Copelatus schereri Wewalka, 1981

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 : 123

Copelatus schereri Wewalka, 1981

( Figs 2 , 9–10 )

Copelatus schereri Wewalka, 1981: 65 ; Sheth et al. 2018: 248 .

Type locality. “ Indien: Mysore [Karnataka]: Shimoga ” .

Type material. See Sheth et al. (2018: 248).

Additional material examined. SRI LANKA: 1 ♂, Ceylon, Colombo Umg . [= env.], 8.xi. [19]80, M. Jäch leg. ( GWCV) .

Diagnosis. TL: 5.0– 5.4 mm. Head reddish brown, darkened between eyes; pronotum dark brown, sides largely reddish; elytra yellowish orange with blackish pattern varying from vaguely delimited infuscation on disc between suture and elytral stria 2 and narrow blackish stripes along elytral striae, to presence of blackish subbasal transverse band extending somewhat posteriad between striae 4–6 and black sutural area between suture and stria 2. Pronotum with coarse punctures laterally, sometimes forming short striolae. 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. 2 ). Longer spur on metatibia almost straight. Median lobe of aedeagus in lateral view ( Fig. 9a ) broad in basal 3/5, narrow, almost regularly curved in apical half, with shallow emargination on ventral side before apex; apex beak-shaped; median lobe in 3/5 with two distinct ‘teeth’ on ventral side— broad rectangular proximal one, and narrower acute distal one; third, small, obtuse tooth visible in ventro-lateral view ( Fig. 9b ). Parameres with distinct serration on inner margin in apical half ( Fig. 10 ). Female unknown.

Distribution. A species previously known only from Western Ghats (Karnataka and Maharashtra) in India; here we present the first record from Sri Lanka ( 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.