Coelometopon granulatum, Perkins, 2005

Perkins, Philip D., 2005, A revision of the African hygropetric genus Coelometopon Janssens, and description of Oomtelecopon new genus (Coleoptera: Hydraenidae), Zootaxa 949 (1), pp. 1-103 : 1-103

Coelometopon granulatum new species

(Figures 40, 41, 56–65, 84)

Type Material. Holotype (male): South Africa: Natal Prov., Mpumalanga, Sabie 13 km E, 1150m, wet rockface, 25° 4' S, 30° 53' E, 2 February 1997, Endrödy­Younga; deposited in the TMSA . Paratypes (221): South Africa: Natal Prov., Same data as holotype (98 TMSA); Mpumalanga, Graskop 14 km SE, wet rockface, elev. 1100 m, 25° 4' S, 30° 52' E, 5 February 1997, Endrödy­Younga (3278) — (97 TMSA); Mpumalanga, Graskop 28 km N, wet rockface, 24° 43' S, 30° 51' E, 4 February 1997, Endrödy­Younga (3276) — (1 TMSA); Umgeni River Valley , pipe­line road near Camperdown, 29° 45' S, 30° 34' E, 16 November 1958, Stuckenberg — (3 BMNH); Transvaal Prov. , N. Transvaal, Soutpansberg, Entabeni, shore washing, 22° 58' S, 30° 15' E, 15 March 1973, Endrödy­Younga (#56) — (22 TMSA). Representative specimens deposited in AMG, CMNH, FMNH, LUM, MNMS, MCZ, MRAC, NMW, QMBA , and USNM.

Diagnosis. Similar in dorsal sculpture and body form to C. zulu and C. mussardi . In females of C. granulatum the last sternite is not emarginate, and the last tergite is arcuate, with closely spaced short spines; whereas in females of C. zulu the last sternite is apicomedially emarginate, and the last tergite is bilobate, with strong short spines divided into two groups; females of C. mussardi are unknown. Reliable identifications of these three species will require study of the male genitalia (Figs. 37, 40, 43).

Description. Size (length/width, mm x 100;) holotype: body 244/107, head 65/56, pronotum 56/89, elytra 160/107. Dorsum piceus, legs dark brown. Maxillary palpus slightly shorter than width of anterior margin of clypeus, last three palpomeres subequal in length and maximum width. Mentum weakly produced apicomedially; depressed on each side of midline near base. Granules nearly uniform on base of clypeus, frons and pronotum, much finer and sparser on shining apical 1/2 of clypeus, largest granules on pronotal disc.

Pronotum with sides angulate at midlength, strongly emarginate in front of and weakly emarginate behind angulation; lateral depressions markedly convex.

Elytra with exceedingly fine and rather sparse micropore ground sculpture. Granulate throughout, intervals as follow: even­numbered intervals each with unilinear row of granules; 2nd, 4th and 6th each with three or four subcostate to costate sections; 8th widened, forming pseudoepipleuron.

Metasternum with oval depression slightly rimmed posteriorly. Female last sternite not emarginate, subapical depression not rimmed posteriorly; last tergite arcuate, with closely spaced short spines.

Aedeagus length 0.42 mm; mainpiece very slightly bulging in middle in lateral aspect, nearly straight in dorsal aspect, ridged process in dorsal aspect appearing as two very short, well separated lobes; gonopore process short and rather wide, angled to right side in dorsal aspect; membranous process wide and short, about twice as wide as gonopore process (Fig. 40).

Etymology. Named in reference to the granulate dorsum.

Distribution. Currently known from Natal and Transvaal Provinces (Fig. 84).