Liodessus hauthi, Balke & Megna & Zenteno & Figueroa & Hendrich, 2020

Balke, Michael, Megna, Yoandri S., Zenteno, Nilver, Figueroa, Luis & Hendrich, Lars, 2020, New Liodessus species from the high Andes of Peru (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae Bidessini), Zootaxa 4852 (2), pp. 151-165 : 156

Liodessus hauthi sp. nov.

( Figs 3C , 7 )

Type locality. Peru, Huánuco, Churubamba, Unchog , 3,600 m , -9.741° -76.169°.

Type material. Holotype: Female ( MUSM): “ Peru, Huánuco, Churubamba, Unchog , 3600 m, -9.740642° - 76.169581°, swampy area”; “ Holotype Liodessus hauthi sp. nov. Balke, Megna, Hendrich des. 2020” [red printed label].

Note on generic affiliation. In the absence of male specimens and DNA sequence data, we can only tentatively assign this species to the genus Liodessus . We opted for this approach as Liodessus is the most widespread Bidessini genus in the high Andes. The morphological diversity of other Andean Liodessus suggests that L. hauthi indeed fits into that genus. We thus chose a conservative approach rather than introducing a new genus.

Description of holotype. Large species. Habitus with slight discontinuity between pronotum and elytra ( Fig. 3C ). TL: 3.2 mm; TL-H: 2.9 mm; TW: 1.5 mm.

Colouration. Orange with darker pattern on pronotal base and on elytra ( Fig. 3C ).

Surface sculpture. Head dull, with distinct microreticulation and with moderately dense, coarse setiferous punctation; pronotum dull with distinct microreticulation and with sparser and a coarse setiferous punctation; elytra dull with distinct microreticulation and with denser and a coarse setiferous punctation.

Structures. Antenna stout. Head with thin cervical occipital line. Pronotum on each lateral side (or margin) with distinct bead; in place of the basal plicae with rough, coarse punctures. Elytron without basal plicae but in place of striae with indistinct imprint. Metathoracic wings not investigated.

Notes. This is a highly characteristic species due to its size, the orange coloration as well as being distinctly microreticulate and coarsely punctate on head, pronotum and elytra.

BOLD platform. No data available.

Etymology. Named after our colleague David Hauth, Munich. The specific epithet is a substantive in the genitive case.

Distribution. Only known from the type locality in the high Andes of central Peru ( Fig. 7 ), 3600 m.

Habitat. Collected from a swampy area according to the label, the habitat is most likely like in the other species.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Dorsal habitus of Liodessus thespesios sp. nov., paratype, male (A), female (B), from Peru, Cusco, Calca, Lares District, Abra Lares; L. hauthi sp. nov., holotype female (C). Scale bar = 1 mm.

FIGURE 7. Distribution map of Liodessus species treated in this publication.