Genus Spanglerelmis Polizei & Bispo gen. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: C46A6C28-9B3C-448C-A7C4-C6D2C4F051DD

Figs 1–10

Type species

Spanglerelmis xiririca Polizei & Bispo sp. nov., by present designation.

Diagnosis

Spanglerelmis Polizei & Bispo gen. nov. can be distinguished from other elmid genera by the following combination of characters: 1) pronotum covered by punctures, without transverse, longitudinal, or oblique impressions, sulci or gibbosities on disc (Figs 1A, E, 2A, 6A, C, 8B, 9A); 2) sublateral carinae on pronotum sinuous reaching the anterior and posterior margins of pronotum, converging toward apex (Figs 1A, E, 2A, 6A, C, 8B, 9A); 3) elytra with a carina on interval III and two sublateral carinae on intervals V and VI (Figs 1A, E, 2A, 6A, D, 9A); 4) disc of prosternum with a pair of carinae on the posterior half (Figs 1B, F, 2B, 7A, C, 9B); 5) sides of mesoventrite strongly raised (Figs 1B, F, 2B, 7A– C, 9B); 6) femora with an oblique belt of tomentum dorsally (Figs 1B, F, 2B, 7B, 9B) and a transverse belt ventrally (Figs 1A, E, 2A, 6A, B, 9A); and 7) disc of abdominal ventrites 1–4 glabrous, sides densely covered by tomentum (Figs 2B, 7B, 8B, 9B), and ventrite 5 completely and densely covered by tomentum. Morphologically, the new genus resembles Neoelmis Musgrave, 1935 (sharing the body shape and the elytral strongly punctate); Microcylloepus Hinton, 1935 (sharing the body shape, the elytral carinae pattern, and disc of prosternum with a pair of carinae on the posterior half), and Elachistelmis Maier, 2012 (sharing the body elongated and pronotum without any kind of impression). However, these three genera differ from Spanglerelmis Polizei & Bispo gen. nov. by the following characteristics: 1) Neoelmis has pronotum with a strongly transversal impression and a constricted medially sublateral carinae; elytra with just one sublateral carina; sides of mesoventrite not raised; femora densely covered by tomentum; and disc of the abdominal ventrites 2–4 covered by tomentum; 2) Microcylloepus has the pronotum with transverse impression on the apical third, with a broad median impression, and with two oblique subbasal impressions on disc and sides of mesoventrite not raised; and 3) Elachistelmis has sublateral carinae on pronotum straight and divergent in toward apex; elytra with just the sublateral carinae; sides of mesoventrite not raised and femora glabrous.

Etymology

The name is a combination of Spangler (in honour of Dr Paul J. Spangler 1924–2010, a pioneer of studies of Neotropical aquatic beetles, who initially indicated it could be a new genus) plus elmis, the nominate genus of the family Elmidae . Gender feminine.

Description

HEAD (Figs 1A–C, E–G, 2–3, 6A, 7A, C, 8–9). Partially retractable (Figs 1A–C, E–G, 8B, 9B); dorsal surface punctate and covered by setae, without impressions; eyes protruding laterally; antennae filiform with 11 antennomeres, each one covered by few, very short and thin setae at apex (Figs 2, 6A, 7A, C, 8A, 9); clypeus broad, ornamented as the other parts of head.

THORAX (Figs 1A–C, E–G, 2, 6, 7–8B, 9A–B). Pronotum (Figs 1A, E, 2A, 6A, C, 8B, 9A) as long as wide; anterior margin slightly arcuate; lateral margin arcuate and slightly crenulated; posterior and anterior angles acute; posterior margin smooth with two prescutellar fovea; disc surface punctured, without transverse, longitudinal, or oblique impressions, sulci or gibbosities (Figs 1A, E, 2A, 6A, C, 9A); sublateral carinae strongly sinuous, reaching anterior and posterior margins of pronotum, converging toward apex (Fig. 6C). Elytra (Figs 1A, E, 2A, 6A, D, 9A) longer than wide; moderately convex dorsally; lateral margins moderately explanate; apices rounded; humeri rounded; elytral surface strongly striate-punctate, with a row of setae between the punctures (Figs 1A, E, 2A, 6A, D, 9A); carinae on intervals III, V and VI. Epipleura narrow, anteriorly wider; glabrous, without tomentum or row of granules (Figs 1B–C, F–G, 2B, 7, 8B, 9B); at least partly concealed posteriorly by produced lateral margins of the abdominal ventrites. Prosternum (Figs 1B–C, F–G, 2B, 7A, C, 8B, 9B) declined anteriorly and concealing the head in repose; lateral margins with a belt of tomentum (Fig. 1G); disc with a pair of carinae longitudinal reaching the posterior half (Figs 1B, F, 2B, 7A, C, 9B). Prosternal process (Figs 2B, 7A, C, 9B) slightly narrow, lateral margins converging posteriorly, apex rounded. Proepimeron and proepisternon covered by tomentum. Mesoventrite with a mesoventral cavity to receive the prosternal process; sides strongly raised (Figs 1B, F, 2B, 7A–C, 9B); mesoepimeron covered by tomentum. Metaventrite (Figs 1B, F, 2B, 7B, D, 8B, 9B) longer than mesoventrite, with discrimen strongly depressed (male) (Figs 1B, F, 8B, 9B), and with the lateral region covered by tomentum. Legs (Figs 1A–C, E–G, 2, 6A–B, 7, 8B, 9A–B). Legs with pro and mesocoxae rounded, and metacoxae transverse. Trochanter as long as wide. Femora narrowed distally; with an oblique belt of tomentum dorsally (Figs 1B, F, 2B, 7B, 9B) and a transverse belt ventrally (Figs 1A, E, 2A, 6A–B, 9A). Tibiae thin, each with two fringes of tomentum on pro and mesotibiae and a single fringe on metatibia; and with a row of spines on protibia. Tarsal formula 5–5–5. Tarsus (Figs 1C, G, 2B, 6A–B, 7–8B, 9B) elongated, with short setae on ventral surface. Claws simple and large.

ABDOMEN. Five ventrites (Figs 2B, 4, 7A–B, D, 8B, 9B); strongly convex in cross section; disc of ventrites 1–4 glabrous, punctured, bearing scattered setae, and laterally densely covered by tomentum (Figs 2B, 7B, 8B, 9B); ventrite 5 completely and densely covered by tomentum, laterally emarginate, and posteriorly rounded.

MALE GENITALIA (Figs 1D, H, 4D–F, 9C–E). Symmetrical, robust, and very sclerotized. Phallobase tubular. Parameres with sensorial pores. Penis with fibula and corona absent.

LARVAE. Unknown.