Copelatus, Sheth & Ghate & Hájek, 2018

Sheth, Sayali D., Ghate, Hemant V. & Hájek, Jiří, 2018, Copelatus Erichson, 1832 from Maharashtra, India, with description of three new species and notes on other taxa of the genus (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae: Copelatinae), Zootaxa 4459 (2), pp. 235-260 : 251-252

Key to Copelatus species of Maharashtra

1. Body elongate oval; elytra with more than six dorsal striae..................................................... 2

- Body broadly oval; elytra with six dorsal striae.............................................................. 4

2. Elytra with 11–12 dorsal striae ( C. nigrolineatus group)....................................................... 3

- Elytra with 9 dorsal striae ( C. consors group). Base of pronotum distinctly wider than width of elytra; elytra completely striolate ( Fig. 4 )................................................................... Copelatus maushomi sp. nov.

3. Bigger species (TL: 5.3–6.9 mm), elytra ochre unicolorous; elytral striae well impressed complete ( Figs 1–2 ). Median lobe in lateral aspect broad in basal three fourths, then narrowing to pointed apex; almost evenly curved except at base ( Fig. 17 )................................................................................ Copelatus deccanensis sp. nov.

- Smaller species (TL: 4.0– 4.5 mm), elytra bicolorous with broad pale transverse basal band; elytral striae shallowly impressed, absent from apical fourth of elytral length ( Fig. 3 ). Median lobe in lateral aspect broad from base to apex, broader in apical half, apex abruptly pointed; not evenly curved ( Fig. 19 )............................ C. schuhi Hendrich & Balke, 1998

4. Elytra with submarginal stria ( C. irinus group).............................................................. 5

- Elytra without submarginal stria ( C. duodecimstriatus group)................................................... 8

5. Median lobe in lateral view with two distinct 'teeth' on ventral side ( Figs 23, 29 ).................................... 6

- Median lobe simply sickle-shaped, without any 'teeth' on ventral side ( Figs 25, 27 ).................................. 7

6. Median lobe in apical third almost straight on dorsal side with distinctly dorsally bent apex ( Fig. 23 ); parameres smooth on inner side ( Fig. 24 )............................................................... Copelatus bezdeki sp. nov.

- Median lobe in apical third almost regularly sinuous with shallow emargination before apex on ventral side ( Fig. 29 ); parameres with distinct serration on inner side ( Fig. 30 ).................................. C. schereri Wewalka, 1981

7. Slender species with dorsal coloration uniformly dark except for lateral margin ( Figs 7–8 ). Elytral stria 1 starts at base. Median lobe in apical third gradually narrowing to pointed apex ( Fig. 25 )............................... C. indicus Sharp, 1882

- Broader species with variable, but distinct yellow-black elytral coloration ( Figs 9–11 ). Elytral stria 1 starts subbasally. Median lobe in apical third broad with dorsally bent obtusely pointed apex ( Fig. 27 ).................. C. neelumae Vazirani, 1973

8. Smaller species (TL: 3.7–4.2 mm). Median lobe almost evenly curved throughout, except basal fourth; apex narrowly pointed ( Fig. 31 ).................................................................. C. cryptarchoides Régimbart, 1899

- Bigger species (TL: 4.9–5.6 mm). Median lobe broad in basal two thirds, almost straight and narrowing to pointed apex in apical fourth ( Fig. 33 ).............................................................. C. mysorensis Vazirani, 1970

Figures

FIGURES 1–4. Habitus of Copelatus. 1–2. C. deccanensis sp. nov.: 1. male holotype; 2. male paratype with striolate elytra (Harishchandragad); 3. C. schuhi, male (Lonavala); 4. C. maushomi sp. nov., male holotype.

FIGURES 17–22. Male genitalia of Copelatus. 17–18. C. deccanensis sp. nov.; 19–20. C. schuhi; 21–22. C. maushomi sp. nov. 17, 19, 21. median lobe in lateral view; 18, 20, 22. paramere. Scale bar 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 23–30. Male genitalia of Copelatus. 23–24. C. bezdeki sp. nov.; 25–26. C. indicus; 27–28. C. neelumae; 29–30. C. schereri. 23, 25, 27, 29. median lobe in lateral view (27a. redrawn from original description of C. neelumae); 24, 26, 28, 30. paramere. Scale bar 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 5–8. Habitus of Copelatus. 5–6. C. bezdeki sp. nov.: 5. male holotype; 6. female paratype (Lonavala); 7–8. C. indicus: 7. male (Lonavala); 8. female (Mahabaleshwar).

FIGURES 9–12. Habitus of Copelatus. 9–11. C. neelumae: 9. male, pale form (Karnataka); 10. male, dark form (Maharashtra, Lonavala); 11. female, immature specimen of dark form (Maharashtra, Mulshi); 12. C. schereri, male (Sadawaghapur).

FIGURES 31–34. Male genitalia of Copelatus. 31–32. C. cryptarchoides; 33–34. C. mysorensis. 31, 33. median lobe in lateral view; 32, 34. paramere. Scale bar 0.5 mm.