Novochares florifer, Short & Girón, 2023

Short, Andrew Edward Z. & Giron, Jennifer C., 2023, Revision of the Neotropical water scavenger beetle genus Novochares Giron & Short (Coleoptera, Hydrophilidae, Acidocerinae), ZooKeys 1171, pp. 1-112 : 1

Novochares florifer sp. nov.

Figs 28D-F , 29D

Type material.

Holotype (male): "BRAZIL: Amazonas: Tapauá / -5.50298°, -62.12392°; 54 m/ c. 240 km N. Humaita on BR-319/ 12.vii.2018; leg. Short; forest/ detrital pool; BR18-0712-01B", "DNA VOUCHER/ Extraction #/ SLE-1991" (INPA).

Differential diagnosis.

The aedeagus of this species is spectacular (Fig. 28D ) and not even close to any other described species of the genus.

Description.

Size and form: Body length 7.3 mm. Coloration: Dorsal surfaces brown and sheeny. Head: Maxillary palps nearly 1.5 × longer than width of head, uniformly brown in color. Thorax: Ground punctation on pronotum and elytra dense and very shallowly impressed. Elytra without rows of serial punctures, each with very faint rows of scarce and weakly marked systematic punctures on lateral surface of elytron. Posterior elevation of mesoventrite elevated as a triangular pyramid, with posterior face somewhat bisinuate and medial longitudinal ridge extending anteriorly (resembling a nose). Abdomen: Apical emargination of fifth ventrite relatively deep, U-shaped. Aedeagus: (Fig. 28D-F ) Overall shape house-like, 2.4 × longer than wide; lateral projection on apical region of outer margin of each paramere strongly pointed; apical regions of parameres strongly converging; at closest point, dorsal inner margins of parameres separated by distance slightly 0.2 × greatest width of a paramere; dorsal plate of median lobe constricted near mid-length; arms of dorsal plate of median lobe diverging, nearly 0.35 × length of dorsal plate of median lobe; each arm somewhat sickle-shaped, dorsally concave, with apex dorsally pointed; notch between arms at base slightly narrower than base of an arm; ventral plate of median lobe weakly sclerotized, tongue-like, apically broadly rounded, apex extending beyond apex of arms of dorsal plate; basal piece 0.35 × length of a paramere. In lateral view, aedeagus with ventral outline of parameres 0.38 × longer than greatest width near base; dorsal outline of aedeagus in lateral view nearly straight along basal 1/2.

Etymology.

Florifer (L.), meaning flowery, in reference to the intricate and beautiful shape of the aedeagus.

Distribution.

Only known from the type locality in the Brazilian Amazon (Fig. 29D ).

Habitat.

The holotype was collected in a small forested detrital pool that was adjacent to a small sandy creek.

Remarks.

The description of Novochares florifer is based on a single specimen that was extracted for DNA. The specimen is mounted in pieces on a card, and the colors described here may not match freshly collected material.

Figures

Figure 28. Aedeagi of the Novochares tectiformis species group A-C N. piaroa D-F N. florifer G-J N. pume K, L N. tambopatense A, D, G, K dorsal view B, H ventral view C, F, I lateral view E, J, L oblique view.

Figure 29. Distribution of Novochares tectiformis species group A N. duo (red), N. bolivianus (yellow), N. atlanticus (blue), N. danta (green) B N. coya (red), N. yora (yellow), N. xingu (blue), N. mura (green), N. trifurcatus (purple) C N. tectiformis (red) D N. pume (red), N. piaroa (yellow), N. florifer (blue), N. mojenos (green), N. tambopatense (purple).