Austrelmis robustus, Manzo, Veronica & Archangelsky, Miguel, 2015

Manzo, Veronica & Archangelsky, Miguel, 2015, Austrelmis Brown (Coleoptera: Byrrhoidea: Elmidae) from Argentina: five new species, Zootaxa 4058 (3), pp. 403-416 : 411-414

Austrelmis robustus sp. nov.

( Figs. 1 e; 6 a–c)

Diagnosis. This new species may be distinguished from all the other known Austrelmis species by the following combination of characters: 1) pronotum with complete sublateral carinae, more prominent on apical 2/5 and hardly perceptible at base; 2) prosternum with lateral carinae in basal half; 3) metaventrite and disc of ventrite I with complete lateral carinae; 3) eighth elytral intervals with complete carinae; 4) aedeagus long; penis elongate, apex slightly folded forward (in dorsal and lateral view); fibula and corona present; basolateral apophyses short; parameres subtriangular, shorter than penis; phallobase asymmetrical and open.

Description. Holotype: male. Body subovate, robust, convex. Length: 2.60 mm; greatest width: 1.30 mm (at midlength of elytra).

Color: cuticle shiny, dark; antennae, mouthparts and legs reddish dark.

Plastron: covering genae, sides of prosternum, meso- and metaventrite, inner face of coxae, femora, epipleura and sides of all ventrites.

Head: surface microreticulated and rugose, with disperse golden setae. Fronto-clypeal suture straight; clypeus broad, surface as that of head. Labrum subrectangular, lateral angles with long golden setae; surface smooth; anterior margin smooth and shiny. Antennae with 11 antennomeres, apical segment longest.

Thorax. Pronotum: wider than long (length: 0.75 mm; width: 0.97 mm) ( Fig. 1 e), with oblique and lateral impression at 3/5 of pronotum; anterior margin arcuate; lateral margins subparallel, with anterolateral angles acute and long; posterolateral angles blunt; base trisinuate. Surface punctured, space between punctures shiny and smooth; disc punctured, punctures deep and larger than facet of eyes, separated by 1–2 times their diameter; surface between sublateral carinae and lateral margin with punctures separated by ½ time their diameter. Sublateral carinae present, extending from apical margin to base, hardly perceptible at base. Hypomeron microreticulated and rugose. Prosternum wider than diameter of procoxa; lateral carinae on basal half; prosternal process subquadrangular, almost as wide as long; apex acute. Mesoventrite with groove for reception of prosternal process. Metaventrite with median longitudinal line extending from base to anterior 2/3; surface microreticulated and punctured; punctures larger than facet of eyes, separated by 1½ times their diameter; disc with basal third depressed; lateral carinae complete.

Legs: elongated; pro- and mesotibiae with lateral cleaning fringe on apical 2/3, metatibia with lateral and lateroventral cleaning fringes on apical 2/3. Length: forelegs 1.95 mm, middle legs 2.05mm, hind legs 2.15 mm. Tarsi 5-segmented, tarsomeres with golden setae, fifth tarsomere longest; tarsal claws long and slender, not modified.

Elytra: more than twice as long as pronotum (length: 1.80 mm; greatest width: 1.30 mm); eight punctuate striae formed by punctures larger than facets of eyes, separated by 1–1½ times their diameter; intervals convex, surface punctured, punctures small separated by 2–3 times their diameter, with disperse golden setae; eighth interval carinated; elytral apex moderately protruded. Scutellum subtriangular, almost as wide as long, surface punctured, punctures small, separated by 2–3 times their diameter.

Abdomen: ventrites convex; surface of all ventrites punctured, punctures like those on metaventrite; disc of ventrite I with complete lateral carinae; surface of ventrite V punctured, punctures separated by their diameter; lateral margin produced as prominent tooth; apex rounded, and margin with long golden setae.

Male genitalia: aedeagus ( Figs 6 a–b) long and moderately broad. Penis elongate, subtriangular tapering towards apex; apex slightly folded forward (in dorsal and lateral view); fibula and corona present; basolateral apophyses short. Parameres subtriangular, shorter than penis, apices acute. Phallobase asymmetrical, longer than penis, open.

Female: externally similar to male except for: 1) small punctures of metaventrite and all ventrites separated by 2–3 times their diameter; 2) surface of posterior half of ventrite V with large, deep and contiguous punctures. Female genitalia: as in Fig.6 c.

Type series. Holotype (dissected and illustrated): Male. Argentina: Salta Province, El Tala River, 17-IX-1998, E. Domínguez leg. Paratypes: 5 females and 3 males, same data as holotype; 15 specimens, PN El Rey, nameless stream, 24°43ˈ29S 65°26ˈ42̎W, 23-III-1999, H. Fernández and F. Romero leg. Jujuy Province: 5 specimens, Sierra de Santa Bárbara, between Santa Ana and El Fuerte, nameless river (E), 16-IX-1998, E. Domínguez and C. Molineri leg.; 2 females, Los Toldos, Vallecito River, 25°13ˈ0̎S 64°56ˈ0̎W, 27-X-1999, C. Molineri leg. Catamarca Province, 95 specimens, Departamento El Alto, afluente El Durazno River, 28°21ˈ06 ̎S 65°25ˈ53 ̎W, 8 - II-2000, H. Hernández, F. Romero V. Manzo leg.; 20 males and 11 females, Balcozna, s/n stream, 27°53ˈ26 ̎S 65°43ˈ48 ̎W, 1200 m, 11-XI-1999, C. Molineri and V. Manzo leg.; 1 female, A Pampichuelas, 28°40ˈ 18 ̎S 66°04ˈ44 ̎W, 980 m, 20-XII-2000, H. Fernández, F. Romero and V. Manzo leg.; Tucuman Province, 16 males and 7 females, Departamento Burruyacu, A Artaza, 26°36ˈ13̎S 64°59ˈ20̎W, 30-VIII-2008, V. Manzo and F. Romero leg.; 28 specimens, Nio River, 26°26ˈ28̎S 64°59ˈ20̎W, 30-VIII-2008, V. Manzo and F. Romero leg.

Etymology. robustus latin word it meaning “robust” in reference to the strong and compact appearance of this species.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Pronota of Austrelmis species: a) A. argentinensis sp. nov.; b) A. catamarcensis sp. nov.; c) A. tafi sp. nov.; d) A. talampayensis sp. nov.; e) A. robustus sp. nov. Scale bars 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 6. Austrelmis robustus sp. nov. (holotype): a) male genitalia, dorsal view; b) male genitalia, lateral view; c) female genitalia, ventral view. Scale bars 0.2 mm.