Hydraena athertonica, Published, 2007

PERKINS, PHILIP D., 2007, A revision of the Australian species of the water beetle genus Hydraena Kugelann (Coleoptera: Hydraenidae), Zootaxa 1489 (1), pp. 1-207 : 77

Hydraena athertonica new species

(Figs. 118, 121, 261)

Type Material. Holotype (male): Queensland, Davies Creek , 16° 58' S, 145° 25' E, 1–30 October 1949, J. G. Brooks. Deposited in the ANIC . Paratypes (11): Queensland, 15 km NE Mareeba , MDPI intercept trap site No. 25, flight intercept trap, elev. 400 m, 16° 56' S, 145° 32' E, 7 January–12 February 1985, Storey & Halfpapp (6 QPIM); same locality, elev. 400 m, 16° 56' S, 145° 32' E, 1 May–14 June 1985, Storey & Halfpapp (1 QPIM) ; 5 km NNW of Kuranda , MDPI intercept trap, site No. 24, 16° 46' S, 145° 36' E, 20 March–1 May 1985, Storey & Titmarsh (1 QPIM); Davies Creek , 16° 58' S, 145° 25' E, 1–30 October 1949, J. G. Brooks (3 ANIC) .

Differential Diagnosis. Differentiated from other members of the rudallensis Group by the densely, coarsely punctate dorsum (Fig. 118). The aedeagus shows some superficial resemblance to that of H. australica (Figs. 119, 121).

Description. Size (length/width, mm) holotype: body (length to elytral apices) 1.36/0.59; head 0.21/ 0.31; pronotum 0.31/0.44, PA 0.37, PB 0.39; elytra 0.80/0.59. Head dark brown to piceous; pronotum brownish to orange-brown, darker on disc than laterally; elytra brown to orange brown; legs and palpi light brown to testaceous, distal 1/2 of last palpomere not darker.

Frons punctures slightly larger than 1xef; interstices weakly shining, 1xpd. Clypeus microreticulate laterally, finely sparsely punctate medially. Mentum and postmentum weakly shining, microreticulate. Genae weakly raised, lacking posterior ridge. Pronotal punctures dense, ca. 1–2xpd those of frons, interstices shining, ca. 0.5xpd; PF1 and PF4 absent; PF2 shallow, almost absent; PF3 shallow, broad.

Elytral punctures slightly larger than pronotal punctures. Intervals not raised, shining, width about 1xpd, as are interstices between punctures of a row. Apices in dorsal aspect conjointly rounded, in posterior aspect margins form shallow angle with one another.

Ratios of P2 width and plaque shape (P2/w/l/s) ca. 3/2/6/4. P1 laminate; median carina weakly angulate in profile. P2 l/w ca. 4/3, sides parallel or very weakly diverging, apex blunt. Plaques located in posterior 7/ 10 of metaventrite on sides of deep median triangular depression, plaques straight, tapering anteriorly. AIS flat, width at arcuate posterior margin almost 2x P2. Legs simple. Last tergite with apicomedian notch.

Aedeagus (Fig. 121) main-piece with large process distally on right side; distal piece with two lobes, gonopore-bearing flagellum terminal, issuing from right side of ventral lobe, dorsal lobe with irregular margin; parameres inserting at same level on main-piece and of about equal lengths; left paramere slender, with about nine setae apically; right paramere widest in proximal 1/3, with about five setae on ventral margin in distal 2/3. Female last tergite with three incisions, delimiting four lobes, setae slender, tapering.

Etymology. Named in reference to the geographical distribution.

Distribution. Currently known from the Atherton Tablelands, northeastern Queensland (Fig. 261).