Limbodessus curviplicatus (Zimmermann, 1927)

Balke, Michael, Bergsten, Johannes, Wang, Liang-Jong & Hendrich, Lars, 2017, A new genus and two new species of Southeast Asian Bidessini as well as new synonyms for Oceanian species (Coleoptera, Dytiscidae), ZooKeys 647, pp. 137-151 : 144

Limbodessus curviplicatus (Zimmermann, 1927) Fig. 9A, B

Bidessus curviplicatus Zimmermann, 1927:16 (Samoa).

Limbodessus curviplicatus (Zimmermann, 1927): Balke and Ribera 2004: 125.

= Hydroporus dorsoplagiatus Fairmaire, 1881: 249 (Fiji); preoccupied by Fairmaire (1880: 247), syn. n.

= Hydroporus fairmairei Branden, 1885: 53 (a replacement name for Hydroporus dorsoplagiatus Fairmaire, 1881); this replacement name is in turn preoccupied by Hydroporus fairmairei Leprieur (1876: 142, currently in Deronectes ), objective synonym of Hydroporus dorsoplagiatus Fairmaire, 1881.

= Bidessus fijiensis J. Balfour-Browne, 1944: 99 (Fiji), syn. n.

Liodessus fijiensis (J. Balfour-Browne, 1944): Biström 1988: 19.

Limbodessus fijiensis (J. Balfour-Browne, 1944), comb. n.

Type material.

Hydroporus dorsoplagiatus : not located. A loan request was sent to MNHN with request number 66649 on 11.08.2016, and Antoine Mantilleri as well as later Dr. Arnaud Faille searched the collection and did not find potential type material. This might still be stored in the Oberthür collection, however, and might be found at some stage.

Bidessus curviplicatus : Holotype, male (BMNH) and paratype, male (ZSM), Samoan Is. Mulifanua Upolu, F. Burton and G.H. Hopkins, Type.

Bidessus fijiensis : Holotype, female (BMNH) Namaka, C Fiji 1545, 8.12.43, R.A. Lever, Pres. By Imp. Inst. Ent. B.M. 1945.9, Bidessus fijiensis Type! J. Balfour-Browne det.

Additional material.

8 exx (ZSM) Fiji: Viti Levu, Rakiraki, Navara, 50m, 10.xi.2003, 17.416024°S 178.147712°E, Wewalka & Balke (FI 11).

Diagnosis.

A stout, yellow to yellow orange Limbodessus with slightly enlarged male antenna and distinct angle between base of elytron and base of pronotum (Fig. 9). Female with strongly expanded antennomeres 3-6. Fijian specimens are slightly smaller than the Samoan types: 3.5 mm (Samoa) versus 2.8-3.2 mm (Fiji).

Notes on classification.

We have not seen type material of Hydroporus dorsoplagiatus but have collected specimens in Fiji that match the description by Fairmaire (1881). At the same time, we found that our Fiji specimens agree with the types of Limbodessus curviplicatus (Zimmermann, 1927) from Samoa. Moreover, Bidessus fijiensis J. Balfour-Browne, 1944, later moved to Liodessus by Biström (1988), and which we here move to Limbodessus , agrees well with our newly collected Fijian specimens and thus establishes another junior synonym to Hydroporus fairmairei , the replacement name of Hydroporus dorsoplagiatus . However, since the replacement name Hydroporus fairmairei suggested by Branden (1885) is also a junior homonym (see above), the oldest valid synonym, Limbodessus curviplicatus (Zimmermann, 1927), becomes the valid name.

Distribution.

Samoa, Fiji.