Exocelina ekari Shaverdo, Hendrich & Balke

Shaverdo, Helena V., Surbakti, Suriani, Hendrich, Lars & Balke, Michael, 2012, Introduction of the Exocelina ekari-group with descriptions of 22 new species from New Guinea (Coleoptera, Dytiscidae, Copelatinae), ZooKeys 250, pp. 1-76 : 14-15

10. Exocelina ekari Shaverdo, Hendrich & Balke sp. n. Figs 16 A–E, 42

Papuadytes ekari Balke, Pons, Ribera, Sagata & Vogler, 2007: 511 (as group name, nomen nudum).

Type locality.

Indonesia: Papua Province: Nabire/Paniai Regencies, road Nabire-Enarotali, 55th km, 03°29.80'S, 135°43.89'E. Note: the road only goes up to Enarotali, Ilaga is much further in the mountains, therefore people now refer to the road as Nabire-Enarotali.

Type material.

Holotype: male "IR90-11: W. New Guinea, Trek Nabire-Ilaga, km55, 19.-25.ix.1990, Balke" (NHMW). Paratypes: 3 males with the same label as the holotype (ZSM). 1 male "IRIAN JAYA: Paniai Prov. road Nabire-Ilaga, km 54 10.9.1996, 800m leg. M. Balke (96 # 20)" (NHMW), 2 males "IRIAN JAYA: Paniai Prov. road Nabire-Ilaga, km 54 10.9.1996, 900m leg. M. Balke (96 # 19)" (NHMW).

Additional material.

10 females "IRIAN JAYA: Paniai Prov. road Nabire-Ilaga, km 54 10.9.1996, 900m leg. M. Balke (96 # 19)" (NHMW). These females are most likely a mixture of three species: Exocelina ekari sp. n., Exocelina weylandensis sp. n., and Exocelina kakapupu sp.n. Also see the paragraph of Exocelina irianensis sp. n.

Diagnosis.

Beetle small, dark brown, with slightly paler anterior part of head and pronotal sides, shiny; pronotum without lateral bead; male antennomeres 3-10 stout; male protarsomere 4 with large, thick, strongly curved anterolateral hook; median lobe with strong submedian constriction and apical part very broad in ventral view and slightly flattened in lateral view; paramere with notch on dorsal side and subdistal part short and small, with not numerous, relatively short, thick, and flattened setae.

Description.

Size and shape: Beetle small (TL-H 3.4-3.7 mm, TL 3.75-4.05 mm, MW 1.75-1.95 mm), with oblong-oval habitus, broadest at elytral middle. Coloration: Head dark brown, reddish anteriorly, in one specimen blackish posterior eyes; pronotum dark brown to blackish-brown, with reddish sides or only their anterior parts; elytra dark brown; head appendages yellow to yellowish-red, legs distally darker, hind legs to dark brown (Fig. 42).

Surface sculpture: Head with dense punctation (spaces between punctures 1-3 times size of punctures), evidently finer and sparser anteriorly; diameter of punctures smaller than diameter of cells of microreticulation. Pronotum with much finer and sparser punctation than on head. Elytra with very sparse and fine punctation, almost invisible. Head, pronotum, and elytra with weakly impressed microreticulation, dorsal surface, thus, shiny. Head with microreticulation stronger. Metaventrite and metacoxa distinctly microreticulate, metacoxal plates with longitudinal strioles and transverse wrinkles. Abdominal sternites with distinct microreticulation, strioles, and fine sparse punctation, coarser and denser on two last abdominal sternites.

Structures: Pronotum without lateral bead or with weak traces of lateral bead. Base of prosternum and neck of prosternal process with distinct ridge, anteriorly rounded, smooth, with very small anterolateral extensions. Blade of prosternal process lanceolate, relatively broad, convex, with distinct bead and few setae; neck and blade of prosternal process evenly jointed. Abdominal sternite 7 broadly rounded apically.

Male: Antennomeres 3-10 stout (Fig. 16A). Protarsomere 4 with large, thick, strongly curved anterolateral hook. Protarsomere 5 ventrally with anterior row of 10 short setae and posterior row of 5 short setae (Fig. 16B). Abdominal sternite 7 with 1-5 lateral striae on each side. Median lobe with strong submedian constriction and apical part very broad in ventral view and somehow flattened in lateral view (Figs 16C, D). Paramere with notch on dorsal side and subdistal part short and small, with not numerous, relatively short, thick, and flattened setae (Fig. 16E).

Female: Antennae more slender, abdominal sternite 7 without striae.

Distribution.

Indonesia: Papua Province: Nabire and Paniai Regencies. This species is known only from the type locality area (Fig. 50).

Etymology.

This species is named for the native community (Ekari people) which inhabits the area from which the specimens have been collected. The name is a noun in the nominative standing in apposition.