Hypsilara royi Maier & Spangler, 2011

Maier, Crystal A., 2013, A revision of the Larainae (Coleoptera, Elmidae) of Venezuela, with description of nine new species, ZooKeys 329, pp. 33-91 : 60

Hypsilara royi Maier & Spangler, 2011 Figs 2, 50, 51, 52, 53

See Maier and Spangler 2011 for complete description and genitalia illustrations.

Type material examined.

"VENEZUELA: T. F. AMAZ. [Amazonas State]; Cerro de la Neblina; Camp XI 1450 m; 00°52'N, 65°58'W " "at stream; 26-27 February 5 l985; P. J. and P. M. Spangler, R. A. Faitoute; collector". (1 Holotype MIZA, 15 Paratypes). "VENEZUELA: T. F. AMAZ.; Cerro de la Neblina; Camp X, 00°54'N, 60°2'W, 1690m, 12-13 February l985, W. Steiner" (16 paratypes). "VENEZ., T.F.A. [Amazonas State];C.d.l. [Cerro de la] Neblina; Base camp; 26-31 Jan. 1985; Flite [sic] intercept Pan; Trap" (1 paratype). "VENEZUELA: T. F. AMAZ. [Amazonas State]; Cerro de la Neblina; Camp X, 1690m; 00°54'N, 60°2'W; 12 February l985" "Small sunlit stream; leaf packs in falls; between boulders; W. E. Steiner; collector" (3 paratypes).

Diagnosis.

This species can be distinguished from all other described laraines by the following combination of characters: small size (ca. 4.5 mm), the presence of a shallow, wide, V-shaped groove across apical third of the pronotum (Fig. 53), and pronotum 1.3 mm long, and 1.5 mm wide, with posterolateral angles obtuse.

Intraspecific variation.

This species exhibits only minor variations in length, which ranges from 4.2 to 4.5 mm, and varies from a medium brown to light brown in color. Additionally, the parameres can be straight to slightly curved.

Distribution and habitat.

This species is known only from the type locality at Cerro de Neblina, Amazonas State, Venezuela (Fig. 2), see genus description for detailed habitat information.

Associated species.

The Cerro de Neblina endemic species Neblinagena prima was the only laraine elmid species collected in association with Hypsilara royi .