Exocelina pseudobifida 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 : 20-21

Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera Dytiscidae

14. Exocelina pseudobifida Shaverdo & Balke sp. n. Figs 19, 47

Exocelina undescribed sp. MB0659: Toussaint et al. 2014: supplementary figs 1-4, Tab. 2.

Type locality.

Papua New Guinea: Sandaun Province, Mekil, 04°48.74'S; 141°39.08'E.

Type material.

Holotype: male "Papua New Guinea: Sandaun, MekilK [!], 1718m, 14.x.2003, 4 48.742S 141 39.075E, K. Sagata (WB106)" (ZSM). Paratypes: 6 females with the same label as the holotype (NHMW, ZSM). 1 male "Papua New Guinea: Sandaun: Mekil (WB106), 14.x.2003, K. Sagata, DNA M Balke: MB 659", "DNA M. Balke 659" (ZSM).

Diagnosis.

Beetle small, dark brown to piceous, shiny; pronotum without lateral bead; male antennomeres simple; male protarsomere 4 with large, thick, strongly curved anterolateral hook; median lobe with strong submedian constriction and apex bifid: with small dorsal extension; paramere with notch on dorsal side and subdistal part elongate, with dense, long, thin setae. The species is very similar to Exocelina bifida Shaverdo, Hendrich & Balke, 2012, except for structure of genitalia: apical lobes slender and more deeply separated, dorsal extension prominent but not deeply cut.

Description.

Size and shape: Beetle small (TL-H 3.3-3.7 mm, TL 3.75-4.15 mm, MW 1.75-2.0 mm), with oblong-oval habitus, broadest at elytral middle. Coloration: as in Exocelina bifida (Fig. 47).

Surface sculpture: Punctation and microreticulation as in Exocelina bifida .

Structures: Pronotum without lateral bead. Base of prosternum and neck of prosternal process with distinct ridge, anteriorly less rounded, smooth, with small anterolateral extensions. Blade of prosternal process lanceolate, relatively broad, slightly convex, with distinct lateral bead and few setae; neck and blade of prosternal process evenly jointed. Abdominal ventrite 6 broadly rounded apically.

Male: Antenna simple (Fig. 19A). Protarsomere 4 with large, thick, strongly curved anterolateral hook. Protarsomere 5 ventrally with anterior row of 15 and posterior row of 3 short setae (Fig. 19B). Abdominal ventrite 6 with 6-8 lateral striae on each side. Median lobe with strong submedian constriction and apex bifid: with small dorsal extension (Fig. 19C, D). Paramere with notch on dorsal side and subdistal part elongate, with dense, long, thin setae (Fig. 19E).

Holotype: TL-H 3.7 mm, TL 4.15 mm, MW 2.0 mm.

Female: Without evident differences in external morphology from male, except for abdominal ventrite 6 without striae.

Distribution.

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

Etymology.

This species was mistaken for Exocelina bifida due to their similarity. The name is a noun in the nominative singular standing in apposition.