Exocelina edeltraudae 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 : 12-14

9. Exocelina edeltraudae Shaverdo, Hendrich & Balke sp. n. Figs 4 A–F, 30

Type locality.

Papua New Guinea: Western Highlands Province, Kurumul, 6 km SW Kudjip, 05°53.43'S, 144°36.60'E.

Type material.

Holotype: male "Papua New Guinea: Western Highlands, Kurumul, 6Km SW Kudjip, small stream, 1584m, 13.vi.1994, 05.53.426S, 144.36.600E, John (PNG 78)" (ZSM). Paratypes: Western Highlands: 11 males with the same label as the holotype, one of them additionally with a green label "DNA M.Balke 1341" (NHMW, ZSM). 2 males "Papua New Guinea: Western Highlands, Mt. Hagen town area, 1600m, 7.xii.1994 05.49.745S, 144.22.357E Balke & Kinibel (PNG 131)" (ZSM). Southern Highlands: 3 males "PAPUA N.G.: 6.-9.5.1998 Southern Highl. Prov. Tari-Koroba, Hedemari [Hedamali] 1700-1900 m, leg. Riedel" (NHMW). 1 male, 3 females "Papua New Guinea: Southern Highlands, Tari Komo road, 10km N Hides Gas, 1700m, 13.v.1994, Balke (PNG 61)" (ZSM). 12 males, 8 females "Papua New Guinea: Southern Highlands, Tari to Koroba, 1600m, 15.v.1994, 05.46.500S, 142.50.000E, Balke (PNG 65)" (NARI, NHMW, ZSM). 6 males, 1 female "Papua New Guinea: Southern Highlands, Koroba, 1600m, 15.v.1994, 05.41.854S, 142.43.836E, Balke (PNG 66)" (NHMW, ZSM).

Diagnosis.

Beetle middle-sized, piceous, submatt; pronotum with distinct lateral bead; male sternite 7 slightly to distinctly concave apically; male antennomeres 3-5 distinctly enlarged, almost equally in size and shape, antennomeres 6-8 enlarged; male protarsomere 4 with middle-sized, slender, evidently curved anterolateral hook; median lobe with very strong submedian constriction and proximal part very broad in ventral view, apex of median lobe pointed and strongly curved downwards in lateral; paramere with distinct notch on dorsal side and subdistal part elongate, with numerous, dense, long, thin setae. The species is well recognizable by the modified antennae of the males and the shape of the median lobe.

Description.

Size and shape: Beetle middle-sized (TL-H 3.85-4.2 mm, TL 4.15-4.55 mm, MW 2.1-2.55 mm), with oblong-oval habitus, broadest at elytral middle. Coloration: Dorsally piceous, with dark brown anterior margin of head and narrowly pronotal sides; head appendages and legs brown, legs distally darker (Fig. 30).

Surface sculpture: Head with dense, coarse punctation (spaces between punctures 1-3 times size of punctures), especially on vertex. Pronotum with punctation much finer, sparser, and more evenly distributed than on head. Elytra with extremely sparse and fine punctation. Pronotum and elytra with strongly impressed microreticulation, dorsal surface, thus, submatt. 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 with distinct lateral bead. Base of prosternum and neck of prosternal process with distinct ridge, rounded and smooth anteriorly, with small anterolateral extensions. Blade of prosternal process lanceolate, relatively narrow, convex, with distinct bead and few setae; neck and blade of prosternal process evenly jointed. Abdominal sternite 7 broadly rounded or concave apically.

Male: Antennomeres 3-5 distinctly enlarged, almost equally in size, antennomeres 6-8 enlarged (Fig. 4A), antennomeres 3-7 rugose ventrally. Protarsomere 4 with middle-sized, slender, evidently curved anterolateral hook. Protarsomere 5 ventrally with anterior row of 15 short setae and posterior row of 5 short setae (Fig. 4B). Abdominal sternite 7 with 8-11 lateral striae on each side, slightly to distinctly concave apically (Fig. 4C). Median lobe with very strong submedian constriction and proximal part very broad in ventral view, apex of median lobe pointed and strongly curved downwards in lateral view (Figs 4D, E). Paramere with distinct notch on dorsal side and subdistal part elongate, with numerous, dense, long, thin setae (Fig. 4F).

Female: Antennae simple, abdominal sternite 7 broadly rounded apically, without striae.

Distribution.

Papua New Guinea. The species is known from Western Highlands and Southern Highlands Provinces (Fig. 50).

Etymology.

Dedicated to Edeltraud Tötzl, senior author’s mother-in-law: "With my sincere thankfulness. Without your help with my children, my scientific work was not possible during last six years". The species name is a noun in the genitive case.