Oosternum sp.

Deler-Hernandez, Albert, Cala-Riquelme, Franklyn & Fikacek, Martin, 2014, A review of the genus Oosternum Sharp of the West Indies (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae: Sphaeridiinae), Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift 61 (1), pp. 43-63 : 43

Oosternum sp. Figs 3448

Material examined

(1 spec.): BAHAMAS: Andros Island, Forfar Field Station, 10 m, 24°53 ’50.81” N, 77°55 ’54.29” W, 10/15.vii.1983, J. Peacock leg., at light (1 spec., WIFP).

Diagnosis.

Body widest ca at midlength. Lateral margin of pronotum angulate. Pronotal punctation double-sized, dense consisting of moderately large, round punctures intermixed with smaller transverse punctures. Pronotal interstices with microsculpture. Lateral margin of antennal grooves with acute projection. Elytral interval 2 narrower that interval 3, lower than intervals 1 and 3, reaching elytral apex. Elytral intervals 5, 7 and 9 distinctly higher than adjacent intervals. Elytral interstices shiny, without microsculpture. Preepisternal plate wide, drop-like, 2 × longer than wide. Interstices of median part of metaventrite with very fine microsculpture, opaque. Anterolateral ridegs of metaventrite not meeting together mesally, indistinct laterally.

Comment.

The single examined specimen is very similar to Oosternum sharpi but differs from it by the relatively smaller preepisternal plate of the mesothorax, central portion of the metaventrite with much finer punctation and the laterally incomplete anterolateral ridge (Fig. 48). However, since only a single female is available, we refrain from describing it as a new species, pending the discovery of additional specimens and ideally males.