Exocelina soppi Shaverdo, Hendrich & Balke

Shaverdo, Helena V., Surbakti, Suriani, Hendrich, Lars & Balke, Michael, 2012, Introduction of the Exocelina ekari-group with descriptions of 22 new species from New Guinea (Coleoptera, Dytiscidae, Copelatinae), ZooKeys 250, pp. 1-76 : 28-29

21. Exocelina soppi Shaverdo, Hendrich & Balke sp. n. Figs 18 A–E, 44

Type locality.

Indonesia: Papua Province: Nabire/Paniai Regencies, road Nabire-Enarotali, 80th km, 03°33.86'S, 135°46.47'E.

Type material.

Holotype: male "IRIAN JAYA: Paniai Prov. road Nabire-Ilaga, km 80 12.9.1996, 250m leg. M. Balke (96 # 21)" (NHMW). Paratypes: 2 males, 1 female with the same label as the holotype, the female additionally with "DNA M.Balke 3260" (NHMW). 4 males "IR90-11: W. New Guinea, Trek Nabire-Ilaga, km55, 19.-25.ix.1990, Balke" (ZSM, NHMW). 4 males "W.-Neuguinea/Paniai Prov. Straße Nabire-Ilaga km 54 700m, 22.-25.9.1990/IR 11 leg: Balke & Hendrich" (CLH). 1 male "Indonesia: Papua, Road Nabire-Enarotali KM 80, 250m, 22.x.2011, 03 33.860S 135 46.473E, Uncen (PAP12)", "DNA M. Balke 4910" (ZSM). 1 male "Indonesia: Papua, Road Nabire-Enarotali KM 52, 555m, 23.x.2011, 03 30.107S 135 42.971E, Uncen (PAP17)", "DNA M. Balke 4911" (MZB).

Additional material.

See in the paragraph of Exocelina irianensis sp. n.

Diagnosis.

Beetle small, dark brown, often with paler head and pronotal sides, shiny; pronotum without lateral bead; male antennomeres 3-10 slightly stout; male protarsomere 4 with middle-sized, slender, evidently curved anterolateral hook; median lobe with weak submedian constriction in ventral view and elongate apex in lateral view; paramere with notch on dorsal side and subdistal part short and small, with large brush of thick, somewhat flattend, long, curved at apex setae.

Description.

Size and shape: Beetle small (TL-H 3.0-3.4 mm, TL 3.35-3.85 mm, MW 1.6-1.8 mm), with oblong-oval habitus, broadest at elytral middle. Coloration: Head reddish brown to dark brown; pronotum dark brown, with reddish sides; elytra uniformly dark brown, except narrow reddish sutural bands in some specimens; head appendages yellowish-red to reddish, legs darker, especially metathoracic legs; beetles generally paler if teneral (Fig. 44).

Surface sculpture: Head with dense punctation (spaces between punctures 1-3 times size of punctures), evidently finer and sparser anteriorly; diameter of punctures smaller than diameter of cells of microreticulation. Pronotum with much sparser and finer punctation than on head. Elytra with extremely sparse and fine punctation. Head, pronotum, and elytra with weakly impressed microreticulation, dorsal surface, thus, shiny. Head with microreticulation stronger. Metaventrite and metacoxa distinctly microreticulate, metacoxal plates with longitudinal strioles and transverse wrinkles. Abdominal sternites with distinct microreticulation, strioles, and fine sparse punctation, coarser and denser on two last abdominal sternites.

Structures: Pronotum without lateral bead. Base of prosternum and neck of prosternal process with distinct ridge, anteriorly rounded, smooth, with very small anterolateral extensions. Blade of prosternal process lanceolate, relatively broad, slightly convex, with distinct bead and few setae; neck and blade of prosternal process evenly jointed. Abdominal sternite 7 broadly rounded apically, in some species broadly truncate.

Male: Antennomeres 3-10 slightly stout (Fig. 18A). Protarsomere 4 with middle-sized, slender, evidently curved anterolateral hook. Protarsomere 5 ventrally with anterior row of 9 short setae and posterior row of 3 short setae (Fig. 18B). Abdominal sternite 7 with 3-7 lateral striae on each side. Median lobe with weak submedian constriction in ventral view and elongate apex in lateral view (Figs 18C, D). Paramere with notch on dorsal side and subdistal part short and small, with large brush of thick, somewhat flattend, long, curved at apex setae (Fig. 18E).

Female: Antennae slightly more slender, abdominal sternite 7 without striae.

Distribution.

Indonesia: Papua Province: Nabire and Paniai Regencies. This species is known only from the type locality area (Fig. 50).

Etymology.

This species is dedicated to our old buddy Michael Sopp (Berlin). The species name is a noun in the genitive case.