New Asian Hydroscapha, with comments on male-female association of co-occuring species (Coleoptera, Myxophaga, Hydroscaphidae)
Author
Ek, Martin Fiká Č
Author
Šípková, Hana
text
Zootaxa
2009
2286
31
48
journal article
10.5281/zenodo.191255
c3a6bdfa-ab49-4bff-b73a-510c9d61d163
1175-5326
191255
Hydroscapha rajani
sp. n.
(
Figs 17–24, 30–31
)
Type
material.
HOLOTYPE
: male (
NMPC
): “
INDIA
, Meghalaya State (6) / E Khasi Hills,
11 km
SW Cherra- / punjee, Laitkynsew,
21.–24.iv. / 2008
,
25°12'N
91°40'E
,
460m
/ Fikáček, Podskalská, Šípek lgt. // wet rock with algae/blue algae / and fallen leaves at side of / waterfall on small river surround. / by tropical forest, ca.
200m
/ upstream from living brigde”.
PARATYPE
: female (
NMPC
): same locality data as the
holotype
.
Description.
Measurements: Total body length: not measured; length of fore body:
0.93 mm
(
holotype
),
0.88 mm
(
paratype
); elytral length:
0.57 mm
(
holotype
),
0.53 mm
(
paratype
); maximum width of elytra combined:
0.57 mm
(
holotype
and
paratype
).
Colouration: Body uniformly dark brown.
Antenna: Antennomere II 1.85–1.90 times longer than wide; antennomere VIII strongly asymmetrical, 2.1–2.2 times longer than wide.
Male: Sternite V slightly sinuate on posterior margin, bare, with submedial tufts of setae at posterior margin; posterior margin not denticulate. Sternite VI with regularly arranged setae laterally in posterior 0.75, median portion bare; postero-laterally of the posterior emargination with tufts each consisting of large number of setae. Sternite VII with postero-median portion projecting into wide low obtuse lobe, posterior setae arranged into series along posterolateral margins. Aedeagus nearly straight in lateral view, indistinctly narrowing towards apical 12 hundredths of length, then strongly narrowing into obtuse apex.
Female: Sternite VI bilobate, with deep posteromedian emargination. Tergite VI slightly narrowing subapically, posterior portion simply rounded.
Differential diagnosis.
Males of this species are unique among Asian
Hydroscapha
in having aedeagus wide even apically; otherwise they distinctively differ from the remaining species in the combination of characters on abdominal sternites. Females are unique in having abdominal sternite VI with a deep posteromedian emargination unknown in any other Asian
Hydroscapha
(other species have either trilobate or simply rounded posterior margin of female sternite VI).
FIGURES 17–23.
Hydroscapha rajani
sp. n.
18–19: aedeagus of holotype, lateral view; 19: male sternite VI; 20: male sterníte V; 21: male sternite VII; 22: female sternite VI; 23: female tergite VI.
FIGURES 24–31.
Antennae of
Hydroscapha
species. 24–26:
H. khasiorum
sp. n.
; 27–28:
H. monticola
, Indian
specimens; 29:
H. monticola
, paratype; 30–31:
H. rajani
sp. n.
FIGURE 32.
Distribution of Asian
Hydroscapha
species. Distributional area of
H. granulum
(Motschulsky)
is not seen in the map.
Etymology.
We dedicate the species to Dr. Priyadarshanan Dharma Rajan (Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment, Bangalore,
India
) to express our support for his contributions and discussions calling attention to the uninformed regulations of taxonomy-related activities in
India
introduced by current Indian law (see, e.g.,
Prathapan
et al
. 2008
).
Distribution.
The only two known specimens of this species were collected at locality #1 described above, at which they were mixed with specimens of
H. khasiorum
sp. n.