Exocelina iratoi, Shaverdo, Helena, Wild, Michael, Sumoked, Bob & Balke, Michael, 2017

Shaverdo, Helena, Wild, Michael, Sumoked, Bob & Balke, Michael, 2017, Six new species of the genus Exocelina Broun, 1886 from Wano Land, New Guinea (Coleoptera, Dytiscidae, Copelatinae), ZooKeys 665, pp. 93-120 : 96-98

4. Exocelina iratoi sp. n. Figs 5, 13

Type locality.

Papua: Puncak Regency, south from Iratoi, 03°54'20.4"S; 137°12'03.2"E.

Type material.

Holotype: male "Indonesia: Papua Province, S Iratoi, forest, 378m, 22.v.2015, -3,3904028031975, 137,3201, Sumoked & Balke (Pap037)", "M.Balke 6984" [green text] (MZB). Paratypes: 1 male with the same label as the holotype (NHMW). 2 females "Indonesia: Papua Province, S Iratoi, forest, 553m, 22.v.2015, -3,391922694, 137,3235278, Sumoked & Balke (Pap038)", one of them with an additional label "M.Balke 6985" [green text] (ZSM).

Diagnosis.

Beetle small, oblong-oval, piceous, with dark brown head and pronotum, dorsal punctation inconspicuous, microreticulation weakly impressed; pronotum without lateral bead; male antennae simple; male protarsomere 4 with large, thick, strongly curved anterolateral hook-like seta; apex of median lobe with three small prolongations; paramere without dorsal notch, with long, rather dense, thin setae, situated along dorsal margin, not clearly divided into subdistal and proximal.

In oblong-oval shape of the body, fine dorsal sculpture, and absence of the pronotal bead, the species is similar to many small species of the E. ekari -group but distinctly differs from them in shape of the median lobe and paramere.

Description.

Size and shape: Beetle small (TL-H 3.7-3.9 mm, TL 4-4.25 mm, MW 2-2.1 mm), with oblong-oval habitus, broadest at elytral middle. Coloration: Dorsally piceous, with dark brown anterior part of head and sides of pronotum; head appendages and legs yellowish red, metathoracic legs darker distally (Fig. 5).

Surface sculpture: Head with sparse punctation (spaces between punctures 2-3 times size of punctures), evidently finer and sparser anteriorly; diameter of punctures smaller than to almost equal to diameter of cells of microreticulation. Pronotum with much sparser and finer punctation than head. Elytra with extremely sparse and fine punctation, inconspicuous. Pronotum and elytra with slightly impressed microreticulation, dorsal surface shiny. Head with microreticulation stronger. Metaventrite and metacoxae distinctly microreticulate, metacoxal plates with longitudinal strioles and transverse wrinkles. Abdominal ventrites with distinct microreticulation, strioles, and very fine and sparse punctation.

Structures: Pronotum without lateral bead. Base of prosternum and neck of prosternal process with distinct ridge, smooth and rounded anteriorly. Blade of prosternal process lanceolate, relatively narrow, slightly convex, with distinct lateral bead and few setae; neck and blade of prosternal process evenly jointed. Abdominal ventrite 6 broadly rounded apically.

Male: Antenna simple (Fig. 5). Pro- and mesotarsomeres 1-3 not dilated. Protarsomere 4 cylindrical, narrow, with large, thick, strongly curved anterolateral hook-like seta. Protarsomere 5 ventrally with anterior row of 20 and posterior row of five relatively long, not pointed setae (Fig. 13D). Median lobe slightly curved, not tapering to apex in lateral view, apex divided into three small prolongations. Paramere without dorsal notch, with long, rather dense, thin setae, situated along dorsal margin, not clearly divided into subdistal and proximal (Fig. 13 A–C). Abdominal ventrite 6 broadly rounded apically, without or with 1-3 fine transverse lateral strioles on each side.

Holotype: TL-H 3.7 mm, TL 4 mm, MW 2 mm.

Female: Pro- and mesotarsi not modified. Abdominal ventrite 6 without lateral strioles.

Distribution.

Papua: Puncak Regency. The species is known only from the type locality (Fig. 19).

Iratoi is a mixed village of both Edofi and Wano people. It is located just beyond the foot hills coming out of Wano land at the northwestern border of their traditional territory. This area is quite low at an elevation of ca. 200 m, which offers many opportunities to easily access the many small streams and puddles which Exocelina inhabits.

Etymology.

The name refers to Iratoi, the type locality. The name is a noun in the nominative singular standing in apposition.