Copelatus darlingtoni Young, 1942

Megna, Yoandri S. & Epler, John H., 2012, A review of Copelatus from Cuba, with the description of two new species (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae: Copelatinae), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 52 (2), pp. 383-410 : 395

Copelatus darlingtoni Young, 1942

( Figs. 5 , 13, 17 , 30 )

Copelatus darlingtoni Young, 1942: 87 . Copelatus darlingtoni: SPANGLER (1981: 167) , FERNÁNDEZ (2001: 30), NILSSON (2001: 65), PECK (2005: 44).

Type locality. Cuba, Pinar del Río Province, Sierra del Rangel.

Material examined. HOLOTYPE: J ( MCZ):‘ Rangel Mts. , P. de R. Aug.24, 1936, about 1500 ft. [printed] / Cuba 1936, Darlington Collector [printed] / M.C.Z. Type 25902 [printed] / Holotype Copelatus darlingtoni [handwritten, ink]’. PARATYPE: 1 J ( MCZ): same data as holotype but no red M.C.Z. label [printed] / ‘ Paratype Copelatus darlingtoni Young [handwritten, ink]’.

Diagnosis. TL 5.5–5.6 mm; EW 2.5–2.8 mm; see Table 1 for remaining body measurements. Male without impressed striae on elytra but with weakly impressed series of punctures ( Fig. 5 ); protibia without ventrobasal emargination ( Fig. 17 ). Females unlike males, with numerous fine, undulating/anastomosing striae on elytra, leaving only front of head, clypeus, and apex of elytra smooth.

Copelatus darlingtoni externally differs from C. barbouri , C. insolitus and C. montivagus by the characters given in the identification key and also by the moderately larger (1.20–1.25 mm) aedeagus ( Fig. 12 ).

Ecology. All we know about this species is that it was collected in backwaters of small streams, located in highlands ( YOUNG 1942).

Distribution. Copelatus darlingtoni has been only recorded western parts of Cuba ( YOUNG, 1942) ( Fig. 30 ).

Remarks. The junior author has dissected the genitalia from the holotype male; they are now in a microvial on the specimen’s pin. No females of this species were examined for this study. Females of C. darlingtoni , C. insolitus and C. montivagus are very similar ( YOUNG 1942) and are best separated with comparative material or by association with males.

Figures

Figs.1–8. Habitus and color patterns of Copelatus species from Cuba.1 – C.barbouri Young, 1942; 2 – C. caelatipennis angustatus Chevrolat, 1863; 3 – C. cordovai sp. nov.; 4 – C. cubaensis Schaeffer, 1908; 5 – Copelatus darlingtoni Young, 1942; 6 – C. insolitus Chevrolat, 1863; 7 – C. montivagus Young, 1942; 8 – C. posticatus (Fabricius, 1801).

Figs. 12–19. Male genitalia (12–15) and left protibia (16–19) of Cuban species of Copelatus. 12, 16 – C. barbouri Young, 1942; 13, 17 – C. darlingtoni Young, 1942; 14, 18 – C. insolitus Chevrolat, 1863; 15, 19 – C. montivagus Young, 1942. Parts of male genitalia: a – median lobe of the aedeagus in left lateral view, b – same in ventral lateral view, c – left paramere in lateral view.

Figs. 28–31. Known distribution of Copelatus species in Cuba. 28 – C. cubaensis Schaeffer, 1908; 29 – C. danyi sp. nov.; 30 – C. darlingtoni Young, 1942; 31 – C. insolitus Chevrolat, 1863. See Appendix 1 for additional information on the localities reported in each map.