Oocyclus andinus Short & García, 2010

Short, Andrew E. Z. & García, Mauricio, 2010, A review of the Oocyclus Sharp of Venezuela with description of twelve new species (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae: Laccobiini), Zootaxa 2635, pp. 1-31 : 7-9

Oocyclus andinus Short & García sp. n.

( Figs. 3 C, 5F, 7, 9B)

Type material. Holotype: VENEZUELA: Mérida State: male, “ VENEZUELA: Mérida State/ 8°14.397’N, 71°48.580’W, 1950m / Cascada de Bailadores/ Waterfall spray zone; 15.i.2006 / AS-06-031; leg. A.E.Z. Short”, “[barcode]/ SM0828699/ KUNHM-ENT”, “ HOLOTYPE / OOCYCLUS / andinus sp.n. / des. Short & García 2010 ” ( MIZA). Paratypes (319 exs.): VENEZUELA: Barinas State: 24 km NW Barinitas, 23.ii.1969, leg. P. & P. Spangler (4 exs., USNM); La Chimenea, 1500 m, (28–31). v.1973, leg. J. Salcedo, (3 exs., MIZA); same data but (1–6). v.1973 (1 ex., MIZA); San Isidro, 25.ix.1975, leg. R. Deitz (2 exs., MIZA); Lara State: Sanare, 8.ix.1968, leg. J. & B. Bechyne (1 ex., MIZA); Municipio of Moran, Quebrada Los Algibes, 1900 m, 13.viii.1991, leg. J. Camacho, A. Viloria, R. Calchi (3 exs., MALUZ); Mérida State: 13 km E. Apartaderos, 24.ii.1969, leg. P. & P. Spangler (15 exs., USNM); same data as holotype (60 exs.); same locality but 25.viii.2001, leg. M. García (1 ex.); same locality but 18.vii.2009, leg. Short, García, Gustafson, & Camacho, VZ09-0718-02B (34 exs.); same locality but 29.xii.1976, leg. E. Osunes (1 ex., MIZA); Along road between Jaji & Mérida, wet rock and cement at river crossing, 8.58570°N, 71.29927°W, 1730 m, 16.i.2006, leg. A. Short & P. Torres, AS-06-033 (11 exs.); Along road between Jaji & Mérida, small waterfall and stream pools, 8.58515°N, 71.30103°W, 1750 m, 16.i.2006, leg. A. Short & P. Torres, AS-06-034 (1 ex.); Mérida, Rio Milla, Mérida Zoo, 14.i.2006, wet rock/seeps, leg. A.E.Z. Short, AS-06-026 (3 exs.); same data but leg. M. García (21 exs.); Ca. 12 km SE of Santo Domingo, wet rock at shrine site, 19.vii.2009, leg. A.E.Z. Short, M. García, & G. Gustafson, VZ09-0719-02A (34 exs.); same locality but 24.ii.1969, leg. P. & P. Spangler (63 exs., USNM); Cascada Velo de la Novia, 1616 m, 19.vii.2009, leg. A. Short, G. Gustafson, J. Camacho, M. García, & E. Inciarte, VZ09-0719-01A (30 exs.); Táchira State: Chorro el Indio National Park, 7°43’23.81”N, 72°11’31.13”W, 1225 m, 16.vii.2009, leg. Short & García, wet rock and rock seeps, VZ09- 0716-01A, (16 exs.); Trujillo State: El Helechal, 500 m, 19.v.1996, leg. J. Camacho (1 ex., MALUZ); ca. 3 km NE Laguna Agua Negro, 1770 m, 21.i.2009, leg. A.E.Z. Short, wet rocks in small stream, VZ09-0121- 03X (4 exs.); Campo Elias, 1140 m, 13.vii.2009, leg. Short & G. Gustafson, seepage, VZ09-0713-05A+B (9 exs.).

Diagnosis. Larger species ( Fig. 3 C). Posterolateral corners of pronotum spinose. Procoxae with a few spine-like setae. Elytra with rows of larger systematic punctures, with first row very distinct and bearing erect setae, but interrupted in several places; lateral rows very indistinct, blending with surrounding ground punctation. Elytral suture raised at apex. Elytral margins weakly explanate, without fringe of yellow setae. Apex of median lobe acutely ridged.

This species may be readily distinguished by its elytral systematic punctures: the first row contains a broken row of erect setae (the row is continuous in O. meridensis and O. substillus , and without setae in O. galbus ), and by the lateral rows of the systematic punctures blending with the ground punctation, making them nearly indistinguishable (they are coarse and distinct in other larger species).

Description. Size and form. Body length = 4.3–5.2 mm. TL/GW = 1.65. Body broadly oval, slightly convex.

Color. Dorsum of head, pronotum, and elytra black, sometimes with faint iridescent green sheen. Anterolateral margins of pronotum with white patch, usually one fifth to less than one third the width of the pronotum. Elytra sometimes with layer of iridescent green maculae which often appear faint and with defuse borders. Maxillary and labial palps yellow. Mentum and stipes dark brown, similar in color to venter of head. Legs, epipleura, and lateral margins of prosternum light brown to yellow/orange. Remainder of venter, including the abdominal ventrites, medium to dark brown.

Head. Ground punctation on labrum, clypeus and frons moderately coarse, distance between punctures 1.5–2.0× the width of one puncture. Systematic punctures on labrum consisting of several indistinct punctures, sometimes bearing short seta. Frons with irregular row of systematic punctures mesad of each eye, bearing fine setae. Clypeus with a few very indistinct systematic punctures along anterolateral margins, slightly larger than surrounding punctation. Maxillary palps short, about as long as width of labrum; segment 2 slightly bulbous, apical segment slightly longer than penultimate. Labial palps three-fourths as long as width of mentum. Mentum quadrate, anterior margin slightly convex and depressed, weakly rugose anteriorly, with a few scattered coarse punctures.

Thorax. Ground punctation on pronotum and elytra composed of moderately sized, evenly distributed punctures. Pronotal systematic punctures with short fine setae, distinctly larger than ground punctures, anterior and posterior series each forming irregular field. Lateral margins of pronotum with sparse row of setiferous punctures; with punctures almost appearing absent, and each bearing very fine, short seta. Posterolateral corners of pronotum strongly spinose. Sutural punctation represented by single row of dense, irregularly spaced, extremely fine punctures; sutural interval distinct raised in posterior half. Elytra with five rows of systematic punctures: Row 1 represented as row of densely packed, small punctures bearing erect setae; the row not continuous, and represented by series of linear sections of erect setae. Rows 2 and 3 represented each by an irregular series of punctures usually bearing small recumbent setae; punctures only slightly larger that surrounding punctuation and at about the same spacing. Punctures in rows 4 and 5 not larger than surrounding ground punctuation and as such hardly distinguishable; sometimes bearing short setae. Elytral margin without fringe of long yellow setae. Prosternum with strongly raised median carina; with two short spine-like setae at anterior margin of carina. Elevated process of mesoventrite narrow, elongate; set with 5–7 thickened, coarse spine-like setae. Metaventrite with oval glabrous area posteromedially, distinctly longer than wide, length of glabrous area nearly two-thirds length of metasternum. Procoxae with dense, fine short pubescence; in mesal third with a few coarse spine-like setae, which may be missed if not closely examined. Protibiae with 12–15 spine-like setae on dorsal face.

Abdomen. Ventrites covered with very dense, short setae, the longest setae not longer than the longest setae surrounding glabrous area of mesoventrite. Aedeagus as in Figure 5 F.

Variation. The aedeagus shows some variation with regard to the apical curvature of the parameres, varying from weakly (or almost not) to strongly inwardly curved.

Etymology. Andinus , an arbitrary combination of letters similar to the region in which it is found. Treated as noun in apposition.

Distribution. Throughout the primary Venezuelan Andes, including the states of Lara, Trujillo , Mérida, Barinas, and Táchira ( Fig. 7 ).

Remarks. This common Andean species is found in a variety of hygropetric habitats ( Fig. 9 B), and frequently co-occurs with O. meridensis and O. trujillo .

Figures

FIGURE 3. Dorsal and lateral habitus of Oocyclus species found in the Venezuelan Andes region. A) O. meridensis sp. n.; B) O. trujillo sp. n.; C) O. andinus sp. n.; D) O. pico sp. n. Scale bar = 2.0 mm.

FIGURE 5. Aedeagi of Oocyclus species. A) O. pittieri sp. n., B) O. maculatus Sharp; C) O. s ubstillus Short & Perkins; D) O. floccus sp. n.; E) O. trujillo sp. n.; F) O. andinus sp. n.; G) O. meridensis sp. n.; H) O. sapphirus sp. n. Scale bar = 0.2 mm.

FIGURE 7. Distribution of Oocyclus species in Venezuela.

FIGURE 9. Habitat of Oocyclus species. A) Mérida State, E. of Jaji, collecting event AS- 06 - 036, habitat and type locality for O. meridensis. B) Mérida State, Cascada de Bailadores, collecting event VZ 09 - 0718 - 02 B; type locality for O. andinus.