Pneuminion balfourbrownei, Perkins, Philip D., 2004

Perkins, Philip D., 2004, A revision of the South African endemic water beetle genus Pneuminion Perkins (Coleoptera: Hydraenidae), Zootaxa 538, pp. 1-38 : 8-9

Pneuminion balfourbrownei new species

( Figures 4 , 14 , 26 )

Type Material. Holotype (male): South Africa: Cape Prov., Table Mountain, Blinkwater Ravine, 2.iii.1954; deposited in the SAM. Paratypes: Same data as holotype, (6 SAM). Table Mountain, Devil’s Peak, 7.iii.1954, (6 SAM). Table Mountain, Blinkwater Ravine, 1600 ft., on wet mossy cliff­face, 2­iii­1954, J. Balfour­Browne, (20 BMNH). Representative duplicate specimens deposited in AMG, CMNH, FMNH, and MCZ.

Diagnosis. Recognized by the black dorsum, the deep pronotal U­shaped fovea, the dull, micropunctulate head and lateral areas of the pronotum, the large granules of the elytral intervals ( Fig. 4 ), and the aedeagal form.

Description. Size (mm x 100; length/width): body (length to elytral apices) 155/70, head 26/44, pronotum 37/61, elytra 100/70.

Dorsum black, legs and maxillary palpi brown; dorsal setae inconspicuous, whitish. Labrum, clypeus and frons dull, micropunctulate. Frons disc moderately densely punctate, each puncture with anterior granule, forming heart­shaped puncture.

Pronotum smooth and shining between punctures on discal reliefs, strongly micropunctulate and dull laterally; punctures on reliefs small, separated by ca. 1–2xpd, each with short, granule­based seta anteriorly, punctures therefore heart­shaped or entirely divided and appearing paired; oblique anterior fovea on each side shallowly connecting to midlongitudinal fovea; posterior U­shaped fovea deep, anterior relief quite convex and shining between punctures; setae at lateral margin flat on cuticle in dry specimens. Pronotal postocular emarginations deeper and less symmetrical in females than males.

Elytra intervals very slightly raised, each with a unilinear row of very fine, slightly overlapping setae; each seta with distinct, large granule at base; granules of serial punctures smaller; serial punctures small, much narrower than intervals, separated serially by about puncture diameter, each with a very short seta, setae not overlapping and not forming uninterrupted line like setae of intervals. Explanate margin narrow in both sexes.

Aedeagus: main­piece length 34, total length 57; duct in distal 3/4 very weakly arcuate, gradually thickening to apex, tip slightly expanded; main­piece comparatively weakly arcuate, lacking ridge/groove, apex hooked; setae comparatively short on both parameres, grouped at apex on right paramere ( Fig. 14 ).

Etymology. Named in honor of the late J. Balfour­Browne.

Figures

FIGURE 4. Pneuminion balfourbrownei holotype. Dorsal and lateral habitus.

FIGURE 14. Pneuminion balfourbrownei. Aedeagus of holotype.

FIGURES 26 – 28. Pneuminion distribution maps. — 26. P. balfourbrownei. — 27. P. impressum. — 28. P. nanum.