Exocelina oceai Shaverdo, Hendrich & Balke

Shaverdo, Helena V., Surbakti, Suriani, Hendrich, Lars & Balke, Michael, 2012, Introduction of the Exocelina ekari-group with descriptions of 22 new species from New Guinea (Coleoptera, Dytiscidae, Copelatinae), ZooKeys 250, pp. 1-76 : 24-26

18. Exocelina oceai Shaverdo, Hendrich & Balke sp. n. Figs 1 A–E, 26

Type locality.

Indonesia: Papua Province: Nabire/Paniai Regencies, road Nabire-Enarotali, 65th km, 05°46.50'S, 142°50.00'E.

Type material.

Holotype: male "IRIAN JAYA: Paniai Prov. road Nabire-Ilaga, km 65 29.8.1996, 250m leg. M. Balke (96 # 6)" (NHMW). Paratypes: 14 males, 23 females with the same label as the holotype, 2 females additionally with green labels "DNA M.Balke 3262", "DNA M.Balke 3263" (NHMW). 2 males, 1 female "IRIAN JAYA: Paniai Prov. road Nabire-Ilaga, km 80 12.9.1996, 250m leg. M. Balke (96 # 21)" (NHMW). 1 male "IR 23-W. New Guinea, track Nabire-Ilaga, KM 62, 250m, 24.vii.1991 Balke & Hendrich leg." (NHMW). 1 male "IR 21-W. New Guinea track Nabire-Ilaga KM 65, Kali Utowa, 250 M, 18-19.vii.1991 Balke & Hendrich leg." (ZSM). 1 male "W.-Neuguinea/Paniai Prov. Strasse Nabire-Ilaga km 54 700m, 22.-25.9.1990/IR 11 leg: Balke & Hendrich" (CLH).

Diagnosis.

Beetle small, reddish-brown to brown; pronotum with narrow lateral bead; male antennomeres simple; male protarsomere 4 with large, thick, strongly curved anterolateral hook; median lobe slender, with weak submedian constriction in ventral view and elongate apex in lateral view; paramere with strong notch on dorsal side and subdistal part short and large, with long, dense, curved at apex setae.

Description.

Size and shape: Beetle small (TL-H 3.35-3.8 mm, TL 3.75-4.2 mm, MW 1.8-2.05 mm), with oblong-oval habitus, broadest at elytral middle. Coloration: Head reddish to reddish-brown, paler anteriorly (especially on clypeus); pronotum reddish-brown, with paler sides and darker (dark brown) disc, in some specimens almost uniformly reddish, reddish-brown; elytron uniformly reddish-brown to dark brown, darker than head and pronotum or only than head; head appendages yellowish-red, legs reddish (Fig. 26).

Surface sculpture: Head with dense punctation (spaces between punctures 1-4 times size of punctures), evidently finer and sparser anteriorly; diameter of punctures smaller than diameter of cells of microreticulation. Pronotum with finer, sparser, and more evenly distributed punctation than on head. Elytra with very sparse and fine punctation, almost invisible. Pronotum and elytra with weakly impressed microreticulation, dorsal surface, thus, shiny. Head with microreticulation stronger. Metaventrite and metacoxa distinctly microreticulate, metacoxal plates with longitudinal strioles and transverse wrinkles. Abdominal sternites with distinct microreticulation, strioles, and fine sparse punctation, coarser and denser on two last abdominal sternites.

Structures: Pronotum with distinct but narrow lateral bead, in some specimens reduced at posterior angles. Base of prosternum and neck of prosternal process with distinct ridge, smooth and rounded anteriorly, without anterolateral extensions. Blade of prosternal process lanceolate, relatively broad, convex, with distinct bead and few setae; neck and blade of prosternal process evenly jointed. Abdominal sternite 7 broadly rounded apically.

Male: Antenna simple (Fig. 1A). Protarsomere 4 with large, thick, strongly curved anterolateral hook. Protarsomere 5 ventrally with anterior row of 10 short setae and posterior row of 4 setae (Fig. 1B). Abdominal sternite 7 with 13-17 lateral striae on each side. Median lobe slender, with weak submedian constriction in ventral view and elongate apex in lateral view (Figs 1C, D). Paramere with strong notch on dorsal side and subdistal part short and large, with long, dense, curved at apex setae (Fig. 1E).

Female: Some specimens with pronotal lateral bead reduced at posterior angles; abdominal sternite 7 without striae.

Distribution.

Indonesia: Papua Province: Nabire and Paniai Regencies. This species is known only from the type locality area (Fig. 50).

Etymology.

The species is named for “Doc” Ocea Megay, one of our Ekari fellows and most enthusiastic fieldworker who died from a snake bite shortly after we have collected this species. He is buried in Topo. The species name is a noun in the genitive case.