Coelometopon leleupi Janssens

Perkins, Philip D., 2005, A revision of the African hygropetric genus Coelometopon Janssens, and description of Oomtelecopon new genus (Coleoptera: Hydraenidae), Zootaxa 949 (1), pp. 1-103 : 1-103

Coelometopon leleupi Janssens

(Figures 44–46, 86)

Coelometopon leleupi Janssens, 1972: 387 .

Type Material. Holotype (male): Tanzania, Uluguru Montains, "Morning Side"; deposited in the MRAC. [labels: HOLOTYPUS //Tanzanie: Mts Uluguru Morning Side , alt. 1600 m. 21–29/VI/71 sur roche ruisselante// Coll. Mus. Tervuren Mission Mts Uluguru L. Berger, N. Leleup J. Debecker V /VIII/71// Prép. Micr. No 720117.1// E. Janssens det., 1972 Coelometopon n.g. leleupi n. sp. //DIGITAL IMAGE captured 2004 P. D. Perkins].

Diagnosis. Recognized by the pronotum lacking a median groove anteriorly (granulate ridges which delimit sides median groove in other species are confluent in this species). Females markedly differ from males in dorsal sculpture (Figs. 44, 45).

Description. Size (length/width, mm x 100) holotype: body (length to elytral apices) 2.25/0.96, head 0.33/0.61, pronotum 0.50/0.81, elytra 1.39/0.96. Dorsum piceous to dark brown, legs brown to dark brown. Frons granulate between eyes and in band across anterior margin, non­granulate and shining in intermediate area; anterior margin emarginate, on same plane as clypeus. Clypeus minutely granulate laterally and in midlongitudinal band, otherwise smooth and shining. Largest granules of frons and pronotum similar in size. Labrum set beneath margin of clypeus, bilobed, lobes not upturned. Maxillary palpi short, ca. 3/4 width of anterior margin of clypeus, last three articles subequal in length, last article suboval. Mentum with two depressions.

Pronotum weakly emarginate in front of and strongly emarginate behind roundly produced sides; lateral margin granulate except non­granulate near base; median groove reduced to small posterior fovea, middle of disc granulate and not depressed, in front of which anterior 1/3 forming granulate ridge between deep granulate foveae; small nongranulate areas on each side of midlongitudinal band of granules; lateral depressions shining, very wide, weakly convex, granules very sparse and much smaller than granules on disc.

Elytral serial punctures deep, as wide as intervals, closely spaced serially, granules separating serial punctures small to very small, length less than that of punctures. All intervals with unilinear row of granules, those on even numbered intervals weakly raised in parts, all mostly similar in height, 3 on 2nd, 3 on 4th, 6th slightly raised for entire length; lateral margin in dorsal aspect formed by granules on raised 8th interval (pseudoepipleuron), except in anterior 1/3 ridge almost obsolete, in lateral aspect sinuate toward dorsum, encroaching on 7th interval.

Prosternum with low midlongitudinal carina. Mesosternum without intercoxal process, or with very minute elevation. Metasternum strongly carinate behind mesocoxae; midlongitudinal fovea in basal 0.50 moderately wide, deep; disc on each side of fovea sparsely finely punctate, weakly shining; lateral 1/3 very coarsely punctate; posterior margin gradually sloping in front of metacoxae. Abdomen with intercoxal sternite and adjacent part of first ventrite conjointly deeply concave; intersegmental areas deeply impressed.

Aedeagus length ca. 0.67 mm; distal area enlarged, complex; membranous process spinose, large, expandable; gonopore process straight, narrow, thick­walled, strong; parameres weakly arcuate, joined near base of mainpiece, attaining proximal part of enlarged distal area; mainpiece with internal sclerotized parts (pumping mechanism?) (Fig. 46, paratype from type locality). Holotype aedeagus flattened and distorted by slide mounting.

Female dorsal sculpture markedly different from male, prothorax with two prominent callosities, and elytra with callosities and modified rows of punctures as illustrated (Fig. 45). Female last ventrite yellowish, markedly contrasting with black color of other ventrites; last tergite very weakly if at all bilobed, fringed with row of strong spines. Examined females from type series.

Distribution. Currently known only from the type locality in the Uluguru Mountains of Tanzania (Fig. 86).