Novochares pichilingue ( Fernandez , 1989)

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

publication ID	https://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1171.104142
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:267D0D45-59CA-4A18-A080-34768E652607
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/01D13F27-77CA-5B6C-B53A-6C45EBD50D40
treatment provided by	ZooKeys by Pensoft
scientific name	Novochares pichilingue ( Fernandez , 1989)
status

Treatment

Novochares pichilingue ( Fernandez, 1989) View in CoL

Figs 17B View Figure 17 , 21K, L View Figure 21 , 22C View Figure 22

Helochares (s. str.) pichilingue Fernández, 1989: 147.

Novochares pichilingue ( Fernández, 1989); Girón and Short 2021: 205.

Type material.

The unique holotype male is from Ecuador (Los Rios: Queveao, Rio Pichilingue) and deposited in MACN (not examined).

Material examined

(56 exs.): Ecuador: Cotopaxi: Latacunga (133 km W), 1080', 2.vii.1975, at blacklight, leg. Langley & Cohen (1, USNM) . Esmeraldas: La Union, 3.ii.1979, leg. J. J. Anderson, "UV att." (11, USNM) . Guayas: Daule , viii.1998, leg. A. Bandinelli (2, SEMC) . Los Ríos: Quevedo, 11.v.1975, leg. Spangler, Gurney, Langley, & Cohen, blacklight (20, USNM, TTU-Z); 11 Km S Quevedo, 3.vii.1975, leg. Langley & Cohen, blacklight (1, UNSM); Babahoyo , 21.vi.1975, leg. Cohen, Langley, & Monnig, blacklight (7, USNM); same data except "large swampy pool w/ water hyacinth" (3, USNM) . Manabí: Bahía de Caráquez (35 km SE), 10.v.1975, leg. Spangler, Langley, & Cohen, "weedy roadside pools" (1, USNM); Bahía de Caráquez (35.6 km E), 9.i.1978, leg. Spangler, culvert ditch (7, SEMC, USNM); 29 km S of Sto. Domingo, Rancho Ronald , 8.ix.1978, blacklight, leg. J.J. Anderson (1, USNM) . Pichincha: Santo Domingo de los Colorados, 14 km E, 5.vii.1975, leg. Langley & Cohen (2, USNM), Santo Domingo de los Colorados , 29 km W, 7.v.1975, blacklight (2, USNM) .

Differential diagnosis.

This species is one of the few that might be distinguished without dissection, due its distribution in a region with few other congeners, and due to its darkened pronotal disc (Fig. 17B View Figure 17 ) and relatively short maxillary palps. The form of the genitalia is also very distinctive and cannot be confused with any other species (Fig. 21K View Figure 21 ).

Description.

Body length 4.7-6.2 mm. Coloration: Dorsal surfaces brown to dark brown, with very slightly paler (brown to yellowish) clypeus and margins of pronotum and elytra; dark labrum. Head: Maxillary palps nearly 0.8 × width of head, uniformly orange in color (Fig. 17B View Figure 17 ). Thorax: Ground punctation on pronotum and elytra relatively dense and shallowly impressed. Elytra without rows of serial punctures, each with very faint rows (one dorsal and two or three lateral) of scarce and weakly marked systematic punctures. Prosternum medially weakly convex. Posterior elevation of mesoventrite broadly elevated, with very weak medial longitudinal ridge extending anteriorly. Abdomen: Apical emargination of fifth ventrite relatively deep and broad, U-shaped. Aedeagus: (Fig. 21K, L View Figure 21 ) Overall shape pear-like, 2.3 × longer than wide, with outer lateral margins of parameres weakly and evenly convex; apical region of each paramere rounded, with outer margin laterally pointed; at closest point, dorsal inner margins of parameres separated by distance 0.58 × greatest width of a paramere; dorsal plate of median lobe with neck 0.35 × as broad as base; arms of dorsal plate of median lobe somewhat parallel, dorsally concave, nearly 0.4 × length of dorsal plate of median lobe; each arm strongly broadened along basal 2/3, then narrowing to acute apex; notch between arms at base very narrow, dorsally cup-like; gonopore placed near base of dorsal plate of median lobe; ventral plate of median lobe membranous, extending to basal 2/3 of arms of dorsal plate; basal piece 0.3 × length of a paramere. In lateral view, aedeagus weakly oblique at base, with ventral outline of parameres 2.9 × longer than greatest width near base; dorsal outline of aedeagus in lateral view nearly straight along second 2/5.

Distribution.

Ecuador (Fig. 22C View Figure 22 ).

Habitat.

This species has been collected in pools and ditches, as well as at blacklights.

Remarks.

This species is currently only known from the western slopes of the Andes in Ecuador where it has been collected at a variety of localities. It is not known from the eastern (Amazonian) side.