Novochares orchis, 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 orchis sp. nov.

Figs 4B , 11D-F , 13A , 24B

Type material.

Holotype (male): "SURINAM/ Suriname Dist./ Krakka-Phedra Rd./ X-25-1962/ Borys Malkin", "tiny pool in/forest, much/ fallen foliage" (USNM). Paratypes (57 exs.): Brazil: Amapá: Oiapoque (ca. 22 km S) on BR -156, 3.65822, -51.76958, leg. Short, forested detrital pools, BR18-0720-01B (1, SEMC, including DNA voucher SLE1851). Amazonas: Manaus Ducke Reserve, Igarape Barro Branco, -2.93079, -59.97514, 75 m, 6.vi.2018, leg. Short & team, stream margins, BR18-0606-02B (11, INPA, SEMC, TTU-Z); same data except forest pools/riparian area by stream, BR18-0606-02C (1, SEMC); same data except shallow pools, BR18-0606-02D (1, SEMC); same data except 9.vi.2018, muddy pools in swampy area by stream, BR18-0609-02B (1, SEMC). Rondônia: Tabajara (ca. 4.5 km W) on RO-133, -8.9217, -62.0978, 100 m, 8vii.2018, leg. Short, detrital pool/marsh by stream, BR18-0708-02B (2, SEMC). French Guiana: Piste de montagne de fer, 5.37641, -53.54782, 67 m, 3.iii.2020, leg. Short & Neff, large shallow detrital pool by road, FG20-0303-02A (4, SEMC); Forêt des Sables Blancs Park, 3.iii.2020, leg. Short & Neff, detrital puddle in forest, FG20-0303-03A (2, SEMC); Bagne des Annamites Park, Crique Anguille, 4.83287°N, - 52.5145°W, 17 m, leg. Short & Neff, small sandy stream with detritus, FG20-0307-01B (5, SCC, SEMC). Suriname: Suriname: same data as holotype (25, SEMC, UNSM). Sipaliwini District: Camp 4 (low), Kasikasima; sandy/ creek, trail to Kasikasima, 2.97731°N, 55.38500°W, 200 m, 22.iii.2012, leg. A. Short, SR12-0322-02A (4, NSCS, SEMC, including SLE1214).

Differential diagnosis.

See species group diagnosis.

Description.

Body length 7.3-9.3 mm. Coloration: Dorsal surfaces dark brown and sheeny, with paler (brown or reddish brown) clypeus and margins of pronotum and elytra. Head: Maxillary palps nearly 1.3 × longer than width of head, uniformly reddish brown in color (Fig. 24B ). 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 only very weakly medially convex. Posterior elevation of mesoventrite elevated as a triangular pyramid, with medial longitudinal ridge extending anteriorly. Abdomen: Apical emargination of fifth ventrite relatively deep, V- or U-shaped. Aedeagus: (Figs 4B 11D, F) apical region of outer margin of each paramere pointed, dorsally directed; parameres longer than median lobe; at closest point, dorsal inner margins of parameres separated by distance 0.5 × greatest width of a paramere; dorsal plate of median lobe with neck 0.5 × as broad as base; arms of dorsal plate of median lobe abruptly broadening at mid-length, slightly converging at apex, with apex rounded; apical region of outer margin of each arm pointed; arms nearly 0.55 × length of dorsal plate of median lobe; notch between arms at base nearly as broad as base of an arm; ventral plate of median lobe apically truncate, apex extending to apical third 1/4 of dorsal plate; basal piece 0.35 × length of a paramere. In lateral view, aedeagus somewhat teardrop-shaped, with ventral outline of parameres 4 × longer than greatest width near base; dorsal outline nearly evenly convex along entire length.

Etymology.

This species is named after the complex and intricate shape of the aedeagus, which we had informally named the "orchid one" during the course of this revision.

Distribution.

Known from Brazil ( Amapá, Amazonas, Rondônia), French Guiana, and Suriname (Fig. 13A ).

Habitat.

This species is most commonly found along detrital margins of streams and in forested pools associated with streams.

Novochares punctatostriatus species group

Species group description. Body length 4.7-8.8 mm. Coloration: Dorsal surfaces dark brown, usually with paler (orange to yellow) margins of head, pronotum, and elytra. Head: Maxillary palps slightly shorter to slightly longer than width of head, uniformly yellow to orange in color (Fig. 14 ). Thorax: Ground punctation on pronotum and elytra relatively dense and shallowly impressed. Elytra sometimes with defined rows of serial punctures, at least along posterior and lateral areas, not forming grooves. Prosternum flat to medially convex. Posterior elevation of mesoventrite transverse, usually blunt and low. Abdomen: Apical emargination of fifth ventrite small and shallow, slightly broader than deep. Aedeagus: (Figs 4A , 15 ) Overall shape sub-rectangular, approximately 2 × as long as wide, joint basal margins of parameres medially emarginate and laterally rounded; outer margin of each paramere nearly straight or very weakly convex along basal 2/3, then concave and laterally pointed, then oblique to apex; parameres longer than median lobe; apex rounded; parameres with apical region cylindrical (hollow to apex) and lightly sclerotized; dorsal inner margin of each paramere sinuate; dorsal plate of median lobe (in dorsal view) with strongly sclerotized basal apodemes (nearly 0.25 × length of plate); dorsal plate of median lobe nearly parallel-sided along basal 2/3, then bifurcating with parallel to distally converging arms; notch between arms variable; shape and orientation of arms variable; gonopore sitting proximal to base of fork of dorsal plate; ventral plate of median lobe (in ventral view) somewhat triangular, variable in length, shape of apex, and degree of sclerotization; dorsal surface of ventral plate of median lobe slightly concave (sides curved dorsally); basal piece nearly 0.25-0.40 × length of a paramere, with distal margin straight. In lateral view, aedeagus triangular, strongly oblique at base, with ventral outline of parameres 3-5 × longer than greatest width near base.

Composition. The Novochares punctatostriatus species group is composed of six species: Novochares dentatus sp. nov., N. geminus sp. nov., N. pertusus sp. nov., N. punctatostriatus sp. nov., N. spangleri sp. nov., and N. triangularis sp. nov.

Remarks. This species group is united by several distinct morphological characters and was recovered as a monophyletic group by Short et al. (2021). However, our two-gene analysis did not recover the monophyly of this species group, instead recovering two distinct, sequentially diverging lineages (Fig. 1 ). These two subgroups can be morphologically differentiated: the lineage that contains N. dentatus , N. geminus , and N. spangleri have lateral teeth on the dorsal plate of the median lobe of the aedeagus combined with an extended ventral plate, while the other subgroup does not possess these features (Fig. 15 ).

Figures

Figure 1. Phylogeny of Novochares spp. Part 1: Novochares punctatostriatus, Novochares tectiformis, Novochares sallaei, Novochares orchis, Novochares minor, and Novochares garfo species groups. Inferred from COI and 28 S combined sequence data. Numbers next to taxon names are extraction numbers (see Table 1). The Novochares portion of the phylogeny of Acidocerinae based on five gene fragments as presented in Short et al. (2021) is reproduced in the lower left corner for comparative purposes.

Figure 4. Aedeagi of the Novochares punctatostriatus, Novochares sallaei, and Novochares orchis species groups along with schematic representations of the whole, the parameres (in blue), and the dorsal (in yellow) and ventral (in red) plates of the median lobe A N. dentatus B N. orchis C N. sallaei.

Figure 11. Aedeagi of Novochares spp. A-C N. aperito D-F N. orchis G-K N. minor G-J Peru K Venezuela A, D, G, K dorsal view B, E, H ventral view C, F, J oblique view I lateral view.

Figure 13. Distribution of Novochares spp. A N. aperito (red), N. minor (yellow), N. orchis (blue) B N. bidens (red), N. furcatus (yellow), N. garfo (blue), N. tenedor (green).

Figure 14. Dorsal habitus of Novochares spp. A N. dentatus B N. punctatostriatus C N. pertusus D N. triangularis.

Figure 15. Aedeagi of the Novochares punctatostriatus species group A-D N. dentatus E, F N. spangleri G, H N. geminus I N. triangularis J, K N. pertusus L-Q N. punctatostriatus A-C Venezuela D Ecuador L-N Suriname O Peru P, Q Brazil. A, E, G, I, J, L, O, P dorsal view H, M, Q ventral view C, F, N oblique view K lateral view.

Figure 24. Dorsal habitus of Novochares spp. A N. tectiformis B N. orchis C N. duo D N. piaroa.