Parhydraena maureenae, Perkins, 2009

Perkins, Philip D., 2009, Revisions of the genera Parhydraena Orchymont, Protozantaena Perkins, Decarthrocerus Orchymont, and Parhydraenopsis nomen novum, aquatic and humicolous beetles from Africa and Madagascar, and comparative morphology of the tribe Parhydraenini (Coleoptera: Hydraenidae), Zootaxa 2038, pp. 1-119 : 17-19

Parhydraena maureenae new species

( Figs. 1, 38, 40, 96)

Type material. Holotype (male): South Africa: Western Cape Province, W. Wiedouw farm, shore washing, 31° 43' S, 18° 43' E, 19.viii.1983, Endrödy-Younga (#1946). Deposited in the TMSA . Paratypes (157): South Africa: Eastern Cape Province, Amatole, Pirie Forest Station , shore washing, 32° 43' S, 27° 17' E, 8.xii.1987, Endrödy-Younga (#2563) (4 TMSA) ; Ciskei, Amatole, Pirie For. , sift. wet forest ditch, 32° 43' S, 27° 17' E, 8.xii.1987, Endrödy-Younga (#2561) (120 TMSA) ; King William Dist., Hogsback, Alice , 32° 36' S, 27° 1' E, 19.vii.1966, J. Omer-Cooper (3 BMNH) ; King Williams Town, Pirie Forest , humus, ZA 86, 32° 43' S, 27° 17' E, xii.1961, N. Leleup (2 TMSA) ; Western Cape Province, No. Cape, Richtersveld, Oemsberg , shore washing in shade, 28° 27' S, 17° 10' E, 23.ix.1991, Endrödy-Younga (#2796) (3 TMSA) ; W. Wiedouw farm, from under stones, 31° 43' S, 18° 43' E, 23.viii.1983, Endrödy-Younga (#1966) (1 TMSA) ; W. Wiedouw farm, shore washing, 31° 43' S, 18° 43' E, 19.viii.1983, Endrödy-Younga (#1946) (24 TMSA) .

Differential diagnosis. Similar in dorsal habitus and maxillary palpus length to P. ancylis ; distinguished therefrom by the larger size (ca. 2.00 mm vs. 1.75 mm), the wider elytral intervals, and the sparser punctation of the frons and pronotal relief ( Figs. 38, 46). Males of the two species have similar modifications of ventrite 6. The aedeagi of the two species differ distinctively ( Figs. 40, 48).

Description. Size (length/width, mm) holotype: body (length to elytral apices) 2.00/0.88; head 0.30/0.52; pronotum 0.50/0.75, PA 0.60, PB 0.66; elytra 1.27/0.88. Head piceous, pronotum testaceous laterally, very gradually changing to brown or dark brown disc, elytra and legs brown, maxillary palpi brown, distal mere darker than remainder of palpus.

Head with eyes moderately large, in dorsal aspect 10 convex facets in longest series. Ocelli distinct round small shining, each located at base of shallow oblique interocular fovea. Frons on disc distinctly finely punctate, ca. 1xef, interstices effacedly microreticulate, moderately shining, 1–2xpd; area between interocular foveae and eye microreticulate, punctate, dull. Clypeus dull, microreticulate and indistinctly punctate, punctures smaller than those of frons disc. Labrum weakly shining, apicomedially with small V-shaped notch; laterally fringed with short arcuate setae. Each dorsal puncture of head with moderately long, recumbent seta. Maxillary palpi elongate, combined lengths of meres slightly less than width of head (ratio ca. 32/37); ratios of meres 2–4 ca. 11/6/15. Mentum and submentum sparsely finely punctulate, shining.

Pronotum with distinct M-shape on disc; anterior margin weakly arcuate, median 1/3 with extremely narrow hyaline border. Anterior angles obtuse, widely rounded. Sides rounded, widest just before middle, behind middle gradually, weakly attenuate, very weakly sinuate. Posterior angle obtusangulate. Disc distinctly roundly raised between anterior and post impressions, posterior impression deeper than anterior, broadly Ushaped, with anterior margin more abrupt than posterior margin; punctation much larger and denser in impressions than on disc, some punctures confluent; punctures on discal relief very fine and very sparse, each with minute granule having small seta, interstices strongly shining; shallow wide impression at each posterior angle. Sculpture laterally subrugose, dull. Each puncture with anterior margin extended posteriorly as narrow ridge, dividing puncture into a pair of two smaller punctures, short recumbent or decumbent seta arising from posterior extreme of dividing ridge. Some punctures confluent with adjacent punctures, forming transverse rows of dividing ridges.

Elytra elongate-ovate, sides arcuate, margins distinct from shoulder for 3/4 of length, sutural angle slightly more acute in female than in male. Ten-seriate punctate, only first series striate-impressed, in distal 1/ 2; punctures ca. 2xef, longitudinally separated 0.5–1xpd, becoming finer and shallower on apical declivity. Interval width 2–3xpd, weakly shining, each with unilinear or irregular row of rather widely spaced, minute granules, each granule at its posterior side with short recumbent seta, setae very similar in length and density to setae of serial punctures.

Metaventrite with moderately deep median elongate oval impression in basal 1/2, midlongitudinal shining carina between anterior extreme of oval impression and mesoventral intercoxal process. Metaventrite and abdominal ventrites 1–4 hydrofuge pubescent. Ventrite 5, in male, hydrofuge pubescent in basal 1/2 laterally, posterior margin of pubescent area produced in middle to 2/3 length of ventrite, in female basal 1/2 of ventrite hydrofuge pubescent; shining part of ventrite 5 very sparsely pubescent in both sexes. Ventrite 6 very weakly, effacedly microreticulate, shining, in male middle part glabrous and slightly swollen in anterior 1/2, posterior 1/2 weakly depressed and sparsely setose, two minute papillae, side-by-side, in midline at juncture of swollen and depressed areas; in female shape simple, with transverse band of sparse setae across posterior 1/2. Male: last ventrite asymmetrical, apex lobiform and setose; last tergite with tuft of setae on each side of apicomedian notch into which fits lobe of last ventrite. Female: last ventrite sparsely pubescent, margin rounded; last tergite with small tuft of setae on each side of apicomedian emargination.

Legs moderately long and slender, combined lengths of metatibia and metatarsus greater than width of head (ratio ca. 53/37), ratio of lengths of metatibia/metatarsus ca. 30/23; claws moderately long. Basal 3 pro- and mesotarsomeres, in male, with pad of suction setae.

Wings fully developed in holotype and all dissected males.

Aedeagus length ca. 0.40 mm; main-piece, in ventral view, with strongly sclerotized bifurcate process on right side and larger arcuate process on left side; distal piece comprising three processes, one of which markedly arcuate in lateral aspect ( Fig. 40).

Etymology. I am very pleased to name this new species for my wife Maureen, a constant source of encouragement.

Distribution. Currently known from three widely disjunct areas, two in Western Cape Province, and one in Eastern Cape Province ( Fig. 96).

Notes. An aedeagal variant from Amatole, Eastern Cape Province, has the arms of the bifurcate process more widely separated than in the holotype and other specimens from the Western Cape Province.