Novochares fernandezae sp. nov.

Figs 18F-I, 22D

Type material.

Holotype (male): "VENEZUELA: T.F. Amaz./ Puerto Ayacucho/ 22 January 1985/ G. E. Ball, collr.", "in small ponds full/ of dead leaves;" (USNM). Paratypes (12 exs.): Brazil: Amazonas: Tapauá, Humaita (ca. 240 km N) on BR-319, -5.50298, -62.12392, 54 m, 11.vii.2018, leg. Short, forest detrital pool, BR18-0712-01B (1, INPA, DNA voucher SLE1992). Peru: Cusco: Pilcopata, 600 m, 8-10.xii.1979, premontane moist forest, leg. J.B. Heppner (1, USNM). Madre de Dios: Rio Tambopata Reserve, ca. 30 km SW Puerto Maldonado, 290 m, 16-20.xi.1979, leg. J.B. Heppner, subtropical humid forest (1, USNM); Tambopata (1, SEMC, DNA voucher SLE1099). Venezuela: Amazonas: Same data as holotype (8, USNM, SEMC).

Differential diagnosis.

The aedeagus of this species (Fig. 18F) somewhat resembles several others, including N. unguis (which has much wider and thicker parameres and a shallower fork in the apex of the median lobe; Fig. 18J) and N. clavieri (which has more sinuate parameres and different median lobe shape; Fig. 18L).

Description.

Body length 5.2-5.9 mm. Coloration: Dorsal surfaces brown to dark brown, with slightly paler (brown to orange) margins of clypeus, pronotum, and elytra. Head: Maxillary palps 1.6-1.7 × width of head, uniformly orange to brown in color. Thorax: Ground punctation on pronotum and elytra relatively dense and very shallowly impressed. Elytra without rows of serial punctures, each with very faint rows (one dorsal and two or three lateral) of scarce and weakly marked systematic punctures. Prosternum medially weakly convex. Posterior elevation of mesoventrite weakly, broadly, and somewhat longitudinally elevated, with low medial longitudinal ridge extending anteriorly. Abdomen: Apical emargination of fifth ventrite relatively deep and broad, U-shaped. Aedeagus: (Fig. 18F-I) Overall shape pear-like, 2.5 × longer than wide, with outer lateral margins of parameres nearly evenly convex up to apical region; apical region of each paramere rounded, partly membranous, with outer margin very weakly pointed; at closest point, dorsal inner margins of parameres separated by distance equal to greatest width of a paramere; dorsal plate of median lobe with neck 0.3 × as broad as base; each lateral margin of dorsal plate of median lobe with long and narrow projection emerging near base of neck; neck dorsally concave; arms of dorsal plate of median lobe diverging, nearly 0.3 × length of dorsal plate of median lobe; each arm apically and gradually narrowing to acute apex; notch between arms at base nearly as wide as base of an arm; gonopore placed near base of dorsal plate of median lobe; ventral plate of median lobe not visible; basal piece 0.38 × length of a paramere. In lateral view, aedeagus oblique at base, with ventral outline of parameres 3.1 × longer than greatest width near base; dorsal outline of aedeagus in lateral view slightly concave along basal 1/3, then nearly straight to apex; ventral outline of aedeagus in lateral view convex along basal 1/3.

Etymology.

In honor of aquatic beetle specialist Dr. Liliana Fernández, who significantly expanded our knowledge of this genus and other groups of Hydrophilidae in South America.

Distribution.

Brazil (Amazonas), Peru, Venezuela (Fig. 22D).

Habitat.

This species has been collected in forested detrital pools.