Limnebius suaviculus, Perkins, Philip D., 2015

Perkins, Philip D., 2015, Taxonomy of the water beetle genus Limnebius Leach in southern Africa (Coleoptera: Hydraenidae), Zootaxa 3948 (1), pp. 41-59 : 50-51

Limnebius suaviculus , new species

Figs. 10 (habitus), 21 (aedeagus), 31 (map)

Type material. Holotype (male): South Africa: KwaZulu-Natal Province, Tugela River nr. Olivershoek road, washed from stony and sandy banks, elev. 1130 m, 28° 41' S, 29° 10' E, 6 iv 1954, J. Balfour-Browne ( BMNH). Paratypes (121): South Africa: Eastern Cape Province, Road between Queenstown and Lady Frere, on stones in running water in small stream, elev. 1158.24 m, 31° 54' S, 27° 40' E, 26 iii 1954, J. Balfour-Browne (97) (4 BMNH); Free State Province, Kareefontein nr. Nylstroom, rapid stream over rock and gravel, elev. 1460 m, 28° 25' S, 26° 53' E, 16 iv 1954, J. Balfour-Browne (164) (44 BMNH); KwaZulu-Natal Province, Bergville, Tugela River, elev. 1158 m, 28° 44' S, 29° 21' E, 6 iv 1954, J. Balfour-Browne (148) (15 BMNH); nr. Bergville, small unnamed spruit, from fast water in gravel at edges, elev. 1188 m, 28° 44' S, 29° 21' E, 6 iv 1954, J. Balfour-Browne (22 BMNH); nr. Bergville, small unnamed spruit, in side pools among muddy stones and sand, 28° 44' S, 29° 21' E, 4 iv 1954, J. Balfour-Browne (142) (8 BMNH); nr. Bergville, small unnamed spruit, pools in dry bed, slab rock, muddy grit, elev. 1143 m, 28° 44' S, 29° 21' E, 6 iv 1954, J. Balfour-Browne (150) (5 BMNH); Tugela River nr. Olivershoek road, washed from stony and sandy banks, elev. 1130 m, 28° 41' S, 29° 10' E, 6 iv 1954, J. Balfour- Browne (15 BMNH); Limpopo Province, Blauberg, Beauly River, from boulder and fine gravel, fast water, elev. 1143 m, 23° 8' S, 28° 56' E, 18 iv 1954, J. Balfour-Browne (173) (6 BMNH).

Differential diagnosis. Habitus as illustrated ( Fig. 10 ); a small species with oval body form, and with pronotum and elytra shining, non-microreticulate and very sparsely finely punctulate. Aedeagus ( Fig. 21) relatively short, weakly arcuate in ventral view; apically produced in a large lobe, with setae around margin and in sparse row toward left side, as illustrated; internal capsule approximately located in distal 1/2 of aedeagus; gonopore located in area of row of setae. The general aedeagal shape suggests a relationship with L. retiolus and L. capensis .

Description. Size: holotype (length/width, mm): body (length to elytral apices) 0.89/0.48; pronotum 0.24/ 0.47; elytra 0.49/0.48; approximate height, lateral view 0.30. Pronotum with brown, diffusely margined macula on anterior ¾ of disc, remainder of pronotum, and elytra, light brown to testaceous. Body form elongate oval, not drop-shaped, side margin indented slightly where pronotum joins elytra. Pronotum and elytra shining, nonmicroreticulate, very sparsely finely punctulate, each puncture with very short adpressed seta; area posterior to eye (side view) with subserial, unilinear row of distinctly larger punctures, each puncture with adpressed seta, longer than setae on disc. Elytra very weakly microreticulate, almost obsolete, with punctures and setae similar to those on pronotum. Males with first three pro- and mesotarsal segments slightly enlarged, with adhesive setae. Labroclypeal suture arcuate in frontal view in both sexes. Labrum simple. Elytral apices slightly with lateral angle more rectangulate in males than in females.

Etymology. Named in reference to the caramel-like dorsal color.

Distribution. As currently known, widely but very sparsely distributed in northeastern South Africa ( Fig. 31 ).

Figures

FIGURES 9 – 11. Dorsal and lateral habitus views of holotypes.

FIGURES 28 – 31. Geographical distributions.