Hypsilara autanai, Laššová, Kristína, Čiampor, Fedor & Čiamporová-Zaťovičová, Zuzana, 2014

Laššová, Kristína, Čiampor, Fedor & Čiamporová-Zaťovičová, Zuzana, 2014, Two new Larainae species from Guayana region, Venezuela (Coleoptera: Elmidae), Zootaxa 3753 (2), pp. 187-195 : 192-194

Hypsilara autanai n. sp.

Figs 15–21

Type locality: stream ca. 2–3 m wide, situated at the foot of a mountain, quickly flowing in a dense forest with cascades, riffles and pools, with stones, roots and moss.

Type material: holotype male ( NMW): ” Venezuela, Amazonas Province, Cerro Autana env., stream ca. 2–3m wide, with stones, roots and moss, 131 m a.s.l., 04°49'33.6'' N, 067°28'55.4'' W, 23.11.2012, Čiampor Jr & Čiamporová-Zaťovičová lgt.”, paratypes ( CCB, NMW, MIZA, ZSM): 2 specimens with the same locality data as holotype; 7 specimens ” Venezuela, Amazonas Province, Cerro Cuao env., small stream in primary forest, ca. 1m wide, with large boulders, fine gravel, moss and fallen wood, 923 m a.s.l., 05°05'39.1'' N 067°27'41.4'' W, 19.11.2012 ”.

Diagnosis. Hypsilara autanai n. sp. resembles externally both known species. It differs in smallest size, less convex dorsum, pronotal sublateral grooves almost straight, pronotal median longitudinal groove short but deeply impressed, narrower elytra, elytral apices not produced, metaventrite of males without admedian tufts of darkened setae and different shape of aedeagus as follows: a) phallobase ca. 0.63 times as long as penis, b) parameres ca. 0.8 times as long as penis, c) parameres narrowly fused at base, d) penis narrowly triangular in ventral or dorsal view. Hypsilara autanai n. sp. is also well characterized by differences in cox1 gene.

Description. Body elongate ( Fig. 17 ), CL: 3.67 mm, ca. 2.26 times longer than wide (CL/EW), dorsum feebly convex, dorsal surface with very dense short recumbent setae and more sparse longer, dark, semierect setae. Coloration of head dark brown, antenna paler. Body dark brown dorsally, venter reddish-brown, coxa and trochanter light reddish-brown, tarsus brown, tibia brown dorsally, ventrally black.

Head. Head partly retractable into thorax. Labrum short, partly concealed by clypeus, dark brown, with large punctures and longer fine setae, lateral angles rounded; clypeus longer and wider than labrum, about 2.0 times as wide as long, densely setose; frontoclypeal suture visible, straight. Eyes well developed, slightly protruding from head outline, suboval in lateral view, bordered with long setae along upper margin, cranial surface not raised near dorsal margin of eyes. Antennae eleven segmented, scape long and curved, pedicel shorter, both densely setose, remaining segments forming club, nearly as long as scape and pedicel combined.

Thorax. Pronotum widest behind middle, PW: 1.20 mm, PL: 0.89–0.96 mm; disc moderately convex, with deep, short median longitudinal groove in posterior half (not reaching posterior margin), widely V-shaped transversal depression before middle and pair of deep admedian prebasal punctures; sublateral grooves almost straight, well developed from base, reaching middle of pronotum; sides of pronotum moderately convex in posterior 2/3, subparallel in anterior third; lateral margins explanate (wider anteriorly); anterior angles rounded, slightly protruding anteriad; posterior angles nearly orthogonal ( Fig. 17 ). Hypomeron subparallel, slightly narrowed posteriad, margin dark brown to black, anterior depression feebly depressed. Prosternal process 1.5 times as long as prosternum in front of coxae, narrowly triangular, lateral margins slightly rounded, apex rounded. Surface of prosternum with sparse shallow punctures, setose, in males with tuft of longer dark brown setae medially behind anterior margin. Mesoventrite short and wide, with large and deep depression for reception of prosternal process; portions between coxae with distinct transverse darkened carina. Metaventrite with median suture thin and darkened, developed from anterior 1/3 to posterior margin; disc flat, densely pubescent, lateral sides with sparse larger punctures, prebasally with row of punctures along metacoxa. Elytra ca. 2.70 mm long (EL), 1.61 mm wide (EW); subparallel in anterior 0.57, then tapering toward rounded apices; disc slightly convex, posterior third and lateral margins strongly declivous, densely pubescent; elytral margin dark brown to black; humeri rounded; epipleuron glabrous, widest anteriorly, narrowed posteriad. Each elytron with ten rows of punctures, punctures larger and deeper on disc, striae 3 and 4 fused before apex. Scutellum flat, wider than long, with pointed apex and sides arcuate. Legs moderately long, tibiae not flattened, hind tibiae longest; metacoxae transverse prebasally with distinct short transverse carina.

Abdomen. Intercoxal process of ventrite 1 triangular, longer than wide, lateral sides raised, continuing in carinae reaching posterior margin of ventrite, apex subacute; ventrite 5 feebly pointed, margins of ventrites narrowly darkened. Aedeagus elongate, fibula absent, corona membranous; parameres ca 0.8 times as long as penis, widest at the base, narrowed toward narrowly rounded apices, basally fused in ventral view, in lateral view continuously narrowed toward subacute apex, inner side almost straight; penis narrowed in basal 3/4, apical 1/4 abruptly narrowed with subacuminate apex; in lateral view penis feebly curved, slender except widened base. Penis and parameres with sparse fine spines ( Figs 18–20 ). Ovipositor with stylus (terminal segment) short, cylindrical; preterminal segment elongate ca. 7.5 times as long as styli, bearing several small spines; basal segment with baculus ca. 1.3 times as long as preterminal and distal segments combined ( Fig. 21 ).

Sexual dimorphism. Both sexes are very similar regarding external morphology. Males can be distinguished by patches of darkened setae on prosternum.

Distribution. H. autanai n. sp. is known only from the two closely situated localities.

Habitat. The specimens were collected by kick-sampling and individual collecting in preserved, permanently flowing submountain forest stream with riffles and pools. The stream at the sampling site was about 2–3 m wide, with stony substrate covered by moss mats ( Figs 15, 16 ) and naturally humic water with pH 4.67. The measured conductivity was 4 ΜS, total dissolved solids (TDS) 2 ppm and water temperature 24.5 °C.

Etymology. The species is named after Cerro Autana, tepui located in the Amazonas state which stands 1,220 m above sea level. The type locality was situated close to the Autana tepui.

Figures

FIGURES 13 – 16. Type localities: 13, 14) Río Churún, type locality of Hexanchorus angeli n. sp.; 15, 16) small stream near Cerro Autana, type locality of Hypsilara autanai n. sp.

FIGURES 17 – 21. Hypsilara autanai n. sp.: 17) habitus of holotype (male); 18) aedeagus ventral view; 19) aedeagus dorsal view; 20) aedeagus lateral view; 21) ovipositor. Scale bars (FIGURES 18 – 21): 0.1 mm.