Exocelina craterensis Shaverdo & Balke

Shaverdo, Helena, Sagata, Katayo, Panjaitan, Rawati, Menufandu, Herlina & Balke, Michael, 2014, Description of 23 new species of the Exocelinaekari-group from New Guinea, with a key to all representatives of the species group (Coleoptera, Dytiscidae, Copelatinae), ZooKeys 468, pp. 1-83 : 6

Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera Dytiscidae

3. Exocelina craterensis Shaverdo & Balke sp. n. Figs 4, 32

Type locality.

Papua New Guinea: Simbu/Eastern Highlands Provinces, Crater Mt., Wara Sera Station, 06°43.4'S; 145°05.6'E.

Type material.

Holotype: male "Papua New Guinea, Simbu/EHPr. Crater Mountain, Wara Sera Station, 820 m, 14IX2002, Balke & Sagata (PNG 8)" (ZSM). Paratypes: Simbu/Eastern Highlands: 2 males with the same label as the holotype (NHMW, ZSM). 2 males "Papua New Guinea: Simbu / EHP, Crater Mountain, Sera - Herowana, Wara Pima, 900m, 15IX2002, Balke & Sagata, (PNG 011)", one of them additionally with a label "DNA M.Balke 6182" (ZSM). Gulf: 2 males, 2 females "Papua New Guinea: Gulf Province, Marawaka, Mala, 1400m, 11.xi.2006, 07.05.664S 145.44.467E, Balke & Kinibel, (PNG 90)", "DNA M.Balke 6183" (NHMW, ZSM).

Diagnosis.

Beetle small, piceous, with dark brown head and sides of pronotum; pronotum with lateral bead; male antennomeres simple; male protarsomere 4 with large, thick, strongly curved anterolateral hook-like seta; median lobe with submedian constriction in ventral view and strongly elongate apex in lateral view; paramere with notch on dorsal side and subdistal part elongate, with brush of long, dense, thin setae. The species is similar to Exocelina oceai Shaverdo, Hendrich & Balke, 2012, from which differs with darker dorsal coloration and structure of the male genitalia.

Description.

Size and shape: Beetle small (TL-H 3.05-3.3 mm, TL 3.4-3.65 mm, MW 1.6-1.8 mm), with oblong-oval habitus, broadest at elytral middle. Coloration: Head dark brown, with reddish clypeus; pronotum piceous, with paler sides, reddish at anterior angles; elytra piceous, sometimes with reddish brown sutural lines; head appendages yellowish brown, legs darker distally (Fig. 32).

Surface sculpture: Head with relatively sparse punctation (spaces between punctures 1-4 times size of punctures), evidently finer and sparser anteriorly; diameter of punctures smaller than diameter of cells of microreticulation. Pronotum with extremely sparse and fine punctation, almost invisible. Elytra without punctation, only with several extremely fine punctures and with punctural rows. Pronotum and elytra with weakly impressed microreticulation, dorsal surface shiny. Head with microreticulation stronger. Metaventrite and metacoxa distinctly microreticulate, metacoxal figs with longitudinal strioles and transverse wrinkles. Abdominal ventrites with distinct microreticulation, strioles, and extremely fine, sparse punctation, almost invisible, only slightly coarser and denser on two last abdominal ventrites.

Structures: Pronotum with lateral bead. Base of prosternum and neck of prosternal process with distinct ridge, less smooth and slightly rounded anteriorly, with anterolateral extensions. Ridge laterally with distinct punctation. Blade of prosternal process lanceolate, relatively broad, convex, with distinct lateral bead and few setae; neck and blade of prosternal process evenly jointed. Abdominal ventrite 6 slightly concave apically.

Male: Antenna simple (Fig. 4A). Protarsomere 4 with large, thick, strongly curved anterolateral hook-like seta. Protarsomere 5 ventrally with anterior row of 12 and posterior row of 5 short setae (Fig. 4B). Abdominal ventrite 6 with 6-8 lateral striae on each side. Median lobe with submedian constriction in ventral view and strongly elongate apex in lateral view (Fig. 4C, D). Paramere with notch on dorsal side and subdistal part elongate, with brush of long, dense, thin setae (Fig. 4E).

Holotype: TL-H 3.05 mm, TL 3.4 mm, MW 1.6 mm.

Female: Without evident differences in external morphology from male, except for abdominal ventrite 6 without striae.

Distribution.

Papua New Guinea: Simbu/Eastern Highlands and Gulf Provinces (Fig. 53).

Etymology.

The species is named after Crater Mountain where it was collected. The name is an adjective in the nominative singular.