Hydrochus vagus LeConte

Perkins, Philip D., 2021, Taxonomy of Central American water beetles in the genus Hydrochus Leach, 1817 (Coleoptera: Hydrochidae), Zootaxa 4974 (3), pp. 459-503 : 479-480

Hydrochus vagus LeConte

Figs. 1 , 13, 14 , 27 , 30

Hydrochus vagus LeConte 1852: 211 .

Hydrochus daviniaae Makhan 1995 . Syn. Worthington et al. 2016.

Lectotype designation: There are three syntypes in the LeConte collection at the MCZ, consisting of one female and two males. Both males have been dissected, and are conspecific. The male labeled “vagus 3” is hereby selected as lectotype, and images of the habitus, male genitalia, and labels of this specimen given herein ( Figs. 14 , 27 ). The female and the second male (“vagus 2”) have been labeled paralectotypes. Originally described from California [“(Desert of) Colorado”], the following locality records are from Mexico.

Material examined (76): Mexico: Campeche, 21 mi. E . Campeche, 27.vii.1964, leg. Paul J. Spangler (1 NMNH) ; Nayarit, 18 mi. N.W. Tepic, 27.xi.1948, leg. H. B. Leech (3 CAS) ; Nuevo Leon, 10 km N Linares ; ex. mercury vapor lite, elev. 430 m, 22.iii.1991, leg. R. Brooks, R. Leschen (7 SEMC) ; San Luis Potosi, 5 mi. N. Tamazunchale, 21.v.1974, leg. P. D. Perkins (5 MCZ) ; Ciudad Valles, 22.viii.1964, leg. Paul J. Spangler (4 NMNH) ; El Salto , 19.vi.1952, leg. no collector on label (5 SEMC) ; Mpio. Tanlajas, Rancho El Nacimiento, Nacimiento Río Coy , 46 m, 8.vi.2013, 21°43´54.1’’ N, 98° 58’ 35.4’’ W, D. Reynoso col. (3 IEXA) ; Sinaloa, Los Mochis , 20.vii.1922, leg. C.T. Dodds (2 CAS) ; Mazatlan , 12 mi. S., 17.xii.1963, leg. L. & C. W. O’Brien (1 NMNH) ; same locality, 17.xii.1963, leg. M. J. Tauber, C. A. Toschi (5 NMNH) ; Tamaulipas, 2 mi. SW Ciudad Victoria , stream in desert, 27.vii.1974, leg. M. E. and P. D. Perkins (14 MCZ) ; 8 miles west of El Limon , 20.vii.1970, leg. Murray, Phelps, Hart, Schaffner (4 TAMU) ; Bocatoma, 7 Km SSE Gomez Farias , 25-30.iii.1978, leg. E. G. Riley (1 TAMU) ; Ciudad Mante, 24.viii.1964, leg. P. J. Spangler (1 FSCA, 8 NMNH); Nuevo Morelos, 28.viii.1965, leg. P. J. Spangler (7 NMNH) ; Veracruz, 15 Mi. SE Tantoyuca, 28.viii.1965, leg. Paul J. Spangler (1 NMNH) ; 8 Mi. NE Panuco , 28.viii.1965, leg. P. J. Spangler (3 NMNH) ; Cerveceria Moctezma , 3.viii.1965, leg. Rabago (2 NMNH) .

Differential diagnosis. Among Central American species, recognized by the combination of moderate size (ca. 2.88 mm), the deep pronotal depressions, the well raised and relatively impunctate pronotal reliefs, and the male genitalia ( Figs. 13, 14 ; described below). This species has a generalized Hydrochus habitus; reliable determinations will require dissection of males. The male genitalia are somewhat superficially similar to that of H. scintillatus ; however, in H. scintillatus the pdmm are much more widely separated, the adbl is larger, the dorsal margin of the aedeagus, in lateral view, is not concave, and the avtl is located farther from the aedeagus base.

Male genitalia ( Figs. 13, 14 ). General characters: paramere tips slender and pointed, apex narrower in lateral view than in dorsal/ventral views, in dorsal/ventral views with medial margins at apex parallel or nearly so, then arcuate away from midline, narrow proximal to plsa; aedeagus in dorsal/ventral views slender in distal ½, wider in proximal ½, agw at ca. proximal 13, in lateral view wider basally, with no emargination where adbl and shaft meet; lateral margins of aedeagus sclerotized; basal piece shorter than parameres, orifice strongly sclerotized.

Dorsal surface: pdmm narrowly separated, overlapping aedeagus; adbl large; adtl at ca. distal 1/3; paramere tips without sclerotized ridge.

Ventral surface: pvmm approximating lateral margin of aedeagus; avtl near base.

Remarks. The non-type specimen imaged ( Fig. 13 ) has the following locality data: Tamaulipas, 2 mi. SW Ciudad Victoria, stream in desert, 27.vii.1974, leg. M. E. and P. D. Perkins.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Dorsal habitus of Central American Hydrochus species.

FIGURES 13–14. Habitus and male genitalia. 13. Hydrochus vagus LeConte, non-type. 14. Hydrochus vagus LeConte, lectotype.

FIGURES 25–27. 25. Hydrochus aeruginosus n. sp., holotype. 26. Hydrochus variolatus LeConte, type labels. 27. Hydrochus vagus LeConte, type labels

FIGURES 28–30. Geographical distribution maps.