Copelatus Sheth & Ghate & Hájek 2018
Creators: name: Sheth, Sayali D.
name: Ghate, Hemant V.
name: Hájek, Jiří
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2018
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Dytiscidae
Copelatus

description: Key to Copelatus species of Maharashtra
1. Body elongate oval; elytra with more than six dorsal striae..................................................... 2
- Body broadly oval; elytra with six dorsal striae.............................................................. 4
2. Elytra with 11–12 dorsal striae (C. nigrolineatus group)....................................................... 3
- Elytra with 9 dorsal striae (C. consors group). Base of pronotum distinctly wider than width of elytra; elytra completely striolate (Fig. 4)................................................................... Copelatus maushomi sp. nov.
3. Bigger species (TL: 5.3–6.9 mm), elytra ochre unicolorous; elytral striae well impressed complete (Figs 1–2). Median lobe in lateral aspect broad in basal three fourths, then narrowing to pointed apex; almost evenly curved except at base (Fig. 17)................................................................................ Copelatus deccanensis sp. nov.
- Smaller species (TL: 4.0– 4.5 mm), elytra bicolorous with broad pale transverse basal band; elytral striae shallowly impressed, absent from apical fourth of elytral length (Fig. 3). Median lobe in lateral aspect broad from base to apex, broader in apical half, apex abruptly pointed; not evenly curved (Fig. 19)............................ C. schuhi Hendrich & Balke, 1998
4. Elytra with submarginal stria (C. irinus group).............................................................. 5
- Elytra without submarginal stria (C. duodecimstriatus group)................................................... 8
5. Median lobe in lateral view with two distinct 'teeth' on ventral side (Figs 23, 29).................................... 6
- Median lobe simply sickle-shaped, without any 'teeth' on ventral side (Figs 25, 27).................................. 7
6. Median lobe in apical third almost straight on dorsal side with distinctly dorsally bent apex (Fig. 23); parameres smooth on inner side (Fig. 24)............................................................... Copelatus bezdeki sp. nov.
- Median lobe in apical third almost regularly sinuous with shallow emargination before apex on ventral side (Fig. 29); parameres with distinct serration on inner side (Fig. 30).................................. C. schereri Wewalka, 1981
7. Slender species with dorsal coloration uniformly dark except for lateral margin (Figs 7–8). Elytral stria 1 starts at base. Median lobe in apical third gradually narrowing to pointed apex (Fig. 25)............................... C. indicus Sharp, 1882
- Broader species with variable, but distinct yellow-black elytral coloration (Figs 9–11). Elytral stria 1 starts subbasally. Median lobe in apical third broad with dorsally bent obtusely pointed apex (Fig. 27).................. C. neelumae Vazirani, 1973
8. Smaller species (TL: 3.7–4.2 mm). Median lobe almost evenly curved throughout, except basal fourth; apex narrowly pointed (Fig. 31).................................................................. C. cryptarchoides Régimbart, 1899
- Bigger species (TL: 4.9–5.6 mm). Median lobe broad in basal two thirds, almost straight and narrowing to pointed apex in apical fourth (Fig. 33).............................................................. C. mysorensis Vazirani, 1970
description: Published as part of Sheth, Sayali D., Ghate, Hemant V. & Hájek, Jiří, 2018, Copelatus Erichson, 1832 from Maharashtra, India, with description of three new species and notes on other taxa of the genus (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae: Copelatinae), pp. 235-260 in Zootaxa 4459 (2) on pages 251-252, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4459.2.2, http://zenodo.org/record/1458548