Primocerus ocellatus, 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 : 144

Primocerus ocellatus sp. nov. Figs 10 A–D , 15B

Type material.

Holotype (♀): "VENEZUELA: Amazonas/ Cerro de la Neblina/ Camp XII, 1950 m/ near Pico Phelps/26.ii.1985// from leaf packs and wood pieces in small stream/ leg. W. Steiner, W. Buck, B. Boom, C. Brewer" (USNM).

Differential diagnosis.

Primocerus ocellatus can be easily recognized by its large size (4.4 mm), reddish coloration, and very small eyes in dorsal view (separated by a distance 17 × larger than the width of an eye).

Description.

Body length 4.4 mm, width 2.4 mm. Body elongate oval, strongly convex (Fig. 10B ). General coloration reddish brown. Elytra with ground punctures shallowly marked, systematic punctures slightly enlarged, and serial punctures absent. Posterior elevation of mesoventrite with very lowly raised transverse ridge. Metafemora with hydrofuge pubescence covering slightly more than basal half of anterior surface. Apex of fifth abdominal ventrite rounded.

Etymology.

Named from the Latin word ocellatus which means "having little eyes", in reference to the unusually small eyes of the species.

Distribution.

Primocerus ocellatus has only been collected at Cerro de la Neblina in the Venezuelan Amazon, at an elevation of 125 m (Fig. 15B ).

Remarks.

The single known specimen is a female that was found in "leaf packs and wood pieces in a small stream".

Figures

Figure 10. Habitus of Primocerus spp.: A-D Primocerus ocellatus: A dorsal view B lateral view C ventral view D head, dorsal view. E-H Primocerus gigas: E dorsal view F lateral view G ventral view H head, dorsal view. Scale bars: 1 mm.

Figure 15. Distribution of Primocerus spp.