A review of Copelatus from Cuba, with the description of two new species (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae: Copelatinae)
Author
Megna, Yoandri S.
Departamento de Biología, Universidad de Oriente. Patricio Lumumba s / n, Santiago, Santiago de Cuba, Cuba; e-mail: ysuarez 1976 @ yahoo. es
Author
Epler, John H.
461 Tiger Hammock Road, Crawfordville, Florida, U. S. A. 32327; e-mail: johnepler 3 @ comcast. net
text
Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae
2012
2012-12-17
52
2
383
410
journal article
10.5281/zenodo.5331014
0374-1036
5331014
Copelatus posticatus
(
Fabricius, 1801
)
(
Figs. 8
,
23
,
33
)
Dytiscus posticatus
Fabricius, 1801: 268
.
Colymbetes elegans
Babington, 1841: 11
. Synonymized by
GEMMINGER & HAROLD (1868: 458)
.
Copelatus signatus
Sharp, 1873: 53
. Synonymized by
BRANDEN (1885: 85)
.
Copelatus posticatus
:
CHEVROLAT (1863: 200)
,
GUNDLACH (1891: 36)
,
YOUNG (1963: 65)
,
SPANGLER (1981:153)
,
PECK et al. (1998: 158)
,
NILSSON (2001: 62)
,
PECK (2005: 44)
,
LOZADA et al. (2004: 104)
, MEGNA & DELER- HERNÁNDEZ (2006: 154).
Type
locality.
Americae Insulis.
Material examined
.
CUBA
:
ISLA
DE LA
JUVENTUD:
Nueva Gerona
,
20.v.2006
,
Y. S. Megna
leg.,
2 exs.
;
28.v.2006
,
Y.S. Megna
leg.,
9 exs.
;
Punta del Este
,
22.v.2006
,
Y. S. Megna
leg.,
13 exs.
;
Cerro Caudal
,
22.v.2006
,
Y.S. Megna
leg.,
7 exs.
;
22.v.2006
,
Y. S. Megna
leg.,
9 exs.
PINAR DEL RÍO
:
Playa Antonio
,
22.vii.2003
,
Y. S. Megna
&
O. Bello
leg.,
2 exs.
;
Viñales
,
20.xi.2007
,
Deler-Hernández
leg.,
3 exs.
SANCTI SPÍRITUS
:
Codina
, 01.vii.10,
Y. S. Megna
leg.,
2 exs.
;
Río Caburní
, 29.vi.10,
Y. S. Megna
leg.,
13 exs.
HOLGUÍN
:
Cabonico
,
08.ix.2004
,
Y. S. Megna
leg.,
15 exs.
SANTIAGO DE CUBA
:
Loma Blanca
,
27.vii.2005
,
Y. S. Megna
leg.,
5 exs.
;
La Candelaria
,
16.xi.2005
,
Y. S. Megna
&
A. Deler-Hernández
leg.,
17 exs.
;
La Estrella
,
01.xii.2005
,
Y. S. Megna
leg.,
18 exs.
;
La Cubana
,
02.xii.2005
,
Y. S. Megna
leg.,
2 exs.
;
Dos Boca
,
25.iv.2005
,
Y.T.Cambas
leg.,
6 exs.
;
El Manguito
,
16.iii.2006
,
Y. S. Megna
leg.,
5 exs.
;
Los Reynaldos
,
17.iii.2006
,
Y. S. Megna
leg.,
2 exs.
;
Las Lagunitas
,
18.iii.2006
,
Y. S. Megna
leg.,
3 exs.
;
San Rafael
,
03.ix.2006
,
Y. S. Megna
&
A. Deler-Hernández
leg.,
42 exs.
;
Los Morones
,
18.vi.2008
,
Y. S. Megna
leg.,
1 ex.
;
San Miguel de Parada
,
26-VI-2008
,
A. Deler-Hernández
leg.,
1 ex.
GUANTÁNAMO
:
Jiguaní
,
5.ii.2004
,
Y. S. Megna
leg.,
75 exs.
;
Pozo Prieto
,
5.ii.2004
,
Y. S. Megna
leg.,
7 exs.
;
Santa María
,
6.ii.2004
,
Y. S. Megna
leg.,
3 exs.
,
3.x.2003
,
Y. S. Megna
leg.,
13 exs.
El Yunque
,
29.i.2010
,
A. Deler-Hernández
&
R. Correa
leg.,
25 exs.
,
30.i.2010
, A. Deler-
Hernández
&
R. Correa
leg.,
11 exs.
,
1.iii.2010
,
R. Correa
leg.,
3 exs.
;
Cabacú
,
16.ii.2010
,
R. Correa
leg.,
12 exs.
,
21.ii.2010
,
R. Correa
leg.,
22 exs.
;
Guamá
,
6.iii.2010
,
R. Correa
leg.,
19 exs.
;
El Güirito
,
06.ii.2010
,
R. Correa
leg.,
3 exs.
;
Jobo Dulce
,
11.ii.2010
,
R. Correa
leg.,
3 exs.
,
18.ii.2010
,
R. Correa
leg.,
8 exs.
,
20.ii.2010
,
R. Correa
leg.,
12 exs.
;
La Alegría
,
10.ii.2010
,
R. Correa
leg.,
5 exs.
,
13.ii.2010
,
R. Correa
leg.,
19 exs.
,
15.ii.2010
,
R. Correa
leg.,
2 exs.
,
19.ii.2010
,
R. Correa
leg., 15
;
Nibujón
,
03.ii.2010
,
R. Correa
leg.,
1 ex.
;
El Manglerito
,
04.ii.2010
, A. Deler-
Hernández
&
R. Correa
leg.,
3 exs.
Diagnosis.
TL 6.0–7.0 mm; EW 3.0–
3.5 mm
. Adults of
C. posticatus
can readily be distinguished by their large size, elytron with a posterolateral submarginal stria and 10 discal striae, with one, three, five, seven and nine almost complete (
Fig. 8
), and median lobe in lateral aspect as in
Figure 23a
.
Copelatus posticatus
,
C. terminalis
Sharp, 1882
,
Copelatus integer
Sharp, 1882
and
C. distinctus
Aubé, 1838
are externally similar (
YOUNG 1963
). However,
C. posticatus
can be recognized by its large size and the shape of elytron. Examination of male genitalia, especially the shape of apical portion of the median lobe, is needed for a reliable identification of all species.
Ecology.
Copelatus posticatus
is generally found in the weedy margins of shallow ponds and ditches in
Cuba
(
SPANGLER 1981
). However, this species was also found in the backwaters of small streams.
C. posticatus
appears to be a primary invader in newly formed water bodies and is predominantly associated with turbid waters and muddy bottom. It is the most frequently collected species of the genus in
Cuba
.
Distribution.
Copelatus posticatus
is one of the most common
Copelatus
species
recorded from
Cuba
. It occurs widely in the Greater and Lesser Antilles, Central and South America (
SPANGLER 1981
,
PECK 2005
). It is widely distributed in
Cuba
(
Fig. 33
).