Novochares garciai, Short & Girón, 2023

Short, Andrew Edward Z. & Giron, Jennifer C., 2023, Revision of the Neotropical water scavenger beetle genus Novochares Giron & Short (Coleoptera, Hydrophilidae, Acidocerinae), ZooKeys 1171, pp. 1-112 : 1

Novochares garciai sp. nov.

Figs 20F , 22B

Type material.

Holotype (male): "Venezuela-Zulia/ Mision El Rosario/ 50m, 12-13-I-1977", "L.J. Joly T./ J. Salcedo/ J. Clavijo" (MIZA).

Differential diagnosis.

See differential diagnosis of N. clavieri .

Description.

Body length 5.8-6.0 mm. Coloration: Dorsal surfaces dark brown, with very slightly paler (brown) margins of pronotum and elytra. Head: Maxillary palps nearly 1.3 × width of head, uniformly brown in color. Thorax: Ground punctation on pronotum and elytra relatively dense and very shallowly impressed. Elytra without rows of serial punctures, each with very faint rows (one dorsal and two or three lateral) of scarce and weakly marked systematic punctures. Prosternum medially very weakly convex. Posterior elevation of mesoventrite weakly, broadly, and somewhat longitudinally elevated, with low medial longitudinal ridge extending anteriorly. Abdomen: Apical emargination of fifth ventrite relatively deep and broad, U-shaped. Aedeagus: (Fig. 20F ) Overall shape pear-like, 2.5 × longer than wide, with outer lateral margins of parameres evenly convex along basal 4/5; apical region of each paramere rounded, with outer margin smooth, not pointed; at closest point, dorsal inner margins of parameres separated by distance 0.4 × greatest width of a paramere; dorsal plate of median lobe with neck dorsally concave, 0.35 × as broad as base; arms of dorsal plate of median lobe diverging, nearly 0.18 × length of dorsal plate of median lobe; each arm gradually and uniformly narrowing to rounded apex; notch between arms at base slightly wider than base of an arm; gonopore placed at base of neck of dorsal plate of median lobe; ventral plate of median lobe not clearly visible; basal piece 0.4 × length of a paramere. In lateral view, aedeagus oblique at base, with ventral outline of parameres 3.7 × longer than greatest width near base; dorsal outline of aedeagus in lateral view straight nearly along basal 2/3.

Etymology.

In honor of Venezuelan aquatic researcher Mauricio García, in recognition of his contributions to the knowledge of Venezuelan aquatic beetles.

Distribution.

Known only from the type locality (Fig. 22B ).

Habitat.

Nothing is known about the habitat of this species.

Figures

Figure 20. Aedeagi of the Novochares sallaei species group A-E N. chaquensis F N. garciai G-I N. dicranospathus J-L N. atratus M-R N. sallaei A-C Argentina D Costa Rica E Trinidad M-P Guatemala Q, R Mexico A, D-G, J, M, Q dorsal view B, H, K, N, R ventral view C, I, L, O lateral view P oblique view.

Figure 22. Distribution of Novochares sallaei species group A N. cochlearis (red: circles, examined specimens; squares, literature / unconfirmed records), N. dicranospathus (yellow), N. pastinum (blue) B N. atratus (red: circles, examined specimens; squares, literature / unconfirmed records), N. clavieri (yellow), N. bisinuatus (blue), N. garciai (green) C N. chaquensis (red: circles, examined specimens; squares, literature / unconfirmed records), N. pichilingue (yellow) D N. fernandezae (red), N. tridentis (yellow), N. quadrispinus (blue), N. unguis (green).