Platynectes (Platynectes) elaskanaima, Gustafson & Short & Miller, 2016

Gustafson, Grey T., Short, Andrew E. Z. & Miller, Kelly B., 2016, New species of diving beetles in the subgenus Platynectes s. str. from the Guiana Shield (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae: Agabinae), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 56 (1), pp. 79-102 : 85-88

Platynectes (Platynectes) elaskanaima sp. nov.

( Figs 3 , 8 , 15 )

Type material. HOLOTYPE: J, “GUAYARACA / Auyantepui, BO / VENEZUELA / 1100 m 17.iv 56 [beige label, typed black ink, except handwritten 17]”, “ F.Fernandez Y / C. J. Rosales / Cols. [beige label, typed black ink]”, “ MIZA0002807 / UCV-Venezuela [white label with barcode, typed black ink]” ( MIZA) . PARATYPES (4 spec.): same data as holotype, but: MIZA 0002803– MIZA 0002806 (4 spec. MIZA, SEMC).

Diagnosis. Medium sized (6.1–6.5 mm in length), elongate oval and strongly parallel-sided in dorsal habitus, elytron with five well-demarcated yellow spots.

Description. Size. Male: TL = 6.2–6.5 mm, TL-h = 5.8–6.0 mm, TW = 3.6–3.7 mm; female: TL = 6.1–6.5 mm, TL-h = 5.8–6.0 mm, TW = 3.5–3.7 mm.

Body elongate oval and narrow, lateral margins parallel sided for much of their length ( Fig. 3 ).

Coloration ( Fig. 3 ). Head orange grading into diffuse, light yellow region medially on frons and testaceous to black mediad and posteriad of eyes, in some specimens extending anteriorly around eye to lateral margin of frons. Pronotum broadly black or testaceous medially along anterior and posterior margins, black regions meeting medially in lighter, testaceous transverse band; posterolateral margins of pronotum narrowly black, lateral surfaces yellow, extending medially to dark region; scutellum testaceous. Elytron testaceous, with five yellow spots, one rounder parascutellar, one humeral, one slightly anterior of middle near suture, one slightly posterior of middle near lateral margin, and one anteapically, all transverse in shape. Appendages of head, legs and ventral surfaces, including elytral epipleuron, pale orange to reddish, somewhat darker on thoracic sterna and metacoxae; last abdominal tergite yellow.

Structure and sculpture. Head broad and short, anterior clypeal margin broadly rounded; entire dorsal surface of head with small highly irregular cells, each cell with fine punctures, additional irregular covering of fine punctation throughout. Pronotum broad and short, medially with small shallow dimple; lateral bead distinct and broad, evenly curved, about width of antennomere V; surface shiny, covered with fine microreticulation of irregular cells, cells with fine punctures, additional punctation consisting of a row of large coarse punctures on anterior and posterior margin, punctures separated by ca. 1–2× diameter of a puncture anteriorly, posterior row mostly effaced by reticulation medially, laterally punctures separated by ca. diameter of 1 puncture. Elytron with lateral margins un-evenly curved, basally mostly straight, apical 1/3 curved to slightly angulate apex, lateral epipleural carina distinctly visible throughout length; surface covered with weakly impressed, but distinct microreticulation of large irregular cells, cells also with fine punctures; elytral epipleuron slender, evenly tapered to apex. Prosternum medially moderately long, longitudinally swollen; prosternal process broad, lateral margins broadly curved to somewhat pointed apex, surface flat to slightly curved, smooth. Metaventrite with anterior process broad, with broadly curved emargination for reception of prosternal process; lateral wings broad, WC/WS = 4; surface smooth, microreticulation very weakly impressed, composed of short, irregular cells laterally, and more elongate cells medially, punctation nearly imperceptible. Fore- and midlegs slender, surfaces punctate, protibial apices with largest spine longer than protarsomeres I+II; mesotibal apices with longest spine shorter than length of mesotarsomeres I+II, extending 1/2 mesotarsomere II length, mesotarsal spurs elongate slender, slightly sinuate, just longer than mesotarsomere I; metacoxae smooth, microreticulation weakly impressed, composed of short, rectangular cells laterally, and more elongate rectangular cells medially, punctation irregular, nearly imperceptible, metacoxal lines distinct, broadly divergent anteriorly; hind legs slender, smooth, metafemur with fine weakly impressed reticulation composed of elongate cells, almost imperceptible weakly impressed punctation, setigerous punctures on anterior surface of metatibia and metatarsomere I, metatrochanter apically spinous, metatibial spurs slender, anterior 2/3 length as metatarsus I, posterior spur as long as metatarsus I. Abdominal ventrites broad, smooth and unmodified, with fine weakly impressed reticulation, composed of irregular elongate cells, punctation nearly imperceptible.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 8 ). Median lobe broad, in left lateral view strongly curved, apex strongly expanded and broadly rounded, pores of apical 2/3 small, weakly impressed; ventral groove in right lateral view strongly narrowed at half length, abruptly widened in apical 1/4 with exceptionally large apical cavity, apex weakly bifid.

Sexual dimorphism. There appears to be no sexual dimorphism evident from the limited number of specimens studied.

Variation. Only five specimens were available for study, all were similarly sized.

Differential diagnosis. Platynectes elaskanaima sp. nov. is most similar to P. submaculatus in elytral maculation pattern, having five yellow well-demarcated spots, but differs in being larger (body length = 6.1–6.5 mm) and much more parallel-sided and elongate oval in dorsal habitus ( Fig. 3 ). The elongate oval and highly parallel-sided shape should prevent its confusion with any other species within the P. submaculatus group.

Etymology. The specific epithet is a combination of elas- from the Greek elasis meaning to drive away or banish and from the Pemon people’s word kanaima meaning evil spirit, thus the name elaskanaima means kanaima (“evil spirit”) banisher. Noun in apposition.

Distribution. Only known from the type locality on Auyán-tepui in southeastern Venezuela ( Fig. 15 ).

Figures

Figs 1–6. Dorsal habitus of Platynectes species. 1 – P. meru sp. nov. 2 – P. decemnotatus (Aubé, 1838). 3 – P. elaskanaima sp. nov. 4 – P. tafelbergensis sp. nov. 5 – P. submaculatus (Laporte, 1835). 6 – P. garciai sp. nov. Scale bar = 2 mm.

Figs 7–13. Median lobe of aedeagus of Platynectes species, top row left lateral view, bottom row right lateral view. 7 – P. submaculatus (Laporte, 1835). 8 – P. elaskanaima sp. nov. 9 – P. meru sp. nov. 10 – P. decemnotatus (Aubé, 1838). 11 – P. garciai sp. nov. 12 – P. tafelbergensis sp. nov. 13 – P. agallithoplotes sp. nov.

Fig. 15. Distribution map of Platynectes species of northern South America.