Ephydrolithus spiculatus, Girón & Short, 2019

Giron, Jennifer C. & Short, Andrew Edward Z., 2019, Three additional new genera of acidocerine water scavenger beetles from the Guiana and Brazilian Shield regions of South America (Coleoptera, Hydrophilidae, Acidocerinae), ZooKeys 855, pp. 109-154 : 129

Ephydrolithus spiculatus sp. nov. Figs 7F, G , 8 , 9C

Type material.

Holotype (♂): "BRAZIL: Minas Gerais: Lassance; 17.83384S, 44.50515W; 568 m; Cachoeira da Palmeira; flotation of root mats and moss from side of waterfall & seepage; 2.iii.2018; leg. Benetti & team; BR18-0302-04A" (INPA).

Differential diagnosis.

Ephydrolithus spiculatus is very similar to E. hamadae and E. teli . It can be easily distinguished from both by the presence of a pointed spine on the posterior elevation of the mesoventrite (see Fig. 7G ).

Description.

Body length 3.2 mm, width 1.7 mm. Body elongate oval, moderately convex. General coloration brown, slightly paler on pronotum and along margins of elytra, with dark brown head. Posterior elevation of mesoventrite with a pointed spine (Fig. 7G ). Elytra without striae or serial punctures. Pro- and mesofemora covered with hydrofuge pubescence along basal 2/3; metafemora with hydrofuge pubescence along basal 2/3 of anterior margin, and on tibial grooves. Apex of fifth abdominal ventrite truncate. Aedeagus (Fig. 7F ) with basal piece 0.9 × the length of parameres; parameres nearly 0.3 × greatest width of median lobe, with outer margins nearly straight for most of their length; apex of parameres truncate, with outer corners broadly rounded; apex of median lobe widely acute.

Etymology.

Named with the Latin word spiculatus meaning sharpen to a point, in reference to the pointed spine on the posterior elevation of the mesoventrite.

Distribution.

Known only from the type locality (Fig. 8 ).

Remarks.

This species was collected by gathering moss and roots from bottom and margin of a seepage that was next to a large waterfall (Fig. 9C ). The only known specimen was collected by placing the moss and roots in a pan of water, where it floated to the surface along with several specimens of E. hamadae .

Figures

Figure 7. Thorax, abdomen and genitalia of Ephydrolithus spp.: A-D Ephydrolithus hamadae: A ventral view of mesoventrite (white arrow pointing transverse ridge) B posterior view of metafurca C fifth abdominal ventrite D aedeagus E aedeagus of Ephydrolithus teli. F, G Ephydrolithus spiculatus: F aedeagus G oblique view of mesoventrite (black arrow pointing well-developed tooth) H aedeagus of Ephydrolithus ogmos I aedeagus of Ephydrolithus minor. Scale bars: 0.25 mm.

Figure 8. Distribution of Ephydrolithus spp.

Figure 9. Habitat of Ephydrolithus spp. A, B habitat and type locality for E. minor and E. ogmos, Brazil, Pico do Barbado, collecting event BR 18 - 0226 - 01 C C habitat and type locality for E. hamadae and E. spiculatus, Brazil, Cachoeira da Palmeira, collecting event BR 18 - 0302 - 04 A D habitat and type locality for E. teli, Brazil, Pico do Barbado, collecting event BR 18 - 0226 - 01 B.