Novochares spangleri, 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 spangleri sp. nov.

Figs 15E-F , 16B

Type material.

Holotype (male): "PERU: Cusco: Paucartambo/ - 12.91411S, - 71.37492W, 585m/ c. 3km NE of Pilcopata; 30.v.2022/ grassy pools/ditch along road/ PE22-0530-01C; leg. Short et al." (MHNSM). Paratypes (6 exs.): Peru: Cusco: same data as holotype (1, SEMC); same data except mountain side pools and ditches, PE22-0530-01B (2, SEMC). Madre de Dios: Villa Carmen Biological Station (ca. 2 km N of Pilcopata), North of Rio Piñipiñi, 26.v.2022, leg. Short et al., small muddy pools in landslide, PE22-0526-02B (1, SEMC); same data except 28.v.2022, detrital pools formed by seeps, PE22-0526-02F (2, MHNSM, SEMC).

Differential diagnosis.

Among members of the Novochares punctatostriatus species group, N. spangleri is one of three species that lack distinct rows of elytral serial punctures, the others being N. pertusus and N. triangularis . It is most similar to N. triangularis , to which the aedeagal form is very similar, though it can be distinguished by the apices of the forked projection of the dorsal plate of the median lobe being slightly more swollen, with the outer margins of the parameres weakly curved (apices of the forked projection of the dorsal plate of the median lobe being not as swollen and the outer margins of the parameres strongly curved in N. triangularis ; compare Fig. 15E vs. Fig. 15I ). The elytral ground punctation is extremely fine and almost not noticeable in N. spangleri , while it is distinctly coarser in N. triangularis . Additionally, N. triangularis has only very narrow paler margins of the pronotum, these margins are much more broadly pale in N. spangleri . See diagnosis of N. pertusus for separation from that species.

Description.

Body length 5.6-6.0 mm. Coloration: Dorsal surface of head, labrum, pronotum, and elytra dark brown, gradually paler towards margins. Head: Maxillary palps slightly shorter than width of head, uniformly yellow in color. Thorax: Ground punctation on pronotum and elytra relatively dense and very shallowly impressed. Elytra without rows of serial punctures, except for rows of very weak serial punctures along lateral regions of each. Prosternum medially convex. Posterior elevation of mesoventrite transverse, blunt, and low. Aedeagus: (Fig. 15E, F ) lateral projection on apical region of outer margin of each paramere rounded to weakly pointed; at closest point, dorsal inner margins of parameres separated by distance slightly greater than greatest width of a paramere; dorsal plate of median lobe with small denticle on each lateral margin, proximal to base of fork; arms of dorsal plate of median lobe distally weakly converging; each arm slightly wider at base and widened on apical region, apically oblique with inner margin extending beyond outer margin; notch between arms at base 1/2 as wide as base of an arm; ventral plate of median lobe moderately sclerotized, at widest point as wide as dorsal plate of median lobe, apically acuminate, apex extending beyond base of fork, not reaching apex of arms of dorsal plate; basal piece 0.4 × length of a paramere.

Etymology.

Named after Paul J. Spangler, longtime curator at the US National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, and specialist on aquatic beetles, who collected and sorted a lot of the specimens included in this contribution.

Distribution.

Peru (Fig. 16B ).

Habitat.

This species was collected primarily in forested riparian habitats.

Figures

Figure 15. Aedeagi of the Novochares punctatostriatus species group A-D N. dentatus E, F N. spangleri G, H N. geminus I N. triangularis J, K N. pertusus L-Q N. punctatostriatus A-C Venezuela D Ecuador L-N Suriname O Peru P, Q Brazil. A, E, G, I, J, L, O, P dorsal view H, M, Q ventral view C, F, N oblique view K lateral view.

Figure 16. Distribution of Novochares punctatostriatus species group A N. punctatostriatus (red), N. pertusus (yellow) B N. dentatus (red), N. triangularis (yellow), N. spangleri (blue), N. geminus (green).