Limnebius capensis, Perkins, Philip D., 2015

Perkins, Philip D., 2015, Taxonomy of the water beetle genus Limnebius Leach in southern Africa (Coleoptera: Hydraenidae), Zootaxa 3948 (1), pp. 41-59 : 47-49

Limnebius capensis , new species

Figs. 6 (habitus), 17 (aedeagus), 26 (map)

Type material. Holotype (male): South Africa: Western Cape Province, W. Cape, Hawequas, shore washing, 33° 34' S, 19° 8' E, 10 xi 1973, Endrödy-Younga (#226) ( TMSA). Paratypes (36): South Africa: Eastern Cape Province, Uitenhage District, Van Staaden’s Pass, in gravel at edge of fast stream, 33° 54' S, 25° 12' E, 21 iii 1954, J. Balfour-Browne (84) (11 BMNH); Western Cape Province, Great Berg River, Bridgetown Station 16, river, 32° 5' S, 18° 51' E, 28 i 1952, collector unknown( GBG 505H) (7 AMG); Great Berg River, Sandrift Station 19, marginal vegetation, GBG 547F, 32° 56' S, 18° 32' E, 28 iii 1952, collector unknown(3 AMG); Paarl Vlei on Wemmershoek road; FRW 115M, on mountain side in Aponogeton and Scirpus fluitans vegetation, 34° 4' S, 19° 0' E, 14 ix 1955, collector unknown (FRW 115M.) (1 AMG); S. W. Cape, Nuweberg, 10km NE, shore washing, 34° 3' S, 19° 6' E, 13 xi 1973, Endrödy-Younga (#240) (1 TMSA); Sandrift Station 19; Albany Museum catalog GBG 547F, marginal vegetation, 32° 56' S, 18° 32' E, 28 iii 1952 (1 AMG); Stream beside R339 road in Prince Alfred’s Pass, ca. 10 km S of Avontuur, 33° 45' S, 23° 10' E, 20 ix 2009, D. T. Bilton (4 DTBC); W. Wiedouw farm, shore washing, 31° 43' S, 18° 43' E, 19 viii 1983, Endrödy-Younga (#1946) (1 TMSA); Wellington Road Bridge, Stn. 12; Albany Museum catalog GBG 727A, 33° 35' S, 19° 1' E, 23 iii 1953, collector unknown (6 AMG).

Differential diagnosis. Habitus as illustrated ( Fig. 6 ); a small species with body form slightly drop-shaped, apically moderately acuminate, pronotal disc non-microreticulate, elytra weakly microreticulate. Aedeagus ( Fig. 17) comparatively short, very slightly arcuate in both views, with a large lobe on the right side (ventral view); distal 1/3 with numerous setae, as illustrated; internal capsule located in distal 1/2, not attaining apex, with gonopore approximately located at distal ¾.

Description. Size: holotype (length/width, mm): body (length to elytral apices) 0.94/0.50; pronotum 0.23/ 0.49; elytra 0.57/0.50; approximate height, lateral view 0.32.

Dorsum brown to piceous, head and pronotum usually darker than elytra. Body form elongate oval, not dropshaped, side margin indented slightly where pronotum joins elytra. Pronotum with disc shining, nonmicroreticulate, very sparsely finely punctulate, each puncture with very short adpressed seta; laterally very weakly microreticulate; area posterior to eye (side view) with few distinctly larger punctures, each puncture with adpressed seta, longer than setae on disc. Elytra very weakly microreticulate, almost obsolete, with punctures and setae similar to those on pronotum. Males with first three pro- and mesotarsal segments slightly enlarged, with adhesive setae. Labroclypeal suture arcuate or weakly bisinuate in frontal view in both sexes. Labrum of both sexes not perceptibly thickened at free margin, lateral area on each side not excavate. Elytral apices of male and female quite similar.

Etymology. Named in reference to the geographical distribution.

Distribution. Currently known from the Eastern Cape and Western Cape Provinces of South Africa ( Fig. 26).

Figures

FIGURES 5 – 8. Dorsal and lateral habitus views of holotypes.