Sphaerocetum malayanum, Ek, Martin Fiká Č, 2010

Ek, Martin Fiká Č, 2010, Sphaerocetum gen. n., a new genus of the Protosternini from Peninsular Malaysia (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae: Sphaeridiinae), Zootaxa 2601, pp. 28-36 : 33

Sphaerocetum malayanum sp. n.

Type material. Holotype: 1 male, “MALAYSIA-W: Perak / 25 km NE of IPOH, 1200m / Banjaran Titiwangsa Mts. / KORBU Mt., 6.–12.v.2001 / P. Č echovský lgt.”. Deposited in coll. NHMW.

Description. Body length: 6.1 mm; body width: 4.0 mm; length of pronotum and elytra combined / maximum elytral height = 2.0. Dorsal body surface dark brown, with anterior margin of clypeus and pronotal margins narrowly pale reddish; elytra pale reddish on the disc, widely dark along the lateral margins. Ventral surface dark brown; legs and appendages brown. Anterior portion of clypeus with dense punctation consisting of moderately large, weakly impressed and slightly rasp-like punctures; interstices with fine but distinct microsculpture consisting of transverse ridges; posterior portion of clypeus and frons with slightly finer punctation and without miscrosculpture on interstices. Eyes separated by 7.6× the width of one eye in dorsal view. Mentum sparsely pubescent laterally, interstices with fine mesh-like microsculpture. Pronotum with sparse punctation consisting of fine rounded punctures, interstices without microsculpture. Posterior margin without a transverse series of larger punctures. Scutellar shield moderately large, in shape of equilateral triangle, bearing few very indistinct punctures. Elytra with 10 elytral series consisting of very small and indistinct punctures very similar to those of interval punctation mesally, punctures of series 8–10 becoming slightly coarser, but still very indistinctly impressed. All elytral series reduced on apical portion of elytra. Interval punctation moderately dense but rather fine, consisting of small rounded punctures. Metafemur enlarged.

Male genitalia. Aedeagus 1.65 mm long. Phallobase 1.25× as long as parameres, lateral rim of phallobase present throughout the length. Parameres slightly sinuate on outer margin. Median lobe ca. as long as paramares, widely angular basally, narrowing to apical 4/5, slightly widened into bilobate apex.

Differential diagnosis. See the diagnosis of the genus.

Etymology. Species name is derived from the name of Malaysia, where this species was collected.

Distribution. Known only from the type locality.