Copelatus peridinus Guignot, 1955

Ranarilalatiana, Tolotra, Raveloson Ravaomanarivo, Lala Harivelo & Bergsten, Johannes, 2019, Taxonomic revision of the genus Copelatus of Madagascar (Coleoptera, Dytiscidae, Copelatinae): the non- erichsonii group species, ZooKeys 869, pp. 19-90 : 19

Copelatus peridinus Guignot, 1955 Figs 4A , 7A

Copelatus peridinus Guignot, 1955c: 188.

Copelatus seydeli Guignot, 1958: 107; TL: Elisabethville, Zaire [DR Congo, Haut-Katanga, Lubumbashi].

Type locality.

Elisabethville, Zaire [DR Congo, Haut-Katanga, Lubumbashi].

Type material studied.

-PT ♀ (MNHN, "Coll. Guignot"): // Data in NHRS | JLKB | 000030317 // Allotype [red label] // [female symbol] // Elisabethville | XI. 1951 // Copelatus | peridinus | Allotype ♀ //

Additional material studied.

-1♂(GP) (MNHN, "Coll. Guignot"): // Data in NHRS | JLKB | 000030318 // Congo Belge Lac | Edouard: Vitshumbi | U.V. 27.XI.1953 | 3091 // Antananarivo. Analamanga: Antananarivo: -3♂(GP), 3♀ (MNHN, "Coll. Legros Magasin"): // Data in NHRS | JLKB | 000030319-24 // MADAGASCAR | TANANARIVE | BETONGOLO | 2 XII 1946 // Piège | lumineux // Museum Paris | 1983 | Coll. Cl. Legros // Toamasina. Alaotra Mangoro: Moramanga: -1♂(GP), 2♀ (MNHN, "Coll. Paulian"): // Data in NHRS | JLKB | 000030316, 30325-6 // Madagascar Est | P.K.57-Rte d’Anosibe | Moramanga | II.58 R. Vieu // -1♂(GP), 1♀ (NMPC, "Coll. J. Hájek”): // Data in NHRS | JLKB | 000030327, 30328 // Madagascar | Lokato, near | Andasibe Mantadia NP | M. Tryzna leg., 9-10.i.2007 // coll. Jiri HÁJEK | National Museum | Prague, Czech Republic // ["Lokato near Andasibe Mantadia NP" interpreted as the bifurcation of the road to Lakato which is near Andasibe Mantadia NP. Lakato itself is not near Andasibe Mantadia NP.] -2♂(GP), 1♀(teneral), 1♀, 1♂ (Alc. teneral) (NHRS): // NHRS-JLKB | 000010887, 65737, 65703, 10888(Alc.) // MAD: TOAM: Alaotra Mangoro: | Andasibe Mantadia NP, Analamazaotra: | 150m E of park entrance: Mad14-14 | shallow partly dried out forest pond: | 18.9355S | 48.4166E: 930m: 27.XI.2014 // Leg. J. Bergsten, R. | Bukontaite, S. Holmgren, | J.H. Randriamihaja & T. Ranarilalatiana //

Diagnosis.

Similar to C. baculiformis based on shape and colouration, but C. peridinus is bigger with body length between 5.7 and 6.6 mm ( Fig. 7A ). Elytra lacking deeply impressed striae, but elytral rows of impressed points present out of which two rows are most distinct. Penis in lateral view curved with two points at which it curves slightly more abruptly creating two gentle angles ( Fig. 4A ); parameres rather broad at base and evenly curved ( Fig. 4A ).

Description.

Body length 5.7-6.6 mm. Body shape elongate oval, from midpoint uniformly tapering towards a rather pointed apex. Head and pronotum both in the same dark brown to blackish ferrugineous colouration; elytra anteriorly in the same colour as pronotum, but posterior part brown ferrugineous with largely testaceous lateral margins ( Fig. 7A ). Head, pronotum and elytra with thin dense punctation, in addition pronotum and elytra with small and shallow punctures, and microsculptured. At posterolateral corners of pronotum, punctures almost a little joined and corrugated. Elytra lacking deeply impressed striae. Two continuous rows of punctures are most obvious and divide the elytra in three more or less equal intervals. A third and a fourth row of punctures also present, albeit less distinct and more fragmented. These occur between the two first distinct rows and between the second distinct row and the elytral margin. A fifth row suggested between the two outermost rows by a few spaced out punctures, almost unidentifiable in most Malagasy specimens seen but more distinct in specimens seen from mainland Africa. Appendages testaceous to rufus.

Ventral side dark ferrugineous. Prosternal process strongly carinate anteriorly and with a rather short process. Lateral parts of the metaventrite medium-broad. Metacoxal lines short, anteriorly diverging and abbreviated well before metaventral margin. Metacoxa with short fine strioles continuing onto abdominal ventrites.

Male: first three pro- and mesotarsomeres widened. Protibia modified, narrow at base and with an early abrupt bend, extended and broadened towards middle with a straight ventral side but angled dorsal side. Pro- and mesotarsal claws unmodified.

Penis in ventral view with apical part more or less straight and even, gently pointed at apex but with the very apex minutely twisted to the right ( Fig. 4A ). Penis in lateral view curved with two points (1/3rd and 2/3rd from base) at which it curves slightly more abruptly creating two gentle angles ( Fig. 4A ). Parameres rather broad at base and evenly curved and tapering towards apex ( Fig. 4A ).

Female: dorsal sculpture similar to male.

Distribution.

Likely a more widespread distribution in at least central and eastern continental Africa than the current records (Lubumbashi and Kivu in DR Congo) indicate. In Madagascar, only know from the eastern central parts: Betongolo (Antananarivo), the Analamazaotra NP, and P.K.57 Route d’Anosibe [RN23] ( Fig. 11C ).

Habitat and ecology.

A series of six specimens collected with light trap ( “piège lumineux") in the capital Antananarivo 1946, indicates flight capacity and anthropogenically disturbed habitats. All records from DR Congo are also from light trap catches ( Bilardo 1982). We collected a second series of teneral specimens in a shallow forest pool with vegetation, near the entrance to the Analamazaotra NP.

Comments.

This species was described from Lubumbashi, DR Congo, and has not been recorded from Madagascar before. Earliest record found is from November 1946. It seems to be a dispersive good flier and often collected at light so its presence in Madagascar is therefore not surprising. However, it is not widespread in Madagascar as far as we know. In fact, the known distribution is restricted to the surroundings of the capital and east of the capital along the main national route towards Toamasina, which could suggest a recent incidental human-mediated introduction from mainland Africa.

Note that it may be that this is a species with intraspecific variation with regards to elytral striation, ranging from five puncture lines out of which two are more distinct, to five weakly impressed striae (see further discussion under Copelatus sp. 2 below).

Figures

Figure 4. Male genitalia. From left to right, aedeagus in right lateral, ventral, left lateral views and left paramere. A Copelatus peridinus B Copelatus distinguendus C Copelatus pseudostriatus sp. nov.

Figure 7. Habitus, dorsal view. A Male: Copelatus peridinus B Female: Copelatus baculiformis C Female: Copelatus sp. 2 (Andasibe) D Female: Copelatus distinguendus.

Figure 11. Distribution maps of Copelatus species. A C. marginipennis (circle), C. baculiformis (square) B C. mahajanga (circle), C. sp. 2 (square) C C. pulchellus (circle), C. peridinus (square) D C. distinguendus (circle), C. sp. 1 (square).