Suphisellus lineatus (Horn, 1871)

Scheers, Kevin & Thomaes, Arno, 2014, A review of the Burrowing Water Beetles of Belize with a key to the species (Coleoptera: Noteridae), Belgian Journal of Entomology 51, pp. 1-17 : 1-17

Suphisellus lineatus (Horn, 1871)

( Figs 1E , 2D , 3E )

= Suphis lineatus Horn, 1871

= Canthydrus centralis Sharp, 1882

= Hydrocanthus lineatus Wehncke, 1876

= Canthydrus mexicanus Sharp, 1882

TYPE LOCALITY. Mexico, Baja California, Cape San Lucas .

MATERIAL EXAMINED. TOLEDO: Punta Gorda , fishpond, 16°06'24,6"N, 88°48'25,5"W, 13.IV.2015, Leg. K. Scheers & A. Thomaes (1ex.) ; Punta Gorda , fishpond, 16°06'24,6"N, 88°48'25,5"W, 23.IV.2015, Leg. K. Scheers & A. Thomaes (11ex.) ; Punta Gorda , fishpond, 16°06'24,6"N, 88°48'25,5"W, 04. V.2015, Leg. K. Scheers & A. Thomaes (3ex.) ; Big Falls , pool between rocks, 16°15'22,2"N, 88°53'14"W, 29.IV.2015, Leg. K. Scheers & A. Thomaes (2ex.) ; San Miguel , puddle in intermittent stream, 16°16'52,5"N, 88°53'3,1"W, 02. V.2015, Leg. K. Scheers & A. Thomaes (2ex.) ; Punta Gorda , shallow pool, 16°05'19,7"N, 88°48'53,4"W, 05. V.2015, Leg. K. Scheers & A. Thomaes (7ex.) .

Published records from Belize: Cayo District ( YOUNG, 1979)

DIAGNOSIS. TL = 2.7–3.1 mm; head and pronotum yellowish brown to light reddish brown; elytra yellowish brown each with four longitudinal black lines, one of which is interrupted somewhat behind the middle; of the other three, two are on the disc and one at the suture; these three black lines in most cases merge near apex ( Fig. 1E ); male genitalia distinctly bent at about middle ( Fig. 2D ). This species is extremely similar in color and elytral pattern to Suphisellus simoni (Régimbart, 1889) from which it can be distinguished by its smaller size and the different shape of the male genitalia.

DISTRIBUTION. (NA) US (Texas); (NT) Belize, Guatemala, Mexico.

HABITAT. S. lineatus prefers shallow areas in exposed permanent lentic habitats with a muddy or organic substrate and rich in marginal vegetation ( Fig. 5 ). YOUNG (1979) states that “the bright stripes of S. lineatus (Horn) may be disruptive and concealing in the clear streams and pools in Mexico and Texas”. We did however not find this species in any of the sampled streams and could not find any other reference to confirm that this species also occurs in lotic habitats.

NOTE. The elytral pattern consisting of four longitudinal black lines is somewhat variable and three different species were recognized under S. lineatus in the past. YOUNG (1979) states, however, that the characters on which SHARP (1882) distinguished these species are all variable and are mainly based on the extension of the dark pattern on the elytra.

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Figures

Fig. 1. Dorsal view of the species of Noteridae in Belize. A, Hydrocanthus debilis Sharp, 1882; B, Hydrocanthus marmoratus Sharp, 1882; C, Mesonoterus laevicollis Sharp, 1882; D, Suphisellus insularis (Sharp, 1882); E, Suphisellus lineatus (Horn, 1871); F, Suphisellus neglectus Young, 1979; G, Suphisellus nigrinus (Aubé, 1838); H, Suphisellus varians (Sharp, 1882); I, Notomicrus sharpi J. Balfour-Browne, 1939.

Fig. 2. Left lateral view of the aedeagus. A, Hydrocanthus debilis Sharp, 1882; B, Hydrocanthus marmoratus Sharp, 1882; C, Suphisellus insularis (Sharp, 1882); D, Suphisellus lineatus (Horn, 1871); E, Suphisellus neglectus Young, 1979; F, Suphisellus nigrinus (Aubé, 1838); G, Suphisellus varians (Sharp, 1882); H, Notomicrus sharpi J. Balfour-Browne, 1939.

Fig. 3. Distribution maps of the species of Noteridae in Belize. A, Hydrocanthus debilis Sharp, 1882; B, Hydrocanthus marmoratus Sharp, 1882; C, Mesonoterus laevicollis Sharp, 1882; D, Suphisellus insularis (Sharp, 1882); E, Suphisellus lineatus (Horn, 1871); F, Suphisellus neglectus Young, 1979; G, Suphisellus nigrinus (Aubé, 1838); H, Suphisellus varians (Sharp, 1882); I, Notomicrus sharpi J. Balfour-Browne, 1939 (white dots indicate sampled sites and black dots indicate sites where the species is recorded, elevation map as background in which dark shading increases with height).

Fig. 5. Fishing pond near Punta Gorda. Collecting site of Hydrocanthus marmoratus, Suphisellus lineatus, S. nigrinus and Notomicrus sharpi. (photograph: Kevin Scheers).