Pneuminion natalensis, Perkins, Philip D., 2004

Perkins, Philip D., 2004, A revision of the South African endemic water beetle genus Pneuminion Perkins (Coleoptera: Hydraenidae), Zootaxa 538, pp. 1-38 : 10

Pneuminion natalensis new species

( Figures 6 , 16 , 30 )

Type Material. Holotype (male): South Africa: Natal, 75km WSW Estcourt, Cathedral Peaks For. Sta., 7–31.xii.79, S. & J. Peck, Meteorology Sta., LittleBerg, 1860m, malaise trough, 21–31.xii.79; deposited in the TMSA. Paratype: Same data as holotype, (1 TMSA).

Diagnosis. Similar to P. punctatum in dorsal sculpture, recognized by the more strongly sculptured, subrugulose pronotal foveae, the less rugulose frons foveae, the smaller elytral granules, the smaller elytral punctures, the more nearly equally developed rows of setae on the elytral series and intervals, and the shallower pronotal postocular emarginations ( Fig. 6 ). Reliable determinations of the two species will be based on examination of the quite dissimilar male genitalia. The aedeagus of P. natalensis is most similar to that of P. v e l a m e n (refer to the diagnosis of that species).

Description. Size (mm x 100; length/width): body (length to elytral apices) 163/74, head 26/44, pronotum 37/61, elytra 104/74. Dorsum piceus, legs and maxillary palpi dark brown; dorsal setae conspicuous, especially on head and pronotum, whitish. Labrum and clypeus dull, micropunctulate, except shining on anterior margin of clypeus. Frons disc moderately coarsely punctate, most punctures heart­shaped, interpunctal surface smooth, shining, punctures separated by ca. 1.5xpd; fovea in front of ocellus micropunctulate, medial margin moderately abrupt.

Pronotum rugulose in foveae and laterally, weakly shining on disc, dull laterally; punctures on reliefs small, ca. 0.25x size of heart­shaped punctures in U­shaped fovea, separated by ca. 1–3xpd, each with short whitish, granule­based seta; interpunctal surfaces on relief smooth and shining; oblique anterior fovea on each side shallowly connecting to midlongitudinal fovea; posterior U­shaped fovea well­developed; setae at lateral margin flat on cuticle in dry specimens. Pronotal postocular emargination deeper and less symmetrical in females than males.

Elytra with setae of series and intervals very nearly equally developed, resulting in discrete, narrowly separated, unilinear rows of setae, about 18 on each elytron, each seta granule­based; serial punctures moderately large, slightly wider than intervals, separated serially by less than puncture diameter; explanate margin narrow in male, slightly wider in female.

Aedeagus: main­piece length 44, total length 61; main­piece distal portion with ridge/ groove to support duct and apex weakly hook­shaped; duct very slender over distal onehalf ( Fig. 16 ).

Etymology. Named in reference to the known geographical distribution.

Figures

FIGURE 6. Pneuminion natalensis holotype. Dorsal and lateral habitus.

FIGURE 16. Pneuminion natalensis. Aedeagus of holotype.

FIGURES 29 – 30. Pneuminion distribution maps. — 29. P. punctatum. — 30. P. natalensis.