Sharp 1882: 90 Hydrochus vanbergehenegouweni Makhan 1992 Taxonomy of Venezuelan water beetles in the genus Hydrochus Leach, 1817, and an analysis of male genitalia morphology (Coleoptera: Hydrochidae) Perkins, Philip D. Zootaxa 2019 2019-12-12 4708 1 1 59 6MK96 Sharp Sharp [151,486,1808,1835] Insecta Hydrochidae Hydrochus Animalia Coleoptera 28 29 Arthropoda species obscurus   Figs. 2, 18     Hydrochus obscurus  Sharp 1882: 90.   Hydrochus vanbergehenegouweni Makhan 1992; Oliva (1996)   Material examined (65):   Venezuela: Aragua:VZ09-0104-01A (1 SEMC).  Anzoategui:VZ10-0203-03A (1   SEMC).  Amazonas: Puerto Ayacucho( 66 kmN), Rio Horero,  25Jan1989, netted, stream edge, PJSpangler, RA- Faitoute& CBBarr (2 NMNH);  Ocamo,  12-IV-1965, F. Fernandez(1 NMNH).   Apure:AS-06-009 (1 SEMC), AS- 06-019 (2 SEMC),  VZ09-0118-  03X(2 SEMC).   Barinas:VZ12-0126-01B (2 SEMC);  VZ12-0125- 02A (1 SEMC);  VZ12-0125- 01A (1 SEMC).   Bolivar:VZ09-0111-  02X(1 SEMC).   Delta Amacuro:VZ10-0203-01A (1 SEMC).   Guarico:VZ09-0108-  03X(2 SEMC);  Corozo Pando, (8kmN),  11 June 1984, F. W. EilandII (1 NMNH);  Calabozo( 44 kmS), Hato Masaguaral,  5 Mar 1986, PJSpangler, colln#24 (23 NMNH).   Sucre:VZ10-0129-04A (24 SEMC).   Tachira:VZ12-0126-02A (1 SEMC).   FIGURE 13.  Hydrochus sagittarius n. sp., habitus and male genitalia of holotype.   FIGURE 14.  Hydrochus variabilisKnisch, habitus and male genitalia.  Differential Diagnosis.Among Venezuelan species, recognized by the combination of moderate size (ca. 2.92– 3.66 mm), the moderately low and relatively impunctate pronotal reliefs, and the male genitalia ( Fig. 18; described below). This species has a generalized  Hydrochushabitus; reliable determinations will require dissection of males.   Description. Habitus as illustrated ( Fig. 18). Size of illustrated male (length/width, mm): body (length to elytral apices) 3.14/1.17; head width 0.77; pronotum l/w 0.71/0.71; PA 0.69; PB 0.63; elytra 1.94 /1.17. Body size moderate (ca. 2.92–3.66 mm, Venezuelan specimens). Dorsum grey, with slight to moderately strong iridescence, elytra with black spots. Legs testaceous, with tibiofemoral joints darker. Punctation on elytra ca. 2– 3xthat of pronotum. Elytra interstriae ca. 1–1.5x strial puncture diameter. Interstria 9 thmore convex than others, overhanging 10 thinterstria. Usual area of callus on 5 thmoderately raised, moderately elongate. Pronotum length and width equal, or only very slightly wider than long, widest slightly behind anterior margin, narrowed at base, sides arcuate or very weakly sinuate, smooth; anterior margin slightly bisinuate; depressions moderately deep, much more densely punctate than low reliefs between depressions, latter almost entirely impunctate. Elytra with spaces between strial punctures ca. 0.5– 1xtheir diameter; apices rather sharply conjointly rounded in dorsal view, in lateral view outer margin with slight angulation. Ventral characters: Mentum coarsely punctate, with median fovea. Submentum with two foveae. Male genitalia ( Fig. 18) general characters: paramere tips in dorsal and ventral views very weakly sub-sagittate, plsa rounded, lateral margins slightly emarginate, medial margins arcuate toward midline, in lateral view tips narrow and tapering; aedeagus basically lanceolate shaped; basal piece with orifice sclerotized rim produced in small projection on apicoventral margin. Dorsal surface: adtl at about distal 1/3; adbl moderately size; pdmm overlapping alm. Ventral surface: aedeagus ventral transition line (avtl) at about proximal 1/3. Paramere medial margins (pvmm) closely approximating aedeagus lateral margins.   Remarks.The specimen imaged ( Fig. 18) is from locality VZ12-0126-01B. I have examined the holotypeof  Hydrochus vanbergehenegouweni Makhan 1992, including the male genitalia. I concur with Oliva (1996)that  Hydrochus vanbergehenegouweniMakhanis conspecific with  Hydrochus obscurusSharp. 2521263873 [464,1041,2013,2040] SEMC Venezuela Aragua 28 29 1 Aragua 2521263813 1989-01-25 SEMC, NMNH Faitoute Rio Horero Puerto Ayacucho 29 30 1 Amazonas 2521263900 [513,1031,188,215] 1965-04-12 NMNH F. Fernandez Ocamo 29 30 1 Amazonas 2521263804 [1041,1382,188,215] SEMC Apure 29 30 1 Apure 2521263822 [366,679,225,251] 2003-10 SEMC 29 30 VZ09-0118 1 Apure 2521263824 [688,1109,224,251] SEMC Barinas 29 30 1 Barinas 2521263808 [1120,1432,224,251] SEMC 29 30 VZ12-0125, 02 1 Barinas 2521263868 [151,468,260,287] SEMC 29 30 VZ12-0125, 01 1 Barinas 2521263829 [480,903,260,287] 2002-10 SEMC Bolivar 29 30 1 Bolivar 2521263893 [915,1433,260,287] SEMC Delta Amacuro 29 30 1 Delta Amacuro 2521263817 [151,578,296,323] 2003-10 SEMC Guarico 29 30 1 Guarico 2521263845 [589,1320,297,324] 1984-06-11 NMNH F. W. Eiland Corozo 29 30 1 Pando 2521263815 1986-03-05 NMNH Hato Masaguaral Calabozo 29 30 1 Pando 2521263833 [1023,1433,332,359] SEMC Sucre 29 30 1 Sucre 2521263828 [151,573,368,395] SEMC Tachira 29 30 1 Tachira