Copelatus bezdeki Sheth, Ghate & Hájek, 2018

Hájek, Jiří & Sheth, Sayali D., 2024, A review of the Oriental Copelatus latipes complex, with the description of two new species (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae: Copelatinae), Zootaxa 5481 (1), pp. 119-130 : 120-121

Copelatus bezdeki Sheth, Ghate & Hájek, 2018

( Figs 1 , 7–8 )

Copelatus bezdeki Sheth, Ghate & Hájek, 2018: 245 .

Type locality. India, Maharashtra, Pune district, ca. 4 km SSW of Lonavala village, Bhushi dam, 18°43.2–4’N, 73°23.7–24.0’E, ca. 640 m a.s.l.

Type material. See Sheth et al. (2018: 245).

Additional material examined. INDIA: Maharashtra: 6 ♂, 5 ♀, 80 km E of Bombay, Lonvala [Lonavala], 13.ix.1991, R. Schuh leg. ( NHMW) .

Diagnosis. TL: 5.3–6.4 mm. Head dark brown, clypeus and anterior part of frons often paler, reddish; pronotum brown blackish, laterally broadly reddish; elytra yellowish orange, with blackish pattern consisting of elongate sutural spot extending laterally up to stria II in middle third of elytral length, small spot present subbasally between striae II–IV, and lines along elytral striae. Species variable in dorsal surface colouration: in one extreme, dark area on elytra reduced to single narrow oval spot along suture; in other extreme, sutural spot extended laterally and connected with subbasal spot, usually confluent to subbasal transverse band. Pronotum with coarse punctures laterally. Each elytron with six complete discal striae and one submarginal stria: stria 1 beginning more posteriorly than other striae, ending close to elytral apex; striae 2, 3 and 5 ending subapically; stria 6 shortest, ending at apical fourth; submarginal stria long, beginning at elytral mid-length and ending at apical fourth ( Fig. 1 ). Male longer spur on metatibia sinuate in apical third. Median lobe of aedeagus in lateral view ( Fig. 7a ) broad in basal 3/5, then obtusely angled; apical 2/5 narrow, sinuous ventrally, almost straight dorsally until distinctly dorsally bent pointed apex; median lobe in 3/5 of its length with two distinct ‘teeth’ on ventral side—broad rectangular proximal one, and narrower acute distal one; a third, small, obtuse tooth visible in ventro-lateral view ( Fig. 7b ). Parameres almost straight on inner margin ( Fig. 8 ). Female identical to male in habitus, short irregular strioles present laterally on pronotum and in middle third of elytra laterally from striae 3–4.

Distribution. The species is so far known only from Pune district of Maharashtra, India, within the altitudinal range of 500–1,100 m a.s.l. ( Fig. 19 ).

Figures

FIGURE 19. Map of distribution of Copelatus latipes species complex.

FIGURES 1–2. Habitus of Copelatus latipes species complex. 1. C. bezdeki (holotype ♂; Maharashtra, India); 2. C. schereri (♂; Sri Lanka). Scale bar 2 mm.

FIGURES 7–18. Male genitalia of Copelatus latipes species complex. 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17. median lobe in lateral (a) and ventro-lateral (b) view; 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18. paramere. 7–8. C. bezdeki (holotype; Maharashtra, India); 9–10. C. schereri (Sri Lanka); 11–12. C. brivioi (paratype; Bangladesh); 13–14. C. kopetzi sp. nov. (holotype; Nepal); 15–16. C. lanxangensis sp. nov. (holotype; Laos); 17–18. C. latipes (Pahang, Malaysia). Scale bar 0.5 mm.