Hydrocanthus debilis Sharp, 1882

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

Hydrocanthus debilis Sharp, 1882

( Figs 1A , 2A , 3A )

= Hydrocanthus finitimus Guignot, 1942

TYPE LOCALITY. Brazil, Amazon’s Valley , Bahia .

MATERIAL EXAMINED. STANN CREEK: Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary, Wari Lagoon , 16°46'46,1"N, 88°28'2,4"W, 07.V.2015, Leg. K. Scheers & A. Thomaes (42ex.) TOLEDO: Nim Li Punit , small ditch near road, 16°19'3,6"N, 88°49'14,5"W, 29.IV.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 (41ex.) .

Published records from Belize: This species is newly recorded from Belize.

DIAGNOSIS. TL = 3.0–3.6 mm; dorsal colour yellowish brown to light reddish brown, with head and pronotum slightly but distinctly lighter than elytra; elytra distinctly marmorate ( Fig. 1A ); ventral parts uniformly light yellowish brown; male genitalia with the apex of the aedeagus distinctly hooked ( Fig. 2A ). This species is recognized by the combination of its color and size and most importantly by the male genitalia with the distinctively hooked apex of the aedeagus.

DISTRIBUTION. (NA) US (Texas); (NT) Argentina, Belize (first records), Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, French Guiana, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru?, Suriname, Venezuela.

HABITAT. H. debilis was present at only three sites. Like H. marmoratus , Mesonoterus leavicollis and Suphisellus insularis this species seems to prefer more sun exposed habitats rich in marginal vegetation. It was found in a big pond, an old oxbow pond ( Fig. 4 ) and a small very shallow ditch, in the two former it was abundant.

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. 4. Wari Lagoon in the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary. In this old oxbow pond five species of Noteridae were present: Hydrocanthus debilis, Mesonoterus leavicollis, Suphisellus insularis, S. neglectus and S. nigrinus. (photograph: Kevin Scheers).