Novochares clavieri, Short & Girón, 2023

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 clavieri sp. nov.

Figs 18L , 22B

Type material.

Holotype (male): Brazil: Pará: Alenquer/ -1.96253, -54.50458; 44m/ ca. 25 km E of Alenquer;/ Palm swamp, lots of detritus/ 4.ii.2018; Short & Benetti;/ BR18-0204-01A (INPA). Paratypes (11 exs.): Brazil: Amapá: Tartarugalzinho (22 km S) on BR-156, 1.30747, -50.93803, 41 m, 23.vii.2018, leg. Short, marsh/pond, BR18-0723-02A (1, SEMC, DNA voucher SLE2085). Pará: Same data as holotype (8, INPA, SCC, SEMC, including DNA voucher SLE1514). French Guiana: St. Laurent du Maroni, Sentier des Malgaches, 5.48627, -54.00238, 14 m, 4.iii.2020, leg. Short & Neff, pond in secondary forest, FG20-0304-01A (1, SEMC, DNA voucher SLE2420). Peru: Madre de Dios: Tambopata, Kawsay Biological Station, - 12.54034 S, - 69.00074W, 190 m, 4.vi.2022, leg. Short et al., palm swamp with lots of detritus (1, MHNSM).

Differential diagnosis.

This species, with its moderately sinuate outer paramere margins and Y-shaped dorsal plate of the median lobe (Fig. 18L ), is at first glance most similar to N. garciai (Fig. 20F ), and also to N. fernandezae (Fig. 18F ) and N. unguis (Fig. 18J ). However, these species all differ in the specific shapes of the median lobe and parameres.

Description.

Body length 5.2-5.6 mm. Coloration: Dorsal surfaces brown to dark brown, with slightly paler (brown to orange) clypeus and margins of pronotum, and elytra. Head: Maxillary palps nearly 1.7 × width of head, orange in color, with apex of each palpomere paler. Thorax: Ground punctation on pronotum and elytra relatively dense and very 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 and roundly elevated, with low medial longitudinal ridge extending anteriorly. Abdomen: Apical emargination of fifth ventrite relatively deep and broad, U-shaped. Aedeagus: (Fig. 18L ) Overall shape pear-like, nearly 2 × longer than wide, with outer lateral margins of parameres evenly sinuate; lateral projection on apical region of outer margin of each paramere pointed; at closest point, dorsal inner margins of parameres separated by distance 0.23 × greatest width of a paramere; dorsal plate of median lobe with neck 0.2 × as broad as base; arms of dorsal plate of median lobe diverging, nearly 0.35 × length of dorsal plate of median lobe; gonopore placed near base of dorsal plate of median lobe; ventral plate of median lobe not visible; basal piece 0.35 × length of a paramere. In lateral view, aedeagus nearly straight at base, somewhat triangular, with ventral outline of parameres 2 × longer than greatest width near basal 1/3; dorsal outline nearly straight.

Etymology.

Named in honor of Simon Clavier, Aquatic Biologist in French Guiana, who has contributed to our knowledge of the aquatic beetle fauna of the region and who assisted AEZS with fieldwork.

Distribution.

Brazil ( Amapá, Pará), French Guiana, Peru (Fig. 22B ).

Habitat.

This species has been collected from ponds and swamps with abundant detritus.

Figures

Figure 18. Aedeagi of the Novochares sallaei species group A, B N. bisinuatus C-E N. yanomami F-I N. fernandezae J, K N. unguis L N. clavieri M-P N. cochlearis A, C, F, J, L, M, O, P dorsal view B, H, N lateral view D, G ventral view E, I, K oblique view M, N Brazil O Venezuela P Suriname.

Figure 20. Aedeagi of the Novochares sallaei species group A-E N. chaquensis F N. garciai G-I N. dicranospathus J-L N. atratus M-R N. sallaei A-C Argentina D Costa Rica E Trinidad M-P Guatemala Q, R Mexico A, D-G, J, M, Q dorsal view B, H, K, N, R ventral view C, I, L, O lateral view P 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).