Hyphydrus sanctus Sharp, 1882

Bergsten, Johannes, Weingartner, Elisabeth & Hajek, Jiri, 2017, Species delimitation of the Hyphydrusovatus complex in western Palaearctic with an update of species distributions (Coleoptera, Dytiscidae), ZooKeys 678, pp. 73-96 : 76

Hyphydrus sanctus Sharp, 1882

Hyphydrus sanctus Sharp, 1882: 380.

Published records.

Israel: Sharp (1882: 380); Biström (1982: 39); Wewalka (1984: 131). Jordan: Biström (1982: 39); Wewalka (1984: 131). Syria: Biström (1982: 39); Wewalka (1984: 131).

Material examined.

Israel: 2♂♂, 1♀, Hula reserve, 21.iii.1985; 4♂♂, 8♀♀, same locality, but 13.iv.1986; 1♂, 3♀♀, Talme Elazar, 21.iv.1986; 1♂, 6♀♀, Magan Michael, 21.iv.1986, all M. Jäch leg. (NHMW, NMPC). Turkey: 3♂♂, 13♀♀, Muğla vil. [=province], Köyçeğiz, 27.v.1991, S. Schödl leg. (NHMW, NMPC); 3♂♂, 2♀♀, same data, but M. Jäch leg. (NHMW, NMPC).

Diagnosis.

Habitus as depicted in Figs 4d, 5d. Clypeus with anterior margin medially nearly straight (Fig. 6c). Reticulation of dorsal surface confined to head and more distinct and impressed anteriorly (Fig. 6c), and to sides of pronotum. Punctation of head fine, visible on whole surface (Fig. 6c); punctures dense, distance between them smaller than their diameter (Fig. 6c). Punctation of pronotum double, fine, distance between larger punctures bigger than their diameter. Punctation of elytra double, diameter of small punctures less than half of diameter of large punctures; distance between large punctures bigger than their diameter. Epipleura reticulated with very fine punctures. Metatibia with outer margin nearly straight.

Male. Longer metatibial spur long, nearly as long as metatarsomere I-II combined (Fig. 7c); spur broad and straight in basal two thirds with small but distinct serration, attenuated and curved apically (Fig. 7c). Male genitalia as in Fig. 8 o–r, median lobe in ventral view slightly narrowing from base to apex.

Female. Only matt females of H. sanctus are known so far. Whole surface densely reticulated, meshes on elytra somewhat elongate. Large punctures well visible, small punctures indistinct among reticulation. Longer tibial spur similar to that of male, but almost straight in apical third. Female genitalia as in Fig. 8 s–u.

Habitat.

Similarly to the other two species, H. sanctus inhabits various types of standing and slowly flowing water bodies with at least some vegetation. Wewalka (1984) reported several specimens from a densely vegetated pool and single occurrences from an artificial pool with clear water, an irrigation ditch and from a stream.

Distribution.

A species distributed in the Levant region of the Near East. So far recorded from several localities in Israel, Jordan and Syria (Fig. 9). First record from Turkey.