Nebrioporus seriatus ( Sharp, 1882 )

Toledo, Mario, 2009, Revision in part of the genus Nebrioporus Régimbart, 1906, with emphasis on the N. laeviventris-group (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae), Zootaxa 2040, pp. 1-111 : 40-41

Nebrioporus seriatus ( Sharp, 1882)

Fig. 27

Deronectes seriatus Sharp (1882: 429) (orig. descr.); Marseul (1882: 70); Branden (1885: 48).

Deronectes (Potamodytes) seriatus Sharp ; Zimmermann (1919: 189; 1920: 128).

Deronectes (Potamonectes) seriatus Sharp ; Zimmermann (1933: 177).

Potamonectes seriatus (Sharp) ; J. Balfour-Browne (1951: 187); Brancucci (1979: 158; 1980: 105; 1984: 234). Potamonectes (s. str.) seriatus (Sharp) ; Rocchi (1984: 446).

Nebrioporus (s. str.) seriatus (Sharp) ; Nilsson & Angus (1992: 288); Nilsson (2001: 172; 2003: 66).

Type locality. Yemen > Hedjaz .

Type material. Lectotype ♂ ( BMNH), here designated " Syntype \ type1145? [Sharp hw.] \ Hedjaz, Millingen \ Deronectes seriatus Sharp M. E. Bacchus det 1977, syntype " plus BMNH circular, blue bordered " Lectotype " label, added by me and my red designation label. Paralectoypes. ( BMNH) 2 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀, same data of lectotype ; one female pinned in brochette with the lectotype and one male and one female, labelled " syntype " glued together on the same card. A BMNH circular, light-blue bordered " Paralectotype " label, have been added by me, together my red designation label.

Additional material examined. Saudi Arabia: Khoda , 1800 m, 20"22’N 41"18’E, 30.IX.1982, leg. W. Buttiker (2 exs. HF) .

Yemen: Migyal –el– Alaf , S of San’a, ca 8000 ft., 24.II.1938, B. M. Exped. to S. W. Arabia., H. Scott & E. B. Britton. B. M. 1938-216 (216 exs. BMNH) .

Description. TL 5.1–5.5 mm; MW 2.6–2.8 mm. Regularly oval, convex. Angle between pronotum and elytra obsolete. Dorsal colouration black, with pale spots on elytra.

Head black, often with a poorly defined reddish spot on vertex. Mouthparts reddish; antennae reddishyellow with articles 4–11 slightly darkened apically. Genae black.

Pronotum transverse, maximum width near the base. Sides slightly rounded, subparallel in basal half, distinctly bordered, posterior angles rather rounded. Posterior side poorly sinuate, angle between pronotum and elytra almost invisible.

Elytra oblong-oval, with maximum width near or just above the middle, sides almost subparallel in the proximal half. The sinuation is hardly visible along the margins of the humeral zone. Longitudinal rows well visible, particularly the discal and sutural series. Subapical denticle visible in both sexes.

Dorsal colouration ( Fig. 27a) black, sometimes slightly paler on lateral sides and disc of pronotum; each elytron with a yellow sub-basal band and few small markings in medial and subapical position.

Underside black, with prosternal process, metacoxal process, distal portion of sternites, last sternite, hypomera, proepisterna and epipleuron reddish. Surface covered by a dense and impressed punctuation. Reticulation hardly visible between the punctures. Sternites without an apical comb of setae.

Legs reddish or reddish-brown, with tarsi darkened. Few punctures are often visible under the principal series on external face of metatibia

Male: Protarsi slightly dilated. Anterior claws ( Fig. 27d,e) slightly modified, subequal in length and shape, rounded, almost as long as the last protarsomere. Median lobe of aedeagus ( Fig. 27g) long and slender. Parameres ( Fig. 27f) with apical hook large and rounded, with remarkably ventral subapical angle.

Female: Similar to male. Base of pronotum often slightly narrower than elytra. Subapical denticles often more developed than in males. Elytral apex slightly produced.

Variability. According to the specimens I have studied, and in agreement with Brancucci (1979), specimens from Saudi Arabia share lesser impressed punctuation on their dorsal surface, resulting in a more reflective surface.

Distribution ( Fig. 56). Saudi Arabia (south-west?), Yemen.