Hydraena profunda, Perkins, 2014

PERKINS, PHILIP D., 2014, A revision of the water beetle genus Hydraena Kugelann for southern Africa (Coleoptera: Hydraenidae), Zootaxa 3758 (1), pp. 1-92 : 36-38

Hydraena profunda , new species

Figs. 23 (habitus), 25 (aedeagus), 73 (map)

Type Material. Holotype (male): South Africa: Mpumalanga Province, God’s Window , wet rockface, elev. 1700 m, 24° 52' S, 30° 54' E, 4 ii 1997, Endrödy-Younga (3277) ( TMSA) . Paratypes (25): South Africa: Mpumalanga Province, E. Transvaal, Blyderiver Canyon, shore washing, 24° 35' S, 30° 49' E, 2 v 1981, Endrödy-Younga

(#1765) (2 TMSA); E. Transvaal, Mariepskop , shore washing, 24° 35' S, 30° 50' E, 2 v 1981, Endrödy-Younga (#1761) (4 TMSA) ; E. Transvaal, Mariepskop , water stones, 24° 35' S, 30° 50' E, 2 v 1981, Endrödy-Younga (#1760) (1 TMSA) ; Grasskop , aft-eve car netting pinewoods and grassveld, elev. 1500 m, 24° 56' S, 30° 50 E, 10 xii 1985, S. & J. Peck (6 CMNO) ; Mpumalanga, God’s Window , wet rockface, elev. 1700 m, 24° 52' S, 30° 54' E, 4 ii 1997, Endrödy-Younga (3277) (9 TMSA) ; Mpumalanga, Graskop 28 km N, wet rockface, 24° 43' S, 30° 51' E, 4 ii 1997, Endrödy-Younga (3276) (1 TMSA) ; Nelshoogte, Knuckles rocks forest, intercept trap, 41 day, 25° 47' S, 30° 50' E, 24 x 1986, Endrödy-Younga (#2309) (1 TMSA) .

Differential diagnosis. Recognized by the very deep pronotal PF2 foveae ( Fig. 23 ), and the large metaventral plaques, which are narrowly separated. H. elephanta also has large PF2 foveae, but that species is much larger (ca. 1.64 vs. 1.38 mm), and has very different plaques. The aedeagi of the two species differ markedly ( Figs. 21 , 25 ).

Description. Size: holotype (length/width, mm): body (length to elytral apices) 1.38/0.59; head 0.22/0.36; pronotum 0.33/0.45, PA 0.38, PB 0.40; elytra 0.84/0.59.

Dorsum of head dark brown to piceous; pronotum and elytra dark brown; elytra brown; legs and maxillary palpi brown.

Frons punctures ca. 2xef, larger and denser near eyes than medially; interstices effacedly mcr, very weakly shining, 0.5–1xpd laterally, 1–2xpd medially. Clypeus mcr laterally, very finely sparsely punctulate medially. Mentum and postmentum moderately densely finely punctulate, dull. Genae raised, weakly shining, without posterior ridge.

Pronotum laterally slightly emarginate behind middle; anterior margin straight behind eyes, emarginate behind frons, scintilla absent; punctures on disc larger and deeper than those of frons, interstices shining, 0.5–2xpd; PF1 shallow, confluent and extending posteriorly in midline; PF2 very deep; PF3 deep; PF4 moderately deep.

Elytra weakly arcuate laterally; summit of posterior declivity at ca. midlength; lateral explanate margin moderately wide; on basal 1/3 punctures ca. 1xpd largest pronotal punctures, punctures becoming finer and more widely spaced toward posterior. Intervals not raised, shining, on basal 1/3 ca. 1–2xpd, as are interstices between punctures of a row. Apices in dorsal aspect weakly separately rounded, in posterior aspect margins forming moderately deep angle with one another.

Ratios of P2 width and plaque shape (P2/w/l/s) ca. 2/1.5/9/3. P1 laminate; median carina sinuate in profile. P2 l/w ca. 3/1, sides slightly diverging toward blunt apex, apex raised slightly above mesoventral intercoxal process. Plaques large, parallel, narrowly separated, not raised, located at sides of moderately deep median depression. Metaventrite without midlongitudinal carina between intercoxal process and median depression. AIS width at slightly arcuate posterior margin ca. 2x P2. All tibiae slender, straight. Abdominal apex symmetrical; last tergite with apicomedian notch. Female (microslide mount, n=1): last tergite moderately sharply rounded, with minute apicomedian notch, ca. 24 non-hooked setae; gonocoxite not midlongitudinally divided, apical margin moderately sharply rounded, setae long, low transverse ridge evident at border of microreticulation; spermatheca simple, type C shape.

Etymology. Named in reference to the deep pronotal foveae.

Distribution. Currently known only from a rather tight cluster of localities in Mpumalanga Province, South Africa ( Fig. 73 ).

Figures

FIGURE 23. Hydraena profunda, holotype, dorsal and lateral habitus. Inset: Pronotal foveae.

FIGURES 20–21. Aedeagi of holotypes.

FIGURES 24–25. Aedeagi of holotypes.

FIGURES 71–74. Geographical distributions of Hydraena species.