Ovolara leai (Carter, 1926)

Barr, Cheryl B. & Shepard, William D., 2021, A review of the Larainae of Australia with description of seven new species and the new genus Australara (Coleoptera, Byrrhoidea, Elmidae), ZooKeys 1073, pp. 55-117 : 55

Ovolara leai (Carter, 1926)

Figs 5 , 28 , 29

Type locality.

Cairns District; 16.9167°S, 145.7500°E; north Queensland, Australia (holotype deposited in the South Australia Museum, Adelaide). Note: The geographic coordinates given in the SAMA database place the type locality, "Cairns District," in the middle of Cairns.

Material examined

(78). AUSTRALIA: no. QLD / Freshwater, Freshwater / Cr. at Ryan Weare Park / 16°53 ’13” S, 145°42 ’05” E / 18-I-2001, coll. C.B. Barr (3>AM, 21 EMEC); AUSTRALIA: Queensland / Freshwater / 18 I 2001 / Freshwater Creek / S 16°53'13" E 145°42'05" (WDS-A-1370 on reverse) // William D. / Shepard, leg. (3 EMEC); AUSTRALIA: no. QLD / Mulgrave River at Hwy. 1 / 1 rd. km. S of Gordonvale / 17°06 ’10” S, 145°47 ’15” E / 18-I-2001, coll. C. B. Barr (3>AM, 21 EMEC); AUSTRALIA: Queensland / 1 km S Gordonvale, 18 I 2001 94 ft / Mulgrave River / (WDS-A-1371 on reverse) // William D. / Shepard, leg. (4 ANIC, 8 EMEC); QLD. Gordonvale / Apr. 1946 / J.G.Brooks // J. G. Brooks / Bequest, 1976 (1 ANIC); same data as for preceding // Genitalia prep. / HO- 277 ♀ / A.Calder 1997 (1 ANIC); Mulgrave River, QLD / at Goldsborough / 2 Jan. 1965 / J.G.Brooks (Q 148) (1 ANIC); Crystal Cascades / Cairns, N.Qld. / 30.xii.1963. / G. Monteith (6 QM); Stewarts Ck. / Daintree N.Q. / 24.9.67. J.G.B. // J. G. Brooks / Bequest, 1976 (1 ANIC); same data as for preceding / 24.ix.67 Q356 / J.G.Brooks. // J. G. Brooks / Bequest, 1976 // Ovolara sp / (needle) / det. A.Calder 1997 (1 ANIC); same data as for preceding // Genitalia prep. / HO- 311 ♀ / A.Calder 1999 // Hydrethus / Hydrethus australis / E.B. Britton det. 1972 (1 ANIC; gold coated for SEM); Upper Daintree R. / Via Daintree, N.Qld. / 27.xii.1964. / G. Monteith (5 QM).

Differential diagnosis

(n = 78). Ovolara leai (Figs 28 , 29 ) can be distinguished from other species of Ovolara (Figs 23 - 26 , 30 , 31 ) by a combination of the following characters: Antennae clavate, elongate; pronotum mostly smooth, unsculptured, with base only weakly protuberant between prescutellar foveae, if at all; pronotal basal sublateral carinae as long as or longer than the scutellar shield; elytron each with a very short, accessory basal stria of 1-3 punctures between striae 1 and 2, rarely obscure; apical elytral punctures smaller and shallower than those more basal; and the aedeagus (Fig. 29 ) with a penis that is abruptly constricted at the middle, and paramere apices that are rounded, each bearing an inner tooth.

Ovolara australis (Fig. 23 ) has an antenna with a stout, moderately tight, ovoid club; a sculptured pronotum with a distinct longitudinal sulcus and costa; and an aedeagus (Fig. 24 ) with the penis abruptly constricted at the apex and the adjacent paramere apices rounded. Ovolara lawrencei (Fig. 25 ) has a pronotum with the basal margin triangularly protuberant between the prescutellar foveae; pronotal basal sublateral carinae generally shorter than the length of the scutellar shield; no elytral accessory basal striae; elytral punctures large and deep from base to apex; and unique aedeagus (Fig. 26 ) with the paramere inner margins linear and clasping the apical 1/3 of the tapered, narrow penis. Ovolara monteithi (Fig. 30 ) has the pronotal base flat; apical elytral punctures large and deep; and the aedeagus (Fig. 31 ) with the penis lateral margins evenly convergent to an acute apex. All species, except for O. australis , are fairly similar externally, and the above characters are somewhat variable and overlapping. Fortunately the male genitalia (Fig. 29 ) are distinctive and diagnostic.

Variation.

Very little morphological variation was noted except for differences in the number punctures in the elytral accessory stria (1-3, rarely obscure), which sometimes varies between elytra on the same individual. Small differences in the length of the pronotal sublateral carinae were also observed. Measured specimens vary in size from 3.1-3.5 mm long and 1.4-1.5 mm wide (n = 18). The females are slightly larger than the males: females 3.3-3.5 mm long, 1.4-1.5 mm wide (n = 7); males 3.1-3.4 mm long, 1.4-1.5 mm wide (n = 11).

Distribution.

Ovolara leai occurs in north Queensland, Australia (Fig. 5 ).

Habitat.

The authors collected this species from only two localities: Freshwater Creek at Freshwater, a large, sand-bottomed stream at an elevation of 5 m; and the Mulgrave River just south of Gordonvale, a wide, sand-bottomed river at 9 m. In both, the water was warm and clear, and the current swift. In the Mulgrave River, O. leai was collected from wood in rapids formed by log jams. Specimens from the QM collected by Monteith were most likely from lights (G. Monteith, in litt.).

Associated byrrhoid taxa.

Elmidae : Larainae : Australara glaisteri sp. nov., Ovolara lawrencei sp. nov., O. monteithi sp. nov., Potamophilinus papuanus , Stetholus longipennis sp. nov.; Elminae : Austrolimnius spp., Graphelmis pallidipes , Kingolus spp., Notriolus spp., Simsonia spp. Psephenidae : Sclerocyphon basicollis , S. minimus Davis.

Comments.

Carter (1926) described O. leai in Hydrethus Fairmaire, 1889; it was moved to Ovolara by Brown (1981). The geographic coordinates for the type locality, "Cairns District," listed in the SAMA database, place it in the middle of Cairns. The authors collected O. leai from Freshwater Creek only ~ 6 km northwest of Cairns.

Figures

Figures 1 - 12. Geographical distribution of species records 1 Australara glaisteri gen. nov., sp. nov. 2 Hydora laticeps 3 Ovolara australis 4 Ovolara lawrencei sp. nov. 5 Ovolara leai 6 Ovolara monteithi sp. nov. 7 Potamophilinus papuanus 8 Stetholus carinatus sp. nov. 9 Stetholus elongatus 10 Stetholus longipennis sp. nov. 11 Stetholus metatibialis sp. nov. 12 Stetholus woronora sp. nov.

Figures 28, 29. Ovolara leai, male 28 habitus, 3.4 mm long A dorsal B ventral 29 male genitalia A dorsal view B lateral view C ventral view.

Figures 23, 24. Ovolara australis, male 23 habitus, 4.1 mm long A dorsal B ventral 24 male genitalia A dorsal view B lateral view C ventral view.

Figures 25, 26. Ovolara lawrencei sp. nov., male 25 habitus, 3.0 mm long A dorsal B ventral 26 male genitalia A dorsal view B lateral view C ventral view.

Figures 30, 31. Ovolara monteithi sp. nov. 30 female habitus, 3.6 mm long A dorsal B ventral 31 male genitalia A dorsal view B lateral view C ventral view.