Copelatus miaowangi Hájek, Jiang, & Jia, 2022

Jiang, Zhuo-Yin, Zhao, Shuang, Yang, Zhen-Yu, Jia, Feng-Long & Hájek, Jiří, 2022, A review of Copelatus Erichson, 1832 of Mainland China, with description of ten new species from the japonicus complex (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae: Copelatinae), Zootaxa 5124 (3), pp. 251-295 : 261-262

Copelatus miaowangi Hájek, Jiang, & Jia sp. nov.

( Figs 11 , 43–44 )

Type locality. China, Guizhou Province, Liupanshui City Region, 10 km W Liupanshui City, Yaoshang reservoir, ca. 26°36′N 104°47′E, ca. 1820 m .

Type material. Holotype ♂ ( IAECAS), labelled: “ CHINA: Guizhou / 10km W Lipanshui [Sic! See the type locality.] City / 27.7.1997, ca. 1800m / leg. M. Wang (CWBS 268) [p] // HOLOTYPE / COPELATUS / miaowangi sp. nov. / Hájek, Jiang & Jia det. 2021 [red label, p]” . Paratypes: 6 ♂, same label data as holotype and the respective paratype label ( NHMW, NMPC, SYSU) .

Description of male holotype. Habitus ( Fig. 11 ) oblong-oval, with continuous outline, broadest in anterior 1/3 of elytral length, convex. Dorsal surface shiny.

Colouration. Head brownish black, clypeus reddish brown; pronotum brownish black, laterally broadly orangebrown, anterior and posterior margin somewhat orange-brown translucent; elytra brown with moderately broad, irregularly shaped, basal orange band not reaching suture; appendages orange-brown; ventral side brown.

Head. Moderately broad, ca. 0.60× width of pronotum, semicircular. Anterior margin of clypeus indistinctly concave. Antenna with antennomeres long and slender. Reticulation consisting of moderately deeply impressed polygonal isodiametric meshes. Punctation double, consisting of coarse setigerous punctures, and fine punctures spread sparsely on surface; row of coarse punctures present alongside inner margin of eyes, several punctures present also in fronto-clypeal depressions; fine punctures smaller and sparser on clypeus, becoming larger and more dense posteriorly.

Pronotum. Transverse (width/length ratio = 2.80), broadest between posterior angles, lateral margins moderately curved. Lateral sides with beading thin but distinct, except for anterior angles. Reticulation similar to that of head. Punctation similar to that of head; rows of coarse setigerous punctures present along anterior margin, laterally close to sides, several punctures present also in shallow baso-lateral depressions along basal margin. Pronotum basolaterally and especially laterally with several, irregularly distributed short longitudinal strioles. Centre of disc with shallowly impressed medial longitudinal smooth line.

Elytra. Base of elytra as broad as pronotal base; lateral margins of elytra slightly diverging in basal third, then distinctly narrowing to apex. Six complete discal and one submarginal longitudinal striae present on each elytron: striae 2–4, 6 beginning at base, striae 1 and 5 beginning slightly posteriorly to base; stria 1 longest, ending close to apex; striae 2–5 somewhat shorter, ending subapically, even striae generally shorter than odd striae; stria 6 ending at apical fourth; submarginal stria long, beginning before elytral mid-length and ending at apical fifth. Reticulation similar to that of head and pronotum, but less impressed. Punctation consisting of coarse setigerous punctures and very fine sparse punctures; coarse punctures present along elytral striae and lateral margins of elytra.

Legs. Protibia modified, angled near base, distinctly broadened anteriorly, club shaped. Pro- and mesotarsomeres 1–3 distinctly broadened, with four rows of adhesive setae on their ventral side; claws simple.

Ventral side. Prosternum sinuate anteriorly, obtusely keeled medially. Prosternal process shortly lanceolate, in cross-section convex, apex obtuse; process distinctly bordered laterally; reticulation not perceptible. Metaventrite with microsculpture consisting of polygonal meshes, laterally with oblique strioles; lateral parts of metaventrite (“metasternal wings”) tongue-shaped, slender. Metacoxal lines nearly complete, absent only close to metaventrite. Metacoxal plates covered with short oblique strioles; reticulation consisting of elongate, oblique, polygonal meshes. Metacoxal processes rounded at posterior margin. Abdominal ventrites I–II with longitudinal strioles; ventrites III–IV with oblique strioles laterally. Tuft of setae present medially on ventrites III–V; ventrite VI with setigerous punctures laterally on either side. Abdominal reticulation consisting of elongate polygonal meshes, longitudinal on ventrites I–II, oblique on ventrite III and transverse on ventrites IV–VI. Punctation consisting of fine, sparsely distributed punctures.

Male genitalia. Median lobe of aedeagus in lateral view sickle-shaped, narrowing in apical third to obtusely pointed apex; dorsal side of apical part straight, ventral side slightly concave ( Fig. 43 ). Parameres moderately broad, ‘C’-shaped; apex short and broad; apical lobes long, club-shaped ( Fig. 44 ).

Female. Unknown.

Variability. All specimens of the type series are rather uniform. Minor variability can be seen in dorsal surface colouration, especially in the shape and extent of basal elytral band. The paratypes vary also slightly in number and extent of pronotal striolation.

Measurements. TL: 5.6–6.1 mm (mean value: 5.8 ± 0.1 mm); holotype: 5.8 mm. TL-h: 5.0– 5.5 mm (mean value: 5.2 ± 0.1 mm); holotype: 5.2 mm. MW: 2.8–3.0 mm (mean value: 2.9 ± 0.1 mm); holotype: 2.9 mm.

Differential diagnosis. Based on the presence of six dorsal striae and a submarginal stria on each elytron, the new species can be classified within Copelatus irinus species group. Elongate habitus, complete elytral striation and male median lobe without distinct process place C. miaowangi sp. nov. in the C. japonicus complex. Based on the shape of male genitalia, the new species is very similar to C. chinensis . It is, however, distinctly bigger than the latter species; and its median lobe has the slender apical part longer (ca. 1/3 of median lobe length), with dorsal side straight and ventral side slightly concave (see Figs 31 and 43 ).

Collection details. The specimens of the type series were collected at the Yao Shang Reservoir; the bank had mud and sand bottom, with aquatic vegetation; it was slightly polluted, surrounded by agricultural fields ( Jäch & Ji 1998).

Etymology. The new species is dedicated to its collector, Miao Wang (Shenyang, China). The specific epithet is a noun in the genitive singular.

Distribution. So far known only from the type locality in western Guizhou, China ( Fig. 81 ).

Figures

FIGURE 81. Map of distribution of Copelatus in China Mainland.

FIGURES 9–12. Habitus of Copelatus in China. 9. C. malaisei (♂; Tengchong, Yunnan); 10. C. malaisei (♀; Tengchong, Yunnan); 11. C. miaowangi sp. nov. (paratype ♂; Liupanshui, Guizhou); 12. C. mopanshanensis sp. nov. (paratype ♂; Mopan Shan, Yunnan). Scale bar 1 mm.

FIGURES 39–50. Male genitalia of Copelatus. 39, 41, 43, 45, 47, 49. median lobe in lateral view; 40, 42, 44, 46, 48, 50. paramere. 39–40. C. japonicus (Shanghai); 41. C. malaisei (a. Gaoligongshan, Yunnan; b. Renjiafen, Yunnan); 42. C. malaisei (Renjiafen, Yunnan); 43–44. C. miaowangi sp. nov. (paratype, Liupanshui, Guizhou); 45–46. C. mopanshanensis sp. nov. (holotype, Mopanshan, Yunnan); 47–48. C. nanlingensis sp. nov. (holotype, Dadongshan, Guangdong); 49–50. C. oblitus (Macao). Scale bar 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 29–38. Male genitalia of Copelatus. 29, 31, 33, 35, 37. median lobe in lateral view; 30, 32, 34, 36, 38. paramere. 29–30. C. bacchusi (Hainan); 31. C. chinensis (a. Lakeshan, Zhejiang; b. Yanjiajie, Hunan; c. Tainmushan, Zhejiang); 32. C. chinensis (Tianmushan, Zhejiang); 33. C. dentatipenis sp. nov. (a. holotype, Jinggangshan, Jiangxi; b. Guadun, Fujian; c. Mangshan, Hunan); 34. C. dentatipenis sp. nov. (holotype, Jinggangshan, Jiangxi); 35–36. C. felicis sp. nov. (holotype, Baishui, Yunnan); 37. C. diversistriatus sp. nov. (a. holotype, Pu’er, Yunnan; aa. detail of lateral carina with spines; b. Attapeu, Laos; c. NE Mintaingbin Forest Camp, Myanmar); 38. C. diversistriatus sp. nov. (holotype, Pu’er, Yunnan). Scale bar 0.5 mm.