Novadessus, Miller, Kelly B., 2016

Miller, Kelly B., 2016, Novadessus viracocha, a new genus and species of Bidessini Sharp from Peru (Coleoptera, Adephaga, Dytiscidae, Hydroporinae), ZooKeys 623, pp. 125-130 : 125-126

Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera Dytiscidae

Novadessus gen. n.

Type species.

Novadessus viracocha sp. n., by current designation.

Diagnosis.

Novadessus is characterized by the following combination: (1) a transverse occipital line absent on the head; (2) the anterior clypeal margin not modified; (3) a pair of basal pronotal striae present; (4) the basal elytral stria absent; (5) the elytral sutural stria absent; (6) the elytron without longitudinal carinae; (7) the epipleuron without a transverse carina at the humeral angle; (8) the lateral lobes of the male aedeagus two-segmented; (9) the overall habitus elongate and oval, with lateral pronotal and elytral margins discontinuous; (10) without distinct denticles along the posterior margins of the abdominal sternites; (11) the male genitalia (both median lobe and lateral lobes) bilaterally symmetrical; and (12) the metatrochanter small relative to the metafemur, approximately 0.6 × the length of the metafemur.

The genus is relatively similar in appearance and overall shape of the male genitalia to Liodessus Guignot, a rather generalized group of Bidessini species. However, Novadessus is missing both the transverse occipital line across the back of the head and the basal elytral striae, each of which is characteristic of Liodessus . In Miller and Bergsten (2016) the genus keys out to couplet 13 which separates Fontidessus Miller and Spangler and Neobidessodes Hendrich and Balke, neither of which is a convincing fit. Fontidessus , though Neotropical like Novadessus , have a characteristic ventral sclerite on the male median lobe and very large metatrochanters, neither of which are present in Novadessus . Neobidessodes have a rather different body shape (elongate oval with a continuous lateral body line), are Australian, and do not appear to be similar in any other particular way to Novadessus . Spanglerodessus Miller and García and Amarodytes Régimbart (both Neotropical) each also have the combination of absence of an occipital line, presence of pronotal striae and absence of elytral striae, but the first is very broad and broadly rounded laterally with a broad pronotal bead and the second has the pronotal striae generally short, curved and located somewhat laterally. In addition, each group is superficially quite distinct from Novadessus in many other less discrete characters such as body shape, overall coloration, surface sculpture, etc. Even so, the relationships of Novadessus to these other taxa, and to other Bidessini genera in general, is unknown and needs investigation.

Etymology.

This genus is named Novadessus from the Latin word, novus, meaning “new” and dessus, a common root for genera in the Bidessini .