Belladessus espinhasso Benetti, Short, and Hamada, 2021

Benetti, Cesar J., Z. Short, Andrew Edward & Hamada, Neusa, 2021, First Report of Belladessus Miller and Short, 2015 from Brazil with Description of Two New Species (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae: Hydroporinae: Bidessini), The Coleopterists Bulletin 75 (2), pp. 339-345 : 340

Belladessus espinhasso Benetti, Short, and Hamada , new species zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:0C5C6D06-C7D3-49E7-B30C-A98442549E1C ( Figs. 1 , 4–6 )

Type Material. Holotype (♀): Brazil, Minas Gerais State, Monte Azul County, “ Serra do Espinhaço ”, c. 7 km E of Monte Azul (15°10′14.4′′S, 042°48′12.6′′W), margins of forested stream, 970 m. a.s.l., 28.ii.2018, leg. C. J. Benetti and A. E. Z. Short ( INPA) . Paratypes (3 ♀♀): same data as holotype ( INPA, 1; SEMC, 2) .

Description. Measurements (n = 3): TL = 1.90– 1.92 mm, GW = 0.95–1.00 mm, PW = 0.85–0.87 mm, HW = 0.62–0.63 mm, EW = 0.38–0.40 mm, TL/GW = 1.9–2.0, HW/EW = 1.53–1.66. Body oblong, dorsally slightly convex; outline slightly discontinuous between pronotum and elytra; lateral margins slightly curved, almost parallel in anterior two-thirds of elytra; apex rounded; maximum width at midlength of elytra. Coloration: Head orange with a dark mark extending across almost entire surface from clypeus to posterior margin of eyes; clypeus orange. Antennae and palps yellow. Pronotum yellow, lighter in color than head, brown along posterior margin between striae. Elytra brown with pale yellow maculae as follows: a transverse, subbasal, undulating macula not reaching suture but extending to lateral margin; a medial, subsutural, small macula; and a subapical, transverse macula extending from suture to lateral margins and con- necting laterally with subbasal macula. Venter orange to orange-red on most surfaces. Legs orange. Sculpture and structure: Dorsal and ventral surface shiny. Head transversely broad, anterior clypeal margin broadly curved, distinctly expanded and broadly margined; occipital line absent; antennomeres 1–2 moderately elongate, 1.5 times longer than antennomeres 3–10 which are short and broad, 11 elongate, 1.5 times longer than 3–10, narrow. Surface with sparse, fine punctures on entire surface, coarser than punctures on pronotum and elytra, and evident microreticulation composed of rounded and honeycomb cells. Pronotum broad, widest at posterior angles; lateral bead fine and continuous; surface shiny, covered with coarse, scattered punctures; microreticulation not visible at magnification 100×. Elytron about 2.7 times longer than wide; sutural stria absent; elytral stria elongate, two times longer than pronotal stria. Surface with coarse, scattered, faintly impressed punctures on entire surface; microreticulation not visible at magnification 100×; elytral epipleuron without transverse carina at humeral angle, with anterior margin straight, evenly narrowed towards apex. Prosternum medially tectiform and setose; prosternal process narrow, lateral margins parallel; margins carinate, medially longitudinally strongly canaliculate; apex rounded. Metaventrite shiny, with few, indistinct punctures. Abdomen: Ventrites 4 and 5 with a pencil of large setae in the middle; apex of ventrite 6 broadly pointed, margined (impressed); surface shiny, with few punctures, mainly near sutures and lateral margins; microreticulation not visible at magnification 100×. Legs shiny, impunctate, metacoxae shiny, with punctures few and indistinct; metatrochanter large, slightly offset from midline of metafemur; metafemur with microreticulation composed of elongate cells; metatibia with microreticulation composed of elongate, transverse cells.

Differential Diagnosis. The new species can be differentiated from the other species in the genus by: punctures on dorsal surface finer than in B. femineus , but stronger than in Belladessus minutopunctatus , new species; body shape more oblong (TL/GW = 1.9–2.0) than in B. femineus , Belladessus puella Miller and Short, 2015 and Belladessus soqtapata Miller, 2020 (TL/GW = 1.7–1.8); outline slightly discontinuous between pronotum and elytra; elytral stria elongate, two times longer than pronotal stria and longer than in B. femineus , B. puella and B. soqtapata in which it is less than two times longer than pronotal stria, but shorter than in B. minutopunctatus in which it is more than two times longer than pronotal stria. From B. soqtapata the new species also differs in having the dorsal color pattern simpler, restricted to a few larger maculae, and pronotum entirely yellow, while in B. soqtapata the dorsal color pattern is complex with extensive maculation and fasciae and with dark brown along posterior margin of pronotum.

Etymology. After the “Serra do Espinhaço”, a mountain range in eastern Brazil, where the type locality is located. The name is a noun in the nominative singular standing in apposition.

Distribution and Habitat. This species is known only from the type locality in Minas Gerais State, southeast Brazil, situated in the Serra do Espinhaço. The specimens were collected along the margins of a shaded forest stream at 970 m elevation, in sandy substrate with stones and macrophytes ( Figs. 5–6 ).

Figures

Figs. 1–3. Belladessus species, dorsal habitus.1) B.espinhasso, new species, holotypefemale; 2) B.minutopunctatus, new species, holotype female; 3) B. femineus. Scale bars = 1 mm.

Fig. 4. Belladessus species, known distributions. Square symbols represent previous records, circular symbols rep- resent new records.

Figs. 5–10. Habitat of Belladessus species. 5–6) B. espinhasso, new species, Brazil: Minas Gerais State, Monte Azul County, “Serra do Espinhaço”, stream; 7–8) B. minutopunctatus, new species, Brazil: Federal District, Brasília, “Fazenda Água Limpa, Córrego Bonito”; 9–10) B. femineus, Brazil: Roraima State, Amajari County, “Serra do Tepequém, igarapé na ponte, antes da Vila a direita”.