Hydroporus jelineki, Fery, 2009

Fery, Hans, 2009, New species of the Hydroporus longulus-group from Iran, Armenia and Turkey with a synopsis of the group (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 49 (2), pp. 529-558 : 535-538

Hydroporus jelineki sp. nov.

Type locality. Iran, Mazandaran province, 1 km N of Kandovan tunnel, Chalus river valley, ca. 36.165N 51.317E, 2620 m a.s.l. {2}.

Type material. HOLOTYPE: J, ‘ Iran , 1.VI.2006, ‘ Alborz’ Mts., 1 km N Tunel-e-Kandovan, ‘ Chalus Rud’ river valley, 36°09,9’N 51°19,0’E; 2620 m, Jiří Hájek & Pavel Chvojka leg.’ [printed] {2 }, ‘ Holotype, Hydroporus jelineki sp. n., H. Fery det. 2009’ [red, printed] ( NMPC) . PARATYPES: IRAN: 2 JJ 1 ♀, same collecting data as the holotype ( NMPC, CHF). 1 ♀, ‘ 1.5.1970 Iran, Pass zw. Karadj u. Chalus [= pass between Karadj and Chalus], (2500 m), leg. Ressl’, ‘ Hydroporus jacobsoni Zaitz. ?, det. G. Wewalka [19]72’ ( CGW). Karaj is situated ca. 50 km NWW Tehran, and Chalus is situated N of Tehran at the border of the Caspian Sea. This collecting site is most probably close to the Kandovan tunnel {2}. 2 JJ 4 ♀♀, ‘ Iran , 31.V.–1.VI.2006, Mazandaran prov., ‚ Alborz‘ Mts. , 2 km E Ilka, (alpine meadow, stream, lake), 36°14,0‘N 51°26,0‘E ; 2900 m, Jiří Hájek & Pavel Chvojka leg.’ [printed] {1} ( NMPC, CHF). Most specimens, especially females,are infested by Laboulbeniales (J. Hájek, personal communication).1J, ‘ N. Iran, 2400 m, 8 km NE Ziaran, 10.– 16.7.1977 ’ [printed] {3}, ‘ Loc. no. 400, Exped. Nat. Mus. Praha’ [printed] ( NMPC). Ziaran is a mountain village near Abyek, ca. 52 km NW of Karaj, in the Zanjan province. According to HOBERLANDT (1983: 23) the collecting site ‘no. 400’ is situated already in the Tehran province and its co-ordinates are 36.17N 50.58E.1J, ‘ Iran, Zanjan [province], Kuh-e Sendan Dag, 2000 m, 10 km N of Abhar [ca. 36.21N 49.21E], 9.6.2005, V. Major leg.’ [printed] {5} ( CAS). 1 J, ‘ Iran / Ostan-e Markazi [province], 10 km SE Tafresh [ca. 36.65N 50.07E] 2600 m, 16.7.2004 leg. Mühle’ {4} ( ZSM). Each paratype is provided with the respective red printed label .

Additional specimens examined (not treated as paratypes). TURKEY: 1 J 2 ♀♀, ‘SO-Türkei [= SE Turkey] 31.5., 5 km w. Şirnak [ca. 37.51N 42.39E] (44), leg. Jäch 1987’ {6}, ‘ Hydroporus jelineki Fery (?), H. Fery det. 2009’ [white label, printed] ( NMW). These specimens are not treated as paratypes, because they are immature and thus the body shape and the shape of the genitalia decidedly changed. Certainly, the shape of the apex of the single male’s median lobe is recognisable even though the rest of the structure is strongly deformed. Nevertheless, I have some doubt whether the Turkish population belongs to H. jelineki sp. nov., given also the large distance between the Turkish and the Iranian localities (ca. 700 km). Other species have much closer areas of distribution.

Description. Habitus in dorsal view elongate oval; body outline with slight but perceptible discontinuity between pronotum and elytra; maximum width situated near middle of total length. Almost entire dorsal and ventral surface black and shiny. Upper side microreticulated, venter in part so.

Head rather broad, interocular distance equalling about half of pronotal width at posterior angles. Clypeus with two interocular grooves behind anterior margin. Punctures on head rather coarse, evenly distributed, distance between punctures about two times that of their diameter; punctures near anterior margin, near eyes and on vertex smaller, in grooves denser. Vertex with broad transverse brown marking; narrow and short, oblique stripe on clypeus above insertion of each antennae shining through brownish.

Pronotum with maximum width between posterior angles; sides in posterior two thirds weakly curved or almost straight, not parallel but slightly converging anteriad, in anterior third more strongly curved. Rim distinct, somewhat broader in anterior third or more or less of same width over entire length. Centre of disc with one very coarse puncture or short scratch; nearby punctation much finer and sparser than on clypeus of head; on each side of centre an area with punctation still finer and sparser; punctation near sides more or less as coarse as on clypeus; along anterior margin with a puncture line, punctures finer and dispersed in middle, to sides coarser and denser; without coarse punctures before posterior margin except near sides. Postero-laterally with a depressed area on each side, here punctures rarely deformed longitudinally. Lateral parts of pronotum with indistinct setae. Lateral beading brownish translucent, in particular posteriorly.

Elytra with punctation on disc more or less uniformly distributed; punctures coarser than those on head and on pronotum, somewhat smaller behind anterior margin, on sides and apex and next to suture. Distance between punctures on disc roughly that of their diameter; near sides and in particular on apex less dense. Puncture lines not very distinct but perceptible, marked by somewhat denser normal punctures and a few interspersed coarser punctures. Setae on disc very short and indistinct, laterally and posteriorly longer and more distinct. In lateral view margin of elytra ascending slightly towards humeral angle. Lateral elytral beading distinct, narrower than pronotal beading. Epipleuron in lateral view visible to humeral angle. Elytra to a large extent black or very dark blackish brown, near sides and apex somewhat more brownish, along suture only very indistinctly more brownish.

Venter with most parts weakly microreticulated; gula, metacoxal processes, centres of metaventrite and second abdominal ventrite smooth. Genae smooth close to gula, elsewhere reticulated. Punctation on metacoxal plates, sides of metaventrite and on first two abdominal ventrites very coarse; on epipleura, centre of metaventrite, metacoxal processes and rest of abdominal ventrites less coarse and rather sparse; last abdominal ventrite with punctures somewhat coarser and sparser, reticulation more impressed. Punctures on gula very sparse centrally and much denser laterally. Anterior angles of prosternum with a small and flat, rather densely and roughly punctate, posteriorly sharply delimited, more or less triangular area. Most punctures on venter with fine indistinct seta.

Prosternal process posteriorly lanceolate, more or less tectiform in cross-section, sides beaded and provided with long setae. Process between procoxae with a distinct transverse ridge, sub-basally before this ridge with some transverse grooves; process not prolonged anteriorly as narrow convexity onto prosternum; middle of prosternum flattened and rugosely sculptured. Posterior margins of metacoxal processes medially protruded backwards, laterally sinuate; lines of metacoxal processes diverging anteriorly, not reaching posterior margin of metaventrite. Antennae with fourth segment shorter than third and fifth, latter two more or less of equal length; antennomeres five to ten more than 1.5 times as long as wide, slightly flattened, in cross section more or less elliptical.

Ventral surface predominantly black; posterior part of metacoxal processes brownish translucent, also posterior margins of last abdominal sterna very narrowly brownish translucent; each side of third, fourth and fifth abdominal ventrites indistinctly dark brownish. Gula of same colour as black genae. Mouthparts, prosternal process and legs including trochanters brownish; pro- and mesocoxae brownish only near socket of legs; middle of femora darkened. Antennae and palpi brownish, segments not darkened apically. Contrast between black surface and brownish appendages not very conspicuous.

JJ. First three pro- and mesotarsomeres slightly dilated, provided with sucker setae, first ones of each additionally with sucker cups (compare Figs. 10–12 in FERY & ERMAN 2009); protarsal claws short, of same length, in particular anterior one thickened, curved near base and almost straight in distal two thirds, at tip slightly bent; mesotarsal claws evenly curved, longer than protarsal claws. Median lobe of aedeagus asymmetric ( Fig. 1a–d ), with a unique shape among all Hydroporus : in ventral view ( Fig. 1a ) almost parallel over entire length, but slightly widening before tip, broadly rounded on each side; dorsal side with two hook-like extensions on each side shortly before tip ( Fig. 1c ), well visible in lateral view ( Fig. 1b ), but also in ventral view ( Fig. 1a ) if median lobe slightly inclined. Frontal view in Fig. 1d being a good example for an apex of median lobe twisted to left, this character being present in all H. longulus -group members, but more difficult to observe in species with more or less pointed median lobe in ventral view. Paramere as in Fig. 9 .

♀♀. Females without conspicuous external differences to males except slightly narrower pro- and especially mesotarsomeres, lack of sucker cups, and evenly curved protarsal claws; like in males latter shorter than mesotarsal claws. Gonocoxosternum and gonocoxae as in Figs. 16 and 21 .

Measurements. Specimens from Iran: males: TL: 3.4–3.8 mm, MW: 1.65–1.95 mm, TL/ MW: 1.92–2.06, IO/MP: 0.44–0.51; females: TL: 3.6–3.8 mm, MW: 1.8–1.95 mm, TL/MW: 1.94–2.05, IO/MP: 0.41–0.48. Specimens from Turkey: male: TL: 3.6 mm, MW: 1.85 mm, TL/MW: 1.95, IO/MP: 0.45; females: TL: 3.7–3.8 mm, MW: 1.85–1.95 mm, TL/MW: 1.95–2.05, IO/MP: 0.44–0.48.

Variability. Head in some specimens not black, but dark brownish; one specimen also with brownish spot on clypeus. Strength and density of punctation on head and on pronotum and lines of punctures on elytra somewhat variable. Brownish part of pronotal rim in some specimens extended anteriorly; brownish parts of elytra sometimes lighter, in some specimens more extended, e.g. on large parts of elytral sides. Specimens with more brownish upper surface also with less prominent or indistinguishable darkening of femora. Specimens from Şırnak, Turkey, with sides of pronotum distinctly less parallel in posterior half and more evenly and less curved over entire length.

Distribution. This species has a rather large area of distribution ( Fig. 26 ): central northern Iran, Mazandaran, Ostan-e Markazi, Zanjan and border area of Zanjan / Tehran provinces. Immature specimens have been found in south-eastern Turkey, Şırnak province; however, a confirmation of their identity by reference to mature specimens is needed.

Biology. The specimens from the locality near the Kandovan tunnel were collected in a small ingress to the Chalus river (J. Hájek, personal communication). The Ilka specimens were collected in a small spring in an alpine meadow at a mountain pass ( Figs. 27–28 ); the fact that they were collected at night [sic!] does not necessarily mean that they are noctambulists and cannot be found during the day. HOBERLANDT (1983: 23) gave as habitat for the Ziaran locality: ‘Mountain steppe. Collected from the vegetation and by light trap.’ However, this mountain steppe includes some headsprings and the specimen was collected in one of them (I. Kovář and J. Hájek, personal communication).

Etymology. The species is named after Josef Jelínek (noun in apposition in the genitive case), former head of the Department of Entomology, National Museum in Prague, leading person in Czech entomology and specialist on the superfamily Cucujoidea , predominantly the family Nitidulidae . He kindly allowed me to study large parts of the Iranian water beetle material collected on three expeditions of the National Museum of Prague in 1970, 1973 and 1977.

Figures

Figs. 9–15. Left paramere. 9 – Hydroporus jelineki sp. nov. 10 – H. libanus Régimbart, 1901; 11 – H. holzschuhi sp. nov.; 12 – H. jacobsoni Zaitzev, 1927; 13 – H. hajeki sp. nov.; 14 – H. shaverdoae sp. nov.; 15 – H. kryshtali Bilyashiwski, 1993.

Figs. 1–4. Median lobe of aedeagus of: 1 – Hydroporus jelineki sp. nov. (a – ventral view, b – lateral view, c – apex in dorsal view, d – frontal view; arrows indicating direction of dorsal and frontal views); 2 – H. erzurumensis Erman & Fery, 2000 (redrawn from ERMAN & FERY (2000)); 3 – H. libanus Régimbart, 1901; 4 – H. holzschuhi sp. nov.

Figs. 16–25. 16–20 – gonocoxosternum. 16 – Hydroporus jelineki sp. nov.; 17 – H. holzschuhi sp. nov.; 18 – H. jacobsoni Zaitzev,1927 (specimenfrom Itkol);19 – H. hajeki sp.nov.; 20 –H.shaverdoaesp.nov.21–25 –gonocoxae. 21 – H. jelineki sp. nov.; 22 – H. holzschuhi sp. nov.; 23 – H. jacobsoni (specimen from Itkol); 24 – H. hajeki sp. nov.; 25 – H. shaverdoae sp. nov.

Fig. 26. Distribution of Hydroporus jelineki sp. nov. (1–6), H. hajeki sp. nov. (7), H. holzschuhi sp. nov. (8–9), H. shaverdoae sp.nov.(10–15), H. jacobsoni Zaitzev, 1927 (16–23), H.kryshtali Bilyashiwski, 1993 (24), H. libanus Régimbart, 1901 (25–26).

Figs. 27–32. Habitats.27–28 – Hydroporus jelineki sp. nov.(Ilka, locality {1}, photos by J. Hájek); 29–30 – H. hajeki sp.nov.(Qutur, locality {7}, photos by J. Hájek); 31–32 – H.constantini Hernando & Fresneda, 1996 (Spain, province Santander, Pico Tres Mares, photos by H. Fery).