Coelometopon clandestinum, Perkins, 2005

Perkins, Philip D., 2005, A revision of the African hygropetric genus Coelometopon Janssens, and description of Oomtelecopon new genus (Coleoptera: Hydraenidae), Zootaxa 949 (1), pp. 1-103 : 1-103

Coelometopon clandestinum new species

(Figures 25, 26, 78)

Type Material. Holotype (male): South Africa: Natal Prov. , Olivershoek Pass, wet rockface, 28° 34' S, 29° 4' E, 1/21/1997, Endrödy­Younga; deposited in the TMSA . Paratypes (255): Same data as holotype (225 TMSA); South Africa: Cape Prov., Xalanga District, Cala Pass , tributary of Tsomo River , on wet rocks, 31° 31' S, 27° 41' E, 26–27 March 1954, J. Balfour­Browne (stn. 102) — (26 BMNH); Natal Prov. , Olivershoek Pass , in damp trickle on steep rock­face, elev. 1371.6 m, 28° 41' S, 29° 10' E, 7 April 1954, J. Balfour­Browne (stn. 157) — (4 BMNH). Representative specimens deposited in AMG, CMNH, FMNH, MCZ, NMW, TMSA , and USNM.

Diagnosis. Similar in dorsal sculpture and body form to C. blinkwater , but the aedeagi of the two species are quite dissimilar. Females of C. blinkwater have the last tergite weakly bilobate, each lobe bearing a group of strong short spines, whereas in C. clandestinum females the last tergite is arcuate, with closely spaced short spines.

Description. Size (length/width, mm x 100) holotype: body (length to elytral apices) 267/111, head 63/63, pronotum 59/93, elytra 159/111. Dorsum black. Maxillary palpus slightly shorter than width of anterior margin of clypeus, last three palpomeres subequal in length, ultomere slightly wider than penultomere. Mentum weakly produced apicomedially; depressed on each side of midline near base. Granules on frons and pronotum rather uniform in size and density, much finer and sparser on clypeus. Pronotum with sides angulate at midlength, emarginate in front of and behind angulation.

Elytral intervals: 2nd subcostate in front of and behind weak saddle and irregularly over posterior declivity; 4th raised slightly in interrupted sections; 1st, 3rd and 5th each with unilinear row of granules, granules of a row separated by 1–3x granule diameter; 7th with unilinear row of granules interrupted at depression in basal 1/3 where 8th widened and thickened.

Metasternum with large oval median depression, nearly attaining level of anterior carinae, sides gradually sloping. Female last sternite markedly apicomedially emarginate, subapical depression rimmed posteriorly; last tergite arcuate, with closely spaced short spines.

Aedeagus length 0.74 mm; mainpiece markedly sinuate, ridged process large, wider in ventral than in lateral aspect, apex on same level as tip of gonopore process; gonopore process almost equally wide for entire length, angled to left in ventral aspect, longer than ridged process and membranous process; parameres slightly enlarged apically (Figs. 26).

Etymology. Named in reference to the cover of debris and hidden species status.

Distribution. Currently known from montane Natal Province and eastern Cape Province (Fig. 78).