Exocelina tariensis Shaverdo & Balke

Shaverdo, Helena, Sagata, Katayo, Panjaitan, Rawati, Menufandu, Herlina & Balke, Michael, 2014, Description of 23 new species of the Exocelinaekari-group from New Guinea, with a key to all representatives of the species group (Coleoptera, Dytiscidae, Copelatinae), ZooKeys 468, pp. 1-83 : 30-31

Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera Dytiscidae

21. Exocelina tariensis Shaverdo & Balke sp. n. Figs 11, 39

Exocelina undescribed sp. MB1289: Toussaint et al. 2014: Supplementary figs 1-4, Tab. 2.

Type locality.

Papua New Guinea: Hela Province, Tari, Mt. Ambua, 05°57.55'S; 143°04.99'E.

Type material.

Holotype: male "Papua New Guinea: Southern Highlands, Tari, Mt Ambua, 2100m, 14.v.2006, 05.57.550S 143.04.993E, Balke (PNG 64)", "DNA M.Balke 1289" [green] (ZSM).

Diagnosis.

Beetle medium-sized, blackish brown, with brown clypeus and pronotal sides, submatt; pronotum with lateral bead; male antennomeres 3-5 evidently enlarged, with external margin more expanded, antennomeres 3, 4 almost equal in size, antennomere 5 slightly smaller, antennomere 6 somewhat enlarged; male protarsomere 4 with large, slender, slightly curved upwards anterolateral hook-like seta, with pointed apex; median lobe broad, with very weak submedian constriction in ventral view and thin apex in lateral view, apex with small lateral setae; paramere with notch on dorsal side and subdistal part small, elongate, with not numerous, long, thick, almost straight setae. The species is similar to Exocelina sandaunensis sp. n. and Exocelina simbaiarea sp. n., except for more robust habitus, slightly matter pronotum, larger male antennomeres 3-5, with external margin more expanded, pointed and slightly curved upwards anterolateral hook-like seta of male protarsomere 4, subdistal part with setae less numerous and almost straight.

Description.

Size and shape: Beetle medium-sized (TL-H 4 mm, TL 4.4 mm, MW 2.15 mm), with oblong-oval, broadest at elytral middle. Coloration: Dorsal surface more or less uniform blackish brown, paler on clypeus, vertex, and pronotal sides; head appendages and legs yellowish brown, legs darker distally (Fig. 39).

Surface sculpture: Punctation as in Exocelina sandaunensis sp. n. and Exocelina simbaiarea sp. n.; microreticulation slightly stronger, especially on pronotum, than in Exocelina sandaunensis sp. n. and Exocelina simbaiarea sp. n.

Structures: Pronotum with distinct lateral bead. Base of prosternum and neck of prosternal process and neck of prosternal process with distinct ridge, smooth and very slightly rounded anteriorly, with small anterolateral extensions. Blade of prosternal process lanceolate, relatively narrow, convex, with distinct lateral bead and few setae; neck and blade of prosternal process evenly jointed. Abdominal ventrite 6 slightly truncate apically.

Male: Antennomeres 3-5 evidently enlarged, with external margin more expanded, antennomeres 3, 4 almost equal in size, antennomere 5 slightly smaller, antennomere 6 somewhat enlarged (Fig. 11A). Protarsomere 4 with large, slender, slightly curved upwards anterolateral hook-like seta, with pointed apex. Protarsomere 5 ventrally with anterior row of 15 and posterior row of 5 short setae (Fig. 11B). Abdominal ventrite 6 with 11-13 lateral striae on each side. Median lobe broad, with very weak submedian constriction in ventral view and thin apex in lateral view, apex with small lateral setae (Fig. 11C, D). Paramere with notch on dorsal side and subdistal part small, elongate, with not numerous, long, thick, almost straight setae (Fig. 11E).

Female: Unknown.

Distribution.

Papua New Guinea: Hela Province. This species is known only from the type locality (Fig. 53).

Etymology.

The species is named after the village of Tari where it was collected. The name is an adjective in the nominative singular.