Copelatus sibelaemontis, Hájek & Hendrich & Hawlitschek & Balke, 2010

Hájek, Jiří, Hendrich, Lars, Hawlitschek, Oliver & Balke, Michael, 2010, Copelatus sibelaemontis sp. nov. (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae) from the Moluccas with generic assignment based on morphology and DNA sequence data, Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 50 (2), pp. 437-443 : 440-442

Copelatus sibelaemontis sp. nov.

( Figs. 1–4 )

WWW site on wikispecies. http://species.wikimedia.org/wiki/ Copelatus _sibelaemontis

Life Science Identifier. urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:49FC9D3B-4AC7-434E-BC7C-69D5322151D5

Type locality. Indonesia:Northern Maluku, Bacan Island, ca. 5 km SE of Makian village, SE slopes of Mount Sibela, 500–750 m a.s.l. (approximate position from GoogleEarth: 0°44.388′S 127°33.984′E).

Type material. HOLOTYPE: J ( NMPC): ‘ INDONESIA, N MOLUCCAS / Bacan Isl., 500-750 m / SE slopes of Mt. Sibela / 5 km SE of MAKIAN vill. / S. Jákl leg., 2.-12. V.2008 [printed] // HOLOTYPE / COPELATUS / sibelaemontis sp. nov. / J. Hájek et al. des. 2010 [red label, printed]’. PARATYPES: 8 JJ 4 ♀♀, same label data as holotype ( NHMW, NMPC, SMNS, ZSMC). Each paratype is provided with the respective red printed label.One male paratype ( ZSMC) bears a green label with M. Balke’s DNA extraction number MB 3456.

Additional material examined. 1 J 1 ♀, ‘ MALUKU:Is.Morotai / W Daruba, Raja / 18.XI.1999, 50- 100m / leg. A.RIEDEL’ ( SMNS, ZSMC). The specimens bear green labels with M. Balke’s DNA extraction numbers, MB 3151 (J) and MB 3152 (♀).

Description. Body oblong-oval, broadest in basal third of elytra, moderately convex. Head relatively broad; clypeus rounded. Pronotum broadest between posterior angles, lateral margins moderately curved. Base of elytra as broad as pronotal base; lateral margins of elytra moderately curved ( Fig. 1 ).

Measurements. Bacan: TL: 4.6–5.0 mm (holotype 4.7 mm), TL-h: 4.1–4.5 mm (holotype 4.3 mm), TW: 2.2–2.4 mm (holotype 2.3 mm). Morotai: TL: 4.6 mm, Tl-h: 4.1–4.2 mm, TW: 2.2–2.3 mm.

Colouration. Body colour dark brown, head in front of eyes, sides of pronotum, appendages, and basal transverse band on elytra ferrugineous. Beetle rather shiny.

Surface sculpture. Head uniformly microreticulated, reticulation composed of moderately deeply impressed isodiametric meshes. Punctation composed of coarse setigerous punctures, and very small punctures spread sparsely on surface; rows of coarse punctures presented around inner margin of eyes and in small depression antero-laterally of eyes. Antenna with antennomeres long and slender.

Pronotum with lateral beading very thin and indistinct. Microreticulation similar to that of head. Punctation similar to that of head; row of coarse setigerous punctures presented along anterior margin, basal margin (except for baso-medially), and laterally close to sides. Indistinct longitudinal wrinkles presented baso-laterally.

Elytra without striae or strioles, microreticulation similar to that of head and pronotum. Punctation similar to that of head; coarse setigerous punctures form four indistinct longitudinal rows.

Ventral part. Finely microreticulated, with intermixed sparsely distributed very small punctures. Meshes isodiametric, except for metacoxae and abdominal ventrite I (longitudinal), abdominal ventrite II (diagonal), and abdominal ventrites III–IV (transverse). Prosternum obtusely keeled medially. Prosternal process lanceolate, bordered except for tip. Metepisterna (‘metasternal wings’) tongue-shaped, slender. Metacoxae and abdominal ventrites I–II with numerous striae, possibly used for stridulation. Indistinct transverse rows of large setigerous punctures are presented on abdominal sternites.

Male. Protarsomeres and mesotarsomeres 1–3 distinctly broadened, with adhesive discs on their ventral side. Median lobe of aedeagus slightly asymmetrical in ventral view, apically bifid; inner lobe well developed ( Fig. 2 ). In lateral view, median lobe broadest in middle; apex bent down ( Fig. 3 ). Lateral lobe with broader base narrowing towards apex, setation on inner margin distinct ( Fig. 4 ).

Female. Similar to male in habitus. Protarsomeres and mesotarsomeres not broadened.

Differential diagnosis. Readily characterized by the smooth elytra combined with shape of male genitalia ( Figs. 2–4 ).

Etymology. The new species is named after the type locality – Sibela, and Latin word mons (genitive montis, masculinum) meaning mountain.

Collection circumstances. Specimens from Bacan were collected in a small stream (S. Jákl, pers. comm.). The species was associated in both localities with Copelatus wallacei J. Balfour-Browne, 1939 , and on Bacan also with C. ternatensis Régimbart, 1899 and a species from the Platynectes decastigma Régimbart, 1899 complex.

Distribution. So far known from Bacan and Morotai Islands of Northern Maluku, Indonesia ( Fig. 5 ). The occurrence in Halmahera Island is likely.

Notes. Specimens from Morotai and Bacan show> 4% cox1 divergence, suggestive of interrupted gene flow. This, together with their insular distribution, could be taken as indicators of ongoing speciation. The occurrence of local endemism would be typical of running water species, usually with limited dispersal abilities ( RIBERA et al. 2001), although in this case the lack of apparent morphological differentiation between the specimens from two islands about 300 km distant from each other is noteworthy. We suggest to collect more material and study population-level processes in this very diverse archipelago.

Figures

Figs. 1–4. Copelatus sibelaemontis sp. nov. 1 – habitus; 2 – median lobe in ventral view; 3 – the same in lateral view; 4 – lateral lobe (paramere).

Fig. 5. Distribution of Copelatus sibelaemontis sp. nov.