica L. Fox, a friend and colleague in entomology.

Remarks. Although this species is known only from females, the characters given in the diagnosis clearly differentiate this species from the remaining Old World species. Further, since the identification of the Oocyclus species examined here do not rely on characters of the male genitalia, we feel it is appropriate to describe this species at the present time.