Hydraena affirmata, Published, 2007

PERKINS, PHILIP D., 2007, A revision of the Australian species of the water beetle genus Hydraena Kugelann (Coleoptera: Hydraenidae), Zootaxa 1489 (1), pp. 1-207 : 100-102

Hydraena affirmata new species

(Figs. 169, 170, 220, 226, 254)

Type Material. Holotype (male): Queensland, Palmerston N. P., Learmouth Creek , ca. 14 km SE Millaa Millaa, on loop road, ex. bare rocks in splash zone, 17° 34' S, 145° 42' E, 16 January 1998, P. D. Perkins. Deposited in the QMBA . Paratypes (45): Northern Territory, Katherine Gorge National Park , 14° 19' S, 132° 34' E, 11–12 April 1960, G. H. Hevel & J. A. Fortin (2 USNM) ; Queensland, 15 km NE Mareeba , MDPI intercept trap site No. 25, flight intercept trap, elev. 400 m, 16° 56' S, 145° 32' E, 20 March–1 May 1985, Sto-

rey & Titmarsh (1 QPIM) ; 19 km NE Mareeba, MDPI intercept trap site No. 26, flight intercept trap, 16° 54' S, 145° 34' E, 12 February–20 March 1985, Storey & Halfpapp (1 QPIM) ; 19.5 km ESE Mareeba, MDPI intercept trap site No. 9a, flight intercept trap, 17° 1' S, 145° 35' E, 13 January–3 February 1987, R. I. Storey (1 QPIM) ; 3 km ENE of Mt. Tozer , 12° 44' S, 143° 14' E, 28 June–4 July 1986, T. Weir & A. Calder (1 ANIC) ; 40 km up Windsor Tableland road, 16° 13' S, 145° 2' E, 12 November 1990, Storey, DeFaveri & Halfpapp (1 QPIM) ; 6 km SE Mareeba , MDPI F. I. T. site 36, flight intercept trap, 16° 58' S, 145° 25' E, 12 February–12 March 1991, S. De Faveri (1 QPIM) ; 7 km NE of Tolga , light trap, 17° 13' S, 145° 28' E, 3 January 1987, Storey & De Faveri (1 QMBA) ; Boggy Ck., 75 km Cooktown, Cooktown Rd. , 16° 37' S, 145° 21' E, 26 April 1976, E. B. Britton (2 ANIC) ; Douglas Shire , Ellis Beach, 30 km N Cairns, 16° 55' S, 145° 46' E, 11 January 1991, D. Larson (8 MCZ) ; Emu Creek , 20 km S. Mareeba, 16° 58' S, 145° 25' E, 20 October 1990, D. Larson (1 MCZ) ; Finch Hatton Creek , W of Mackay, 21° 8' S, 148° 38' E, 29 November 1968, E. B. Britton (1 ANIC) ; Little Crystal Ck., Paluma Rd. , 18° 58' S, 146° 17' E, 2 December 1968, E. Britton (1 ANIC) ; Mareeba , elev. 700 m, 16° 59' S, 145° 25' E, 22 January 1993, Wewalka (18) (2 NMW) ; McIlwraith Range , Weather Stn., 13° 39' S, 143° 25' E, 23 July 1982, C. Watts (1 SAMA) ; Mt. Cleveland summit, rainforest, pitfall and intercept traps, elev. 500 m, 19° 16' S, 147° 3' E, 23 March–13 May 1991, D. Cook (8 QMBA) ; Mt. Halifax summit, heath, pitfalls & intercepts, 19° 7' S, 145° 23' E, 21 March–10 May 1991, D. Cook (1 QMBA) ; Mt. Lewis Rd. , km 17, sandy creek, 16° 37' S, 145° 21' E, 1 November 1990, D. Larson (1 MCZ) ; Rocky Creek , Kennedy Hwy., 17° 11' S, 145° 27' E, 27 May 1976, E. B. Britton (1 ANIC) ; SW of Tully, pools below Murray Falls , 18° 9' S, 145° 49' E, 23 March 1992, H. & P. Zwick (2 PZC) ; Tolga , light trap, 17° 13' S, 145° 28' E, 25 February 1986, J. D. Brown (1 QMBA) ; Windsor Tableland , 16° 13' S, 145° 2' E, 6–8 February 1991, Storey & Larson (2 QPIM) ; Windsor Tablelands , Foxwood Stn., 16° 13' S, 145° 2' E, 6 February 1991, D. Larson (3 MCZ) ; Windsor Tablelands , roadside pond, 16° 13' S, 145° 2' E, 7 February 1991, D. Larson (1 MCZ) .

Differential Diagnosis. An unusual species (Fig. 169), recognized by the densely coarsely punctate dorsum, the wide explanate elytral margins that have a serrated border, the raised even-numbered elytral intervals, and the small, widely spaced plaques. The very unusual aedeagus (Fig. 170) does not suggest a close relationship with other Australian Hydraena .

Description. Size (length/width, mm) holotype: body (length to elytral apices) 1.77/0.75; head 0.29/ 0.43; pronotum 0.42/0.60, PA 0.49, PB 0.50; elytra 1.09/0.75. Dorsum dull, markedly punctate, each puncture with a distinctive, short seta. Head piceous; pronotum dark brown, anterior angles lighter; elytra dark brown; legs light brown; palpi light brown to testaceous, tip slightly darkened. Dorsum dull, markedly punctate, each puncture with a distinctive, short seta.

Frons punctures ca. 3–4xef; interstices narrow walls to 0.5xpd. Clypeus microreticulate. Mentum and postmentum dull, microreticulate. Genae raised, with posterior ridge. Pronotal punctures very large and dense, slightly larger and deeper than those of frons, interstices narrow walls forming reticulate pattern; PF1 absent; PF2 moderately deep, oblique; PF3 and PF4 moderately deep.

Elytral punctures ca.1xpd or slightly larger than largest pronotal punctures, very closely spaced, interstices and intervals less than 1xpd. Even-numbered intervals very weakly raised on disc, slightly higher laterally. Explanate margin wide, border finely serrate. Apices in dorsal aspect weakly separately rounded, in posterior aspect margins form strong angle with one another.

Ratios of P2 width and plaque shape (P2/w/l/s) ca. 2/1/2/6. P1 laminate; median carina angulate in profile. P2 narrow, l/w ca. 2/1, sides very weakly converging, apex blunt. Plaques very small, widely separated ovals at posterior sides of deep median subtriangular depression that has midlongitudinal groove. AIS concave, width at straight posterior margin 3x P2. Protibia (male) arcuate, distal 1/4 widened in ridge-like medial margin; meso- and metatibiae slender, metatibia very weakly emarginate on medial margin. Last tergite with large apicomedian concavity.

Aedeagus (Fig. 170) main-piece with large lobe on right side that terminates in an arcuate, sharply pointed process; distal piece with two lobes that together enclose a circular space; gonopore-bearing flagellum shorter than terminal lobe; left paramere short, rod-shaped, with sparse setae; right paramere very elongate, very thin except widened in distal 1/4, with sparse setae apically. Female last tergite with three incisions, delimiting four lobes, setae slender, tapering; gonocoxite and spermatheca as illustrated (Figs. 220, 226).

Etymology. Named in reference to the shape of the aedeagus, part of which is suggestive of an index finger and thumb enclosing a circle (the "A-OK" symbol).

Distribution. Currently known from northeastern Queensland and one disjunct locality in northern Northern Territory (Fig. 254).