Ovolara Brown, 1981

Barr, Cheryl B. & Shepard, William D., 2021, A review of the Larainae of Australia with description of seven new species and the new genus Australara (Coleoptera, Byrrhoidea, Elmidae), ZooKeys 1073, pp. 55-117 : 55

publication ID	https://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1073.71843
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:18D5AF27-86E5-4D21-BCC5-27D09FB384DA
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/49EB0E99-8991-5E00-A96F-698E21D47A9B
treatment provided by	ZooKeys by Pensoft
scientific name	Ovolara Brown, 1981
status

Treatment

Genus Ovolara Brown, 1981

Type species.

Lutochrus australis King, 1865.

Diagnosis.

Body oval or elliptical; antennae clavate, either compact or elongate; pronotum with two short, basal, sublateral carinae; pronotal disc without a transverse impression; elytra striate-punctate, each elytron with or without an accessory basal stria between striae 1 and 2, apices rounded; prosternum with a chin piece, a shelf-like, anterior extension beneath the head; prosternal process broad, with or without a distinct median longitudinal carina; mesotibiae glabrous and shiny on the posterior surfaces; apices of hind tibiae not exceeding apices of elytra; tarsi each with tarsomere 5 as long as tarsomeres 1-4 combined; abdominal ventrites 1 and 2 combined shorter than 3-5 combined (Figs 23 View Figures 23, 24 - 26 View Figures 25, 26 , 28 View Figures 28, 29 - 31 View Figures 30, 31 ).

Distribution.

Ovolara is endemic to Australia, with four species occurring in New South Wales and Queensland (Figs 3-6 View Figures 1–12 )

Habitat and behavior.

Ovolara adults are most often associated with marginal or emergent stream vegetation and debris packs. Depending on the species, they may occur in areas of slow current ( O. australis ) or in fast water and rapids ( O. leai ). When captured or disturbed, Ovolara does not take flight as quickly as many other laraines. Specimens of all species have been collected at lights.

Comment.

King (1865) described the type species of the genus in Lutochrus , a misspelling of Lutrochus Erichson, 1847. Brown (1981) subsequently erected the genus Ovolara to include the type species, Lutrochus [sic] Lutrochus australis as well as Hydrethus leai Carter, 1926 ( Brown 1981). He believed the genus to be most closely related to Hydora . The larva was keyed and illustrated in Glaister (1999) at the generic level.

The external morphology of the species is very similar except for that of O. australis . Comparison of the male genitalia is the best way to distinguish the species.