Berosus ebeninus Oliva & Short

Oliva, Adriana & Short, Andrew E. Z., 2012, Review of the Berosus Leach of Venezuela (Coleoptera, Hydrophilidae, Berosini) with description of fourteen new species, ZooKeys 206, pp. 1-69 : 21-23

Berosus ebeninus Oliva & Short sp. n. Figs 14B, 15A

Type material.

Holotype (male): "VENEZUELA: Bolivar State/ 5°34'29.8"N, 61°18'43.4"W, 1100 m, nr. Rio Sakaika; 2.viii.2008/ leg. A. Short & M. Garcia/ AS-08-067", "[barcode]/ SM0829277/ KUNHM-ENT", "HOLOTYPE/ Berosus/ ebeninus sp. n./ des. Oliva & Short 2010" (MIZA). Paratypes (5): VENEZUELA:Apure State: Fundo La Florida, Rio Quitaparo, 7°05'N, 68°26'W, 42 m, 11-14.vi.1999, leg. E. Osuna & A. Chacon (2 exs., MIZA, SEMC); same data but 16-18.v.1999 (1 ex., MIZA). Bolívar State: Same data as holotype (1 female, SEMC); Cuchivero, 30 km SE of Caicara, 4.viii.1987, leg. S. & J. Peck, Woodland, UV light, SBP87-108 (1 male, SEMC).

Diagnosis.

This species keys to Berosus consobrinus Knisch, 1921 or Berosus megillus d’Orchymont in the key by Oliva (1993). The new species differs from the latter in having much finer punctation and the sides of the ventrites crenulate. From Berosus consobrinus it differs by the male genitalia and the extended melanization of the dorsum.

Description.

Body length: 3.6-3.9 mm. (holotype: total length: 3.9 mm; humeral width: 1.6 mm), Shape in dorsal aspect short and wide. Labrum, clypeus and frons dark brown to black with weak metallic sheen. Pronotum black in typical series, with metallic sheen, testaceous on lateral margins and, more extendedly, on anterior angles. Scutellum melanic. Elytra melanic, in the typical series deep black, shading into dark reddish brown at the sides and apices. Venter of thorax and abdomen dark reddish brown to nearly black. Maxillary palpi pale yellow with fourth palpomere darkened apically. Femora with pubescent and glabrous regions black and testaceous respectively. The remainder of the legs testaceous.

Punctures on clypeus about twice as large as ommatidia, contiguous, polygonal. Punctures on frons 3-4 times the size of an ommatidium, contiguous, polygonal, larger at the base of frons where there is a narrow median unpunctured line, not carinate. Pronotum with coarse (4-6 times an ommatidion), irregularly spaced (spaces equivalent to 1-2 diameters) punctures; surface coarsely micropunctate (micropunctures nearly as large as ommatidia). Lateral margins of pronotum serrate. Scutellum bearing a few punctures, rather smaller than those on pronotal disc. Elytral striae bearing punctures about the same size as those on pronotum, contiguous. Interstriae convex, narrower than striae, bearing punctures subequal in size as an ommatidium. Interstria 11 costate on anterior three-fourths, overhanging the elytral margin, not costate below humeral hump; the latter dentate. Elytral apices rounded; spine-like hairs absent. Mesoventral process laminar, with anterior tooth weakly curved, directed posteroventrally, behind this the free ventral margin concave, posterior angle weakly raised. Metaventral process wide, carinate before median depression, with posterolateral angles produced into rounded laminae, posterior angle finely carinate, not raised. Meso- and metafemora with pubescence on basal three-fifths and three-fourths respectively, its limit transversely oblique. Protarsus of male only slightly enlarged, the two basal tarsomeres slightly expanded and with a setal pad, which can hardly be said to form a sole. Claws weakly arched, dentate at base.

First ventrite medially carinate on most of its length, with carina faint to nearly absent at posterior margin. Fifth ventrite with small apical notch, set with two acute teeth medially. Margins of abdominal ventrites finely crenulate. Aedeagus (Fig. 15A) with basal piece about twice as long as wide, half of total length. Parameres gradually acuminate, curved, apices simply acuminate, directed towards the sternal side; row of hairs short, subapical. Median lobe longer than parameres, thick, weakly curved, abruptly swollen subapically, narrowed acuminate apex directed sternally.

Etymology.

The name derives from the Latin word ebenus -i, meaning “ebony”, and it alludes to the blackish dorsal coloring of this species.

Distribution.

Venezuela (Apure, Bolívar)

Remarks.

The specimens taken from the type locality were collected in a small, shallow marsh.