Tropisternus (Pristoternus) phyllisae Spangler & Short

Spangler, Paul J. & Short, Andrew Edward Z., 2008, Three new species of Neotropical Tropisternus Solier (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae), Zootaxa 1917, pp. 65-68 : 65-67

Tropisternus (Pristoternus) phyllisae Spangler & Short , sp. n.

Type material: Holotype (male): “ SURINAM; Krakka/ Phedra road, x-25-62 / tiny forest pool/ Borys Malkin” ( NMNH). Paratypes (2): same data as holotype 1 female, 1 male ( NMNH, KSEM).

Diagnosis: This species is similar to T. apicipalpis ( Chevrolat, 1834) and T. chalybeus Castelnau, 1840 but differs from both of those species by the much larger pubescent area on the metafemur, the broader and less convex body form, and the base of the pronotum that is narrower than the base of the elytra.

Description: Body length 9.9–10.2 mm; greatest body width 5.9–6.1 mm. Color: Dorsal surface of head, pronotum, and elytra black with greenish tinge; elytral margins appearing slightly bronzed. Pronotum with two small, elongate, black spots near basal margin, each spot about half way between midline of pronotum and lateral margins. Labrum dark reddish brown. Basal 6 antennal segments testaceous, remainder dark reddish brown. Labial and maxillary palpi testaceous but apices slightly darker. Ventral surface black except inflexed portion of pronotum, epipleura, trochanter, sternal keel between forecoxae, femoral apices, and tarsi dark reddish brown. Male: Head: Finely, densely punctate except an interocular series of 24 to 28 coarse, setigerous punctures and an anterolateral series of 22 to 24 coarse, setigerous punctures. Labrum finely, moderately densely punctate. Last segment of maxillary palpus with sensory region very small, confined to apex. Mentum moderately coarsely, densely punctate; submentum similarly punctate laterally. Thorax: Pronotum weakly sinuate laterally, bisinuate basally, slightly narrower at base than base of elytra; posterolateral angles obtuse, feebly rounded; finely densely punctate similarly to head but a few coarser punctures intermingled laterally; finer punctures separated by their width; mediolateral series of 15 to 19 coarse, setigerous punctures and an anterolateral series of 9 to 12 coarse, setigerous punctures coalesced into a single setigerous pit. Elytra finely, densely punctate; punctures at base similar to those on pronotum, discal and apical punctures finer; with 3 series of coarse, setigerous punctures, 1 sutural, 1 medial, and 1 lateral; also a dense row of coarse punctures adjacent to epipleura; and 9 rows of fine punctures on each elytron. Epipleura with moderately coarse punctures from apex to base; apices acute. Sternal keel attaining middle of second abdominal ventrite. Mesoventral portion of keel moderately wide, widest in basal three-fourths; moderately convex; with moderately coarse, setigerous punctures apically and laterally. Metaventral portion of keel densely, moderately coarsely punctate; punctures aciculate and setigerous; canaliculate medially; tapering to a needlelike spine. Metafemur broad, convex, arcuate; with numerous fine punctures on apex; pubescent area large, trapezoidal, extending for a distance twice length of trochanter. Metatibia almost parallel sided in apical half, subcylindrical, without fringed groove on upper surface. Inner mesotarsal and metatarsal claws each with large submedial tooth. Abdomen: Apical margin of fifth ventrite with long, slender, median spine with few golden hairs on apex; spine extending beyond last ventrite a distance slightly more than half length of ventrite. Aedeagus as illustrated ( Fig. 1 ).

Female: Similar to male except inner mesotarsal and metatarsal claws without teeth; mentum finely, sparsely punctate.

Etymology: PJS names this taxon for his dear, beautiful, wonderful, brilliant wife Phyllis who helped extensively throughout his career in aquatic beetle systematics.

Bionomics: The three specimens of T. phyllisae were collected by Borys Malkin in a "tiny forest pool" along the Kraka-Phedra road in Suriname. PJS unsuccessfully searched for additional specimens of this species in 1969, including a full day collecting in roadside ponds, streams, and several forest pools along the Kraka-Phedra road.

Notes: This species is not the “ T. phyllisae ” that was mentioned by Spangler (1960), but a species not yet discovered at that time.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 2. Dorsal view of the aedeagus of Tropisternus. 1: T. phyllisae sp. n. (paratype), 2: T. richmondi sp. n. (paratype) Scale bar = 0.5 mm.