Oocyclus substillus Short & Perkins, 2004

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 : 27

Oocyclus substillus Short & Perkins, 2004

( Figs. 2 C, 5C, 7, 8B)

Oocyclus substillus Short & Perkins, 2004: 19 .

Material examined (215 exs.): PANAMA: Canal Zone: Madden Dam, 29.vi.1976, leg. A. Newton, in wet debris on rocks (3 exs.: FMNH, KSEM); VENEZUELA: Táchira State: 23.4 km S. La Fria [ca. 8°0’N, 72°16’W], 1.vii.1984, leg. Eiland & Linares, “col. 28” (34 exs., USNM, KSEM, MIZA); Zulia State: Perijá National Park, Toromo, SW of Machiques, 10°03.058'N, 72°42.974'W, 435 m, “ 02/07/2003 ”, leg. M. García (22 exs., CIBC); same locality but 31.xii.2005, leg. A. Short & P. Torres, AS-06-001 (5 exs.); Perijá National Park, Toromo, SW of Machiques, 10°02.962'N, 72°42.615'W, 432 m, narrow ravine, 31.xii.2005, leg. A. Short & P. Torres, AS-06-002 (128 exs.); same locality but 23.ix.2007, leg. A. Short, AS-07-022 (4 exs.); same locality but 28.i.2009, leg. A. Short, M. García, J. Camacho, VZ09-0128-02A (18 exs.); Caño Colorado, La Alemania, 750 m, 11.xi.1995, leg. J. Camacho & M. García (1 ex., MALUZ).

Diagnosis. Larger species ( Fig. 2 C). Posterolateral corners of pronotum strongly spinose. Procoxae spinose. Elytra with rows of larger systematic punctures, row 1 bearing a continuous row of erect setae. Elytral suture not raised in posterior third. Elytral margins slightly explanate, and without a fringe of long setae. Aedeagus as in Figure 5 C.

Among the larger Oocyclus species, O. substillus is most similar to O. meridensis and O. andinus as all share spinose posterolateral margins of the pronotum and have distinct setiferous rows of systematic punctures, with the first row bearing erect setae ( O. pittieri is also similar but does not have spinose pronotal corners, and does not geographically co-occur with O. substillus ). The first row of erect setae is broken in O. andinus while continuous in O. substillus . The ground punctation is slightly coarser and the aedeagal parameres more straight in O. meridensis , while they are exceptionally fine and apically sinuate respectively in O. substillus .

Distribution. Panama, northwestern Venezuela (Zulia and Táchira States) ( Fig. 7 ).

Remarks. This species was found at several seepage sites in the Serranía de Perijá (e.g. Fig. 8 B). It has been collected together with O. galbus (see remarks under that species for a more detailed habitat description).

Figures

FIGURE 2. Dorsal and lateral habitus of Oocyclus species found in the Serranía de Perijá. A) O. galbus sp. n.; B) O. zulianus sp. n.; C) O. substillus Short & Perkins; D) O. maculatus Sharp. 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 8. Habitat of Oocyclus species. A) Aragua State, collecting event AS- 06 - 023; type locality for O. pico and O. pittieri, locality for O. sapphirus. B) Zulia State, near Toromo, collecting event AS- 07 - 022, type locality for O. galbus and locality for O. substillus.