Bidessonotus mobilis J. Balfour-Browne, 1947

Scheers, Kevin & Thomaes, Arno, 2022, A preliminary checklist of the minute diving beetles of Belize (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae: Bidessini), Belgian Journal of Entomology 125, pp. 1-15 : 8-9

Bidessonotus mobilis J. Balfour-Browne, 1947

PUBLISHED RECORDS. YOUNG (1990).

STUDIED MATERIAL. STANN CREEK: Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary, Wari Lagoon , 16°46'46,1"N, 88°28'2,4"W, 07.V.2015, Leg. K. Scheers & A. Thomaes (5 ex.) ; TOLEDO: BFREE, Agami lagoon, 16°33'27,7"N, 88°42'14,8"W, 17.IV.2015, Leg. K. Scheers & A. Thomaes (5 ex.) ; Bladen Nature Reserve, Tyre track pools, 16°33'4,82"N, 88°42'58,08"W, 17.IV.2015, Leg. K. Scheers & A. Thomaes (5 ex.) ; Bladen Nature Reserve , pond in forest, 16°32'55,3"N, 88°43'1,7"W, 19.IV.2015, Leg. K. Scheers & A. Thomaes (9 ex.) ; Bladen Nature Reserve , pond in forest, 16°32'59,4"N, 88°43'0,8"W, 19.IV.2015, Leg. K. Scheers & A. Thomaes (12 ex.) ; Bladen Nature Reserve , pond transition savannah-forest, 16°32'26,3"N, 88°42'57,1"W, 20.IV.2015, Leg. K. Scheers & A. Thomaes (1 ex.) ; Punta Gorda , fishpond, 16°06'24,6"N, 88°48'25,5"W, 23.IV.2015, Leg. K. Scheers & A. Thomaes (4 ex.) ; Punta Gorda , temp. stream in forest, 16°06'37,6"N, 88°49'18,8"W, 25.IV.2015, Leg. K. Scheers & A. Thomaes (9 ex.) ; Punta Gorda , pool temp. stream in forest, 16°05'42,2"N, 88°49'38,9"W, 25.IV.2015, Leg. K. Scheers & A. Thomaes (1 ex.) ; Golden Stream Corridor Preserve , temp. stream in forest, 16°23'33"N, 88°46'33,8"W, 26.IV.2015, Leg. K. Scheers & A. Thomaes (2 ex.) ; Golden Stream Corridor Preserve , temp. stream next to road, 16°22'58,4"N, 88°46'40"W, 27.IV.2015, Leg. K. Scheers & A. Thomaes (1 ex.) .

DISTRIBUTION. Belize, Guatemala, Mexico ( YOUNG, 1990; MILLER, 2016). A common species in Belize, known from the Cayo, Corozal, Stann Creek and Toledo districts ( Fig. 2 F ).

HABITAT. Bidessonotus mobilis was collected in various types of lentic habitats as well as in small, slow flowing and intermittent streams. This species seems to be rare in sun exposed habitats with exposed substratum in the savannah. In the Bladen Nature Reserve and Deep River Forest Reserve this species was found abundant in shaded ponds with a thick layer of leaf litter and other organic debris in the forest ( Fig. 6 ) whereas it was absent in the exposed ponds in the adjacent savannah (SCHEERS, unpublished data).

Figures

Fig. 2. Distribution of Bidessini in Belize: A, Anodocheilus francescae Young, 1974; B, Anodocheilus guatemalensis (Zaitzev, 1910); C, Bidessodes elongatus (Sharp, 1882); D, Bidessonotus caraibus (Chevrolat, 1863); E, Bidessonotus mexicanus Régimbart, 1895; F, Bidessonotus mobilis J. Balfour-Browne, 1947; G, Bidessonotus pollostus Young, 1990; H, Bidessonotus vicinus Young, 1990; I, Neobidessus obtusoides Young, 1977; J, Neobidessus persimilis (Régimbart, 1895); K, Uvarus spretus (Sharp, 1882). Yellow dots indicate literature records and red dots studied material.

Fig. 6. Pond in the forest of the Bladen Nature Reserve (Toledo) with a thick layer of decaying leafs, the typical habitat of Bidessonotus mobilis. At this site the species co-occurred with the more eurytopic B. vicinus and a single specimen of Uvarus spretus. © Kevin Scheers.