The Colombian species of the genus
Rhantus
are reviewed.
Rhantus bogotensis
sp. nov.
is described and illustrated, based on specimens collected in the Altiplano of the Bogota region. It is compared ...with the similar species
Rhantus franzi
,
R. vicinus
, and
R. crypticus
. The Ecuadorian species
Rhantus crypticus
was found for the first time in the highlands of Nariño department. This is a new record for Colombia. Five species of
Rhantus
are presently known from Colombia.
A new species of the genus Hydaticus Leach, 1817, subgenus Prodaticus Sharp, 1882 (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae) has been discovered in the mountains of Cerros del Sira, Peru. It is here described as ...Hydaticus (Prodaticus) hauthi sp. nov.. It is morphologically similar to the Peruvian H. panguana Megna, Balke, Apenborn Hendrich, 2019. The new species differs from H. panguana by its almost complete black dorsal surface and the shape of the median lobe. Diagnostic characters of both species, including illustrations of male genitalia and habitus, are presented, and a modified key for the 12 Neotropical species is provided.
The Pleistocene Ice Ages were the most recent geohistorical event of major global impact, but their consequences for most parts of the Southern hemisphere remain poorly known. We investigate a ...radiation of ten species of Sternopriscus, the most species-rich genus of epigean Australian diving beetles. These species are distinct based on genital morphology but cannot be distinguished readily by mtDNA and nDNA because of genotype sharing caused by incomplete lineage sorting. Their genetic similarity suggests a Pleistocene origin.
We use a dataset of 3858 bp of mitochondrial and nuclear DNA to reconstruct a phylogeny of Sternopriscus using gene and species trees. Diversification analyses support the finding of a recent rapid speciation event with estimated speciation rates of up to 2.40 species per MY, which is considerably higher than the proposed average rate of 0.16 species per MY for insects. Additionally, we use ecological niche modeling and analyze data on habitat preferences to test for niche divergence between species of the recent Sternopriscus radiation. These analyses show that the species can be characterized by a set of ecological variables referring to habitat, climate and altitude.
Our results suggest that the repeated isolation of populations in glacial refugia might have led to divergent ecological adaptations and the fixation of morphological traits supporting reproductive isolation and therefore may have promoted speciation. The recent Sternopriscus radiation fulfills many characteristics of a species flock and would be the first described example of an aquatic insect species flock. We argue that the species of this group may represent a stage in speciation past the species flock condition because of their mostly broad and often non-overlapping ranges and preferences for different habitat types.
Taxonomy and biogeography can benefit from citizen scientists. The use of social networking and open access cooperative publishing can easily connect naturalists even in more remote areas with ...in-country scientists and institutions, as well as those abroad. This enables taxonomic efforts without frontiers and at the same time adequate benefit sharing measures.
We present new distribution and habitat data for diving beetles of Bali island, Indonesia, as a proof of concept. The species
Aubé, 1838 and
(Fabricius, 1781) are reported from Bali for the first time. The total number of Dytiscidae species known from Bali is now 34.
Balke, Bergsten & Hendrich,
et
is described from near Rompin village in West Malaysia. The new genus is characterized by the presence of an occipital line and basal pronotal striae, the presence of a ...thick anterior bead on clypeus and two-segmented parameres as well as by the absence of basal elytral striae, the absence of sutural line on elytron, the absence of basal epipleural transverse carina, and the absence of longitudinal elytral carina. Moreover, male pro- and mesotarsus appear stout, and distinctly dilated laterally; the pronotum is comparably long and parallel-sided and the colour of beetle conspicuous dark orange.
Balke, Wang, Bergsten & Hendrich,
is described from West Malaysia (Pahang) and South Vietnam (Cat Tien). It is well characterized by its large size, elongate body and the form of the median lobe.
(J. Balfour-Browne, 1944),
described from Fiji is a new synonym of
(Zimmermann, 1927) described from Samoa.
Morphological characters and mitochondrial DNA sequence data were used to revise the Australian diving beetles in the genera Allomatus Mouchamps, 1964 and Batrachomatus Clark, 1863. As a result of ...these studies Allomatus syn. n. is synonymised with Batrachomatus, and Allomatus nannup Watts, 1978 from SW Australia and Allomatus wilsoni Mouchamps, 1964 from SE Victoria are transferred to Batrachomatus. The four Australian Matini species knownso far are re-described, and Batrachomatus larsoni sp. n. from the Windsor Tableland in NE Queensland is described. After more than 40 years Batrachomatus wilsoni has been re-discovered in two rivers in Victoria. We delineate the species using traditionally employed morphological structures such as in the male genitalia and body size, shape and colour pattern, as well as mitochondrial cox1 sequence data for 20 individuals. Important species characters (median lobes, parameres and colour patterns) were illustrated. We provide an identification key and outline distribution and habitat preferences of each species. All Australian Matini are lotic, inhabiting permanent and intermittent streams, creeks and rivers.
Water reservoirs formed by the leaf axils of bromeliads are a highly derived system for nutrient and water capture that also house a diverse fauna of invertebrate specialists. Here we investigate the ...origin and specificity of bromeliad-associated insects using Copelatinae diving beetles (Dytiscidae). This group is widely distributed in small water bodies throughout tropical forests, but a subset of species encountered in bromeliad tanks is strictly specialized to this habitat. An extensive molecular phylogenetic analysis of Neotropical Copelatinae places these bromeliadicolous species in at least three clades nested within other Copelatus. One lineage is morphologically distinct, and its origin was estimated to reach back to 12-23 million years ago, comparable to the age of the tank habitat itself. Species of this clade in the Atlantic rainforest of southern Brazil and mountain ranges of northern Venezuela and Trinidad show marked phylogeographical structure with up to 8% mtDNA divergence, possibly indicating allopatric speciation. The other two invasions of bromeliad water tanks are more recent, and haplotype distributions within species are best explained by recent expansion into newly formed habitat. Hence, bromeliad tanks create a second stratum of aquatic freshwater habitat independent of that on the ground but affected by parallel processes of species and population diversification at various temporal scales, possibly reflecting the paleoclimatic history of neotropical forests.
Limbodessus moni sp. nov. is described from Lake Anderson and from small, richly vegetated swampy areas around alpine lakes at 3,970 m a.s.l. near the Grasberg Mine (Carstensz Pyramid) in the Central ...Mountain Range of New Guinea. The record of the new species marks the altitudinal maximum of a diving beetle in New Guinea. The new species is morphologically similar to L. alexanderi Balke & Hendrich, 2015 in terms of body size and dark coloration; however, both species can be easily separated by the shape of the median lobe and the more moniliform female antennomeres, not forming a conspicuous club as in L. alexanderi. A modified key for all five Limbodessus species from New Guinea and adjacent islands is presented.
Agaporomorphusjulianeae sp. n. is described from the Biological Field Station Panguana, in Huànuco province of central Peru. The new species belongs to the Agaporomorphusknischi-group sensu Miller ...2005. Together with Agaporomorphusknischi Zimmermann, 1921 and Agaporomorphuscolberti Miller & Wheeler, 2008 this is the third species of the genus with broadly enlarged male antennomeres. The new species can be separated from Agaporomorphuscolberti and Agaporomorphusknischi by the smaller please expanded male antennomere VIII, and the form of the median lobe. Important species characters (median lobe, male antennae, metafemur, colour pattern) of the new species and Agaporomorphusknischi are figured, and the habitat, a temporary blackwater forest pond, and its species rich water beetle coenosis are illustrated and described in detail. The Brazilian Agaporomorphusmecolobus Miller, 2001, only known from the type material from Sao Paulo, is here recorded for Minas Gerais. Habitus photos of four additional Agaporomorphus species and Hydrodytesopalinus (Zimmermann, 1921) are provided. Altogether ten species of Agaporomorphus are now known.
Here, we describe a new Australian species in journal format and simultaneously open the description in a wiki format on the www.species-id.net. The wiki format will always link to the fixed original ...journal description of the taxon, however it permits future edits and additions to species' taxonomy and biology. The diving beetle Neobidessodes darwiniensissp. n. (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae, Bidessini) is described based on a single female, collected in a rest pool of the Harriet Creek in the Darwin Area, Northern Territory. Within Neobidessodes the new species is well characterized by its elongate oval body with rounded sides, short and stout segments of antennae, length of body and dorsal surface coloration. In addition to external morphology, we used mitochondrial cox1 sequence data to support generic assignment and to delineate the new species from other Australian Bidessini including all other known Neobidessodes. Illustrations based on digital images are provided here and as online resources. A modified key is provided. Altogether ten species of the genus are now known worldwide, nine from Australia and one from New Guinea.
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