Novochares pichilingue ( Fernandez , 1989)

Short, Andrew Edward Z. & Giron, Jennifer C., 2023, Revision of the Neotropical water scavenger beetle genus Novochares Giron & Short (Coleoptera, Hydrophilidae, Acidocerinae), ZooKeys 1171, pp. 1-112 : 1

Novochares pichilingue ( Fernandez, 1989)

Figs 17B , 21K, L , 22C

Helochares (s. str.) pichilingue Fernández, 1989: 147.

Novochares pichilingue ( Fernández, 1989); Girón and Short 2021: 205.

Type material.

The unique holotype male is from Ecuador (Los Rios: Queveao, Rio Pichilingue) and deposited in MACN (not examined).

Material examined

(56 exs.): Ecuador: Cotopaxi: Latacunga (133 km W), 1080', 2.vii.1975, at blacklight, leg. Langley & Cohen (1, USNM) . Esmeraldas: La Union, 3.ii.1979, leg. J. J. Anderson, "UV att." (11, USNM) . Guayas: Daule , viii.1998, leg. A. Bandinelli (2, SEMC) . Los Ríos: Quevedo, 11.v.1975, leg. Spangler, Gurney, Langley, & Cohen, blacklight (20, USNM, TTU-Z); 11 Km S Quevedo, 3.vii.1975, leg. Langley & Cohen, blacklight (1, UNSM); Babahoyo , 21.vi.1975, leg. Cohen, Langley, & Monnig, blacklight (7, USNM); same data except "large swampy pool w/ water hyacinth" (3, USNM) . Manabí: Bahía de Caráquez (35 km SE), 10.v.1975, leg. Spangler, Langley, & Cohen, "weedy roadside pools" (1, USNM); Bahía de Caráquez (35.6 km E), 9.i.1978, leg. Spangler, culvert ditch (7, SEMC, USNM); 29 km S of Sto. Domingo, Rancho Ronald , 8.ix.1978, blacklight, leg. J.J. Anderson (1, USNM) . Pichincha: Santo Domingo de los Colorados, 14 km E, 5.vii.1975, leg. Langley & Cohen (2, USNM), Santo Domingo de los Colorados , 29 km W, 7.v.1975, blacklight (2, USNM) .

Differential diagnosis.

This species is one of the few that might be distinguished without dissection, due its distribution in a region with few other congeners, and due to its darkened pronotal disc (Fig. 17B ) and relatively short maxillary palps. The form of the genitalia is also very distinctive and cannot be confused with any other species (Fig. 21K ).

Description.

Body length 4.7-6.2 mm. Coloration: Dorsal surfaces brown to dark brown, with very slightly paler (brown to yellowish) clypeus and margins of pronotum and elytra; dark labrum. Head: Maxillary palps nearly 0.8 × width of head, uniformly orange in color (Fig. 17B ). Thorax: Ground punctation on pronotum and elytra relatively dense and shallowly impressed. Elytra without rows of serial punctures, each with very faint rows (one dorsal and two or three lateral) of scarce and weakly marked systematic punctures. Prosternum medially weakly convex. Posterior elevation of mesoventrite broadly elevated, with very weak medial longitudinal ridge extending anteriorly. Abdomen: Apical emargination of fifth ventrite relatively deep and broad, U-shaped. Aedeagus: (Fig. 21K, L ) Overall shape pear-like, 2.3 × longer than wide, with outer lateral margins of parameres weakly and evenly convex; apical region of each paramere rounded, with outer margin laterally pointed; at closest point, dorsal inner margins of parameres separated by distance 0.58 × greatest width of a paramere; dorsal plate of median lobe with neck 0.35 × as broad as base; arms of dorsal plate of median lobe somewhat parallel, dorsally concave, nearly 0.4 × length of dorsal plate of median lobe; each arm strongly broadened along basal 2/3, then narrowing to acute apex; notch between arms at base very narrow, dorsally cup-like; gonopore placed near base of dorsal plate of median lobe; ventral plate of median lobe membranous, extending to basal 2/3 of arms of dorsal plate; basal piece 0.3 × length of a paramere. In lateral view, aedeagus weakly oblique at base, with ventral outline of parameres 2.9 × longer than greatest width near base; dorsal outline of aedeagus in lateral view nearly straight along second 2/5.

Distribution.

Ecuador (Fig. 22C ).

Habitat.

This species has been collected in pools and ditches, as well as at blacklights.

Remarks.

This species is currently only known from the western slopes of the Andes in Ecuador where it has been collected at a variety of localities. It is not known from the eastern (Amazonian) side.

Figures

Figure 17. Dorsal habitus of Novochares spp. A N. guadelupensis B N. pichilingue C N. cochlearis D N. quadrispinus.

Figure 21. Aedeagi of the Novochares sallaei species group A-D N. pastinum E, F N. quadrispinus G-J N. tridentis K, L N. pichilingue A, E, G, K dorsal view B ventral view C, F lateral view D, I (dorsal) J (ventral) L oblique view.

Figure 22. Distribution of Novochares sallaei species group A N. cochlearis (red: circles, examined specimens; squares, literature / unconfirmed records), N. dicranospathus (yellow), N. pastinum (blue) B N. atratus (red: circles, examined specimens; squares, literature / unconfirmed records), N. clavieri (yellow), N. bisinuatus (blue), N. garciai (green) C N. chaquensis (red: circles, examined specimens; squares, literature / unconfirmed records), N. pichilingue (yellow) D N. fernandezae (red), N. tridentis (yellow), N. quadrispinus (blue), N. unguis (green).