Agaporomorphus julianeae, Hendrich, Lars, Apenborn, Rico, Burmeister, Ernst-Gerhard & Balke, Michael, 2015

Hendrich, Lars, Apenborn, Rico, Burmeister, Ernst-Gerhard & Balke, Michael, 2015, A new species of Agaporomorphus Zimmermann, 1921 from Peru (Coleoptera, Dytiscidae, Copelatinae), ZooKeys 512, pp. 63-76 : 64-70

Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera Dytiscidae

Agaporomorphus julianeae sp. n. Figs 1, 3, 6, 8, 10, 11, 12-14

Type locality.

Peru, Huànuco province, Rio Yuyapichis, Biological Field Station Panguana, 260 m [9°37'S, 74°56'W], temporary forest pond.

Type material.

Holotype ♂: "Peru, Prov. Huànuco, Rio Yuyapichis, Biol. Stat. Panguana östl. Ort, 9°37'S, 74°56'W 6-17. April 2003 leg. H.J. u. E.-G. Burmeister"; "HOLOTYPE Agaporomorphus julianeae sp. nov. Hendrich, Apenborn, Balke & Burmeister des. 2013 [red label, printed]" (MUSM). Paratypes: 2 ♂♂ 5 ♀♀, same label data as holotype (ZSM); 3 ♂♂ 8 ♀♀, "Peru, Dept. Huànuco, ACP Panguana, Rio Yuyapichis, östl. Ort, 9°37'S, 74°56'W, 230m, 10.05.-25.7.2013, leg. R. Apenborn" (NMPC, ZSM). Each paratype is provided with the respective red printed label.

Description of male holotype.

Measurements. Holotype: TL = 3.5 mm, TL-H = 3.2 mm, MW = 1.65 mm. Paratypes: TL = 3.3-3.5 mm, TL-H = 3.0-3.2 mm, MW = 1.6-1.7 mm.

Coloration (Fig. 1). Head yellowish-brown to brown. Pronotum yellowish-brown medially and lighter laterally. Elytra with most of surface yellowish-brown to brown, with broad, yellow basal band. Ventral surfaces and appendages yellow except abdominal ventrites yellowish-brown.

Sculpture and structure. Head and pronotum with microreticulation consisting of fine cells, with few very fine punctures interspersed; pronotum with narrow lateral pronotal margin. Prosternum medially strongly carinate, carina extending onto prosternal process; prosternal process medially with a rounded longitudinal carina extending to apex, laterally with strongly beaded margins, apex pointed. Elytron covered with extremely fine, evenly spaced, short striae, striae more punctiform laterally and apically. Metafemur moderately broad, length about 2.8 × greatest width (Fig. 8). Metacoxae smooth, impunctate; metacoxal lines closely approximated.

Male genitalia. Median lobe in lateral aspect robust and strongly curved medially; apex elongate, with distinct dorsally-directed lobe on right side medially and very broad, angular region sub-basally, with linear series of fine setae on each side of dorsal midline (Figs 2, 3). Parameres broad, strongly curved, apex strongly curved, with series of long setae medially along internal membrane.

Sexual dimorphism. Male protarsal claws unmodified; pro- and mesotarsal claws about half length of mesotarsomere V; without apical lobe on mesotarsomere V; protarsomeres I and II broadened, protarsomere I with two large adhesive setae, protarsomere II without adhesive setae; mesotarsomeres I and II slightly broadened, mesotarsomere I with one large, medial adhesive seta and two large, apical adhesive setae, mesotarsomere II with two moderately sized apical sucker disks. Male with small but distinct triangular, posteriorly-directed tooth-like prominence medially along posterior margin of visible abdominal ventrite V and with broad and shallow depression medially on abdominal ventrite VI. Male with vague parallel series of rugulosities on each side of midline on abdominal ventrite III. Antennomeres V, VI and VIII modified; V broadly triangular, VIII broad with large posterior emargination (as in Fig. 6). Pro- and mesotarsomeres of female unmodified. Shallow depression medially on abdominal ventrite VI and parallel series of rugulosities on each side of midline on abdominal ventrite III absent. Antennomeres and femur of female unmodified.

Measurements. TL = 3.3-3.5 mm, TL-H = 3.0-3.2 mm, MW = 1.6-1.7 mm.

Etymology.

The new species is named after Juliane Diller, deputy director of the Zoologische Staatssammlung in Munich, and head and owner of the Biological Field Station Panguna, in recognition of her longstanding efforts in biological research and nature conservation in Peru.

Affinities.

The new species can be clearly placed in the Agaporomorphus knischi species-group sensu Miller 2005, characterized by distinctly modified male genitalia and expanded male antennomeres. Within this group, Agaporomorphus julianeae sp. n. is most similar to Agaporomorphus knischi , but differs from that species in the shape of the median lobe (Figs 2-5), expanded male antennomere VIII (Figs 6, 7) and different form of the metafemur (Figs 8, 9). Furthermore, the posteromedial triangular spine on abdominal ventrite V is slightly larger in Agaporomorphus julianeae sp. n. than in Agaporomorphus knischi (see Miller 2001, Fig. 32).

Distribution.

Only known from the type locality in Panguana, Peru. The occurrence in other parts of Peru is likely (Fig. 10).

Habitat.

Collected from two mainly shaded forest ponds, seasonally flooded during the rainy season from October to April, and with high fluctuation level. The ponds are rainwater fed and located in a primary tropical lowland rainforest surrounded by Aguaje palm trees (Figs 11-14). The muddy bottom is covered by broad layers of fallen and rotten leaves and twigs. In the dry season when the surface of the water goes down, a huge, wet area of these leaves and twigs remains. There, and at the edge of the ponds, in small isolated puddles (Fig. 12) of the shallow water zone (less than 10 cm), Agaporophus julianeae sp. n. was collected with a dip net, among accumulations of fallen leaves. The species was associated with Agaporomorphus tambopatensis Miller, 2005, Hydrodytes opalinus (Zimmermann, 1921), Vatellus grandis Buquet, 1840, several unidentified species of Copelatus , Hydaticus subfasciatus Laporte, 1835 (all Dytiscidae ), Tropisternus chalybeus Laporte, 1840 and several unidentified species of Helochares (all Hydrophilidae ). In general specimens of Agaporomorphus julianeae sp. n. were collected rarely but continuously in the time of observation from May to July ( Apenborn 2013).