Helochares guoi Yang & Jia, 2021

Yang, Zhenming, Jia, Fenglong, Tang, Yudan & Jiang, Lu, 2021, Two new species of Helochares, with additional faunistic records from China (Coleoptera, Hydrophilidae, Acidocerinae), ZooKeys 1078, pp. 57-83 : 57

publication ID	https://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1078.73458
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:B3F93E0A-30BB-4838-A263-613E4819443B
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/2BAF353A-6A2D-439C-BBF0-08A84906B3E4
taxon LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:act:2BAF353A-6A2D-439C-BBF0-08A84906B3E4
treatment provided by	ZooKeys by Pensoft
scientific name	Helochares guoi Yang & Jia
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Helochares guoi Yang & Jia sp. nov.

Figs 1-2 View Figures 1–4 , 6 View Figures 5–7 , 8-9 View Figures 8–20 , 24-26 View Figures 21–28

Material examined.

Holotype: Male , Guangdong , Shenzhen , Dapeng Peninsula, Getian village, 22.48175°N, 114.52643°E, 2.viii.2019, Fenglong Jia and Zuqi Mai leg. GoogleMaps Paratype: 1 female, same data as holotype GoogleMaps .

Differential diagnosis.

This species is very similar to H. lentus Sharp, 1890, H. densus Sharp, 1890, H. sauteri d’Orchymont, 1943 and H. hainanensis Dong & Bian, 2021 in size, form and other morphological characters. It can be distinguished based on aedeagus characters. Aedeagus: membranous inner sac with a cluster of strong sclerotized spines (Figs 24-26 View Figures 21–28 ); median lobe with a lateroventral tooth subapically (Fig. 25 View Figures 21–28 ).

Description.

Form and colour (Figs 1-2 View Figures 1–4 , 6 View Figures 5–7 ). Body length 4.0 mm, body width 2.1 mm. Oval, moderately convex. Dorsum of head, pronotum and elytron yellow-brown, clypeus black. Antennae yellow-brown with club black. Maxillary palps uniformly yellow-brown. Labial palps yellow, not darkened apically. Venter, including legs, blackish brown, tarsomeres yellow-brown.

Head. Antenna with scape ca as long as antennomeres 2 and 3 combined (Fig. 8 View Figures 8–20 ). Maxillary palps ca 1.25 × as long as width of head anterior to eyes; apical segment symmetrical, about same as penultimate in length (Fig. 9 View Figures 8–20 ). Clypeo-labral margin curved medially. Labrum, frons and clypeus with systematic punctures (with setae) same size as ground punctures; frons and clypeus with ground punctation dense and coarse, distance between punctures 0.8-1.2 × width of one puncture. Mentum subquadrate, with anterior margin strongly emarginate, slightly depressed medially, surface with some oblique wrinkles.

Thorax. Ground punctation on pronotum and elytron similar to that on head, distance between punctures 0.8-1.2 × width of one puncture; anterior margin with very fine bead. Elytron with short scutellary series of punctures and 10 striae, punctures in striae distinctly coarser than surrounding ground punctation; systematic punctures (with setae) same size as coarse punctures in striae. Prosternum moderately elevated medially, not tectiform or carinate medially, with a transverse groove anteriorly. Mesoventrite with small tubercle medially, not carinate medially. Metaventrite without glabrous area posteromedially. Femora densely pubescent, only glabrous at apex. Meso-, and metatarsomeres 1 to 4 with dense long setae ventrally, metatarsomeres with a fringe of long swimming-hairs dorsally. Protarsal claws in male somewhat stronger than in female and slightly angularly curved, bearing a blunt basal tooth; mesotarsal claws as protarsals, but only moderately curved with a blunt tooth; metatarsal claws only moderately curved, with a blunt basal tooth.

Abdomen. Ventrites uniformly and densely pubescent. Fifth abdominal ventrite with apical emargination fringed with stiff yellowish setae.

Aedeagus (Figs 24-26 View Figures 21–28 ). Phallobase ca 0.12mm; paramere ca 0.76mm, obtuse apically, outer margin almost parallel in basal three quarters, apical quarter gradually narrowed and rounded apically; membranous inner sac with cluster of strong sclerotized spines (Figs 24-26 View Figures 21–28 ); median lobe longer than parameres, ca 0.89 mm, apical fifth gradually narrowed apicad, with small latero-ventral tooth subapically, truncate apically (Fig. 25 View Figures 21–28 ); basal apophyses about half as long as median lobe, ca 0.45 mm.

Remarks.

The male holotype bears a long “branch” arising subapically from the antennal pedicel (Fig. 8 View Figures 8–20 ), which is absent on the paratype (female). This structure is likely a fungus that parasitizes on the antenna.

Etymology.

This species is named after Mr. Qiang Guo, the manager of the Shenzhen Wildlife Conservation Division, Guangdong, for his help when we collected in Shenzhen.

Distribution.

China (Guangdong): known only from the type locality.

Habitat.

This species was collected in the mud at the edge of a seasonal pond.