Helochares fuliginosus d'Orchymont 1932
Creators: name: Jia, Fenglong
name: Tang, Yu-dan
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2018
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Hydrophilidae
Helochares
Helochares fuliginosus

description: Helochares fuliginosus d’Orchymont, 1932
Figs 9–17, 44, 46–47
Helochares (s. str.) fuliginosus d’Orchymont, 1932: 689.
Diagnosis
Length 3.6–4.3 mm. Dorsum with dense and fine punctures that are finer than in H. songi sp. nov. Clypeus somewhat impressed in front of eyes (Figs 12, 14). Maxillary palps ca 1.2× as long as width of head, each palpomere uniformly yellowish brown (Figs 13–14). Pedicel subequal in length to antennomeres 3–6 combined. Submentum with a small glabrous area medially and with a few coarse punctures laterally (Fig. 16). Elytra almost parallel from base to posterior third, somewhat explanate laterally, with distinct systematic punctures (Fig. 9). Mesoventrite with a low transverse ridge medially and a low longitudinal carina (Fig. 15). Metaventrite without glabrous area medially. Femora densely pubescent except apical eighth (Figs 10, 17). Length of parameres ca 6.5× as long as width of apex, subparallel, slightly expanded subapically and round apically, apex without inwardly directed tooth; median lobe expanded subapically, abruptly narrowed apically (Fig. 47).
Material examined
Paratype
JAVA: 1 ♂, Buitenzorg, “Bot. Gart. Quellmorast, 13. 1928,” Exp. Thienemann leg., A. d’Orchymont det. (handwritten) (IRSN).
Other material
LAOS: 1 ♀, Hua Phan Province, Ban Saluei Phu Phan Mt. Env., 20º13′ N, 103º59′ E, 1300–2000 m a.s.l., 6–18 Apr. 2004, J. Bezdek leg., Hebauer det. (NMPC).
CHINA: Guangdong: 6 ♂♂, 9 ♀♀, Zhaoqing, Heishiding, 4–6 May. 2013, Fenglong Jia, Yue Jia, Bingjie Chen, Renchao Lin and Weilin Xu leg.; 74 spec., Fengkai, Heishiding, 23°31′ N, 111°52′ E, 20– 22 Apr. 2014, Fenglong Jia, Renchao Lin and Yudan Tang leg.; 1 spec., Fengkai, Heishiding, in a shallow puddle with plenty of leaf litter, 13 Aug. 2010, Fenglong Jia leg.; 1 spec., Gaoming, Yangmei town, 23–26 Apr. 2006, Fenglong Jia leg.; 37 spec., Zhuhai, Sun Yat-sen Univerisity, near mountain behind campus, 5–8 Jul. 2011, Fenglong Jia leg.; 46 spec., Shenzhen, Maluanshan, 13 Jun. 2014, Fenglong Jia and Weicai Xie leg.; 10 spec., Shenzhen, Wutongshan, Hengpailing, 15 May. 2011, Fenglong Jia leg.; 2 spec., Shenzhen, Paiyashan, 17 May 2011, Fenglong Jia leg.; 1 spec., Shenzhen, Qiniangshan, 17 Jun. 2010, Fenglong Jia leg.; 8 spec., Danxiashan, 8 Jun. 2012, light trap, Fenglong Jia leg.; 3 unsexed spec., Danxiashan, 2 May. 2008, Fenglong and Keqing Song leg.; 6 spec., Luogang, 20 Apr. 1958, Zhelong Pu leg. – Hong Kong: 2 ♂♂, 1 ♀, Shuikou, 27 Apr. 2013, Fenglong Jia, Yingming Lee and Eric Chen leg.; 4 spec., Dabujiao, 27 Apr. 2013, Fenglong Jia, Yingming Lee and Eric Chen leg.; 1 spec., Fengkeng, 22°31.695′ N, 114°13.450′ E, 13 m a.s.l., 9 Jun. 2014, Fenglong Jia, Weicai Xie and Jiahuang Chen leg.; 1 spec., Rongshuao, 22°32.646′ N, 114°14.926′ E, 10 m a.s.l., Fenglong Jia, Weicai Xie and Jiahuang Chen leg. – Fujian: 1 spec., Nanjing, Hexi town pond, 13 Jul. 2013, Fenglong Jia leg. – Guangxi: 1 ♂, Shiwandashan, 8–12 Apr. 2013, Haidong Chen leg.; 1 spec., Shiwandashan, Forest Park, 239 m a.s.l., edge of upper river, 19 Jul. 2011, Keqing Song leg. – Macao: 3 spec., Luhuan, Dieshitang, 27 Mar. 2014, Fenglong Jia leg. [All data transcribed from Chinese.]
Redescription
FORM AND COLOUR. Length 3.6–4.3 mm, width 1.9–2.2 mm, oval, moderately convex. Head black, yellowish brown laterally (Figs 12–14); pronotum and elytra dark brown to black, both with yellowish or reddish brown margin laterally (Fig. 11); maxillary palps uniform yellow or yellowish brown (Figs 13–14); labial palps yellow, antenna yellowish brown. Ventral side dark brown to black (Fig. 10); legs dark with yellowish tarsomeres (Fig. 11).
HEAD. Labrum with fine and dense punctures, smooth between punctures, anterior margin broadly emarginate. Clypeus broad, anterior margin clearly broadly emarginate, moderately expanded in front of eyes, lateral margin somewhat rounded, clearly impressed in front of eyes (Figs 12–14). Punctures on clypeus coarser and sparser than those on labrum, smooth between punctures, systematic punctures almost of same size as ground punctures (Fig. 14). Eyes of moderate size, clearly emarginate anteriorly (Figs 12–14), separated by ca 4.0× the width of one eye. Ground punctures on frons similar to those on clypeus, with clear systematic punctures in front of eyes. Maxillary palps long and slender, ca 1.2× as wide as head, second and third palpomeres curved inwards, apical palpomere almost as long as penultimate, asymmetrical (Fig. 16). Antennae with 9 antennomeres, scape ca 1.5× as long as pedicel, pedicel subequal in length to antennomeres 3–6 combined, club loosely with dense pubescence. Mentum ca as wide as long, subquadrate, with strong v-shaped impression anteromedially, with coarse punctures and wrinkles posteriorly (Fig. 16). Submentum with a small glabrous area medially and with a few coarse punctures laterally. Maxilla with coarse punctures, smooth between punctures.
THORAX. Pronotum ca 2× as wide as long, widest posteriorly, posterolateral margins broadly round, anterior margin smooth, with a very fine transverse groove, lateral margin with stronger groove, posterior margin without such groove; posterior margin almost straight. Ground punctures on pronotum slightly coarser than on head, with distinct setiferous systematic punctures (Fig. 13). Prosternum bulging in middle, not carinate, pubescent, with transverse groove (Fig. 16), protruding anteriorly. Mesoventrite with a low transverse ridge medially, which does not bear an elevated tooth or projection but with a tuft of long setae (Fig. 15), behind ridge with a low longitudinal carina. Metaventrite pubescent, with somewhat convex middle portion, without glabrous area. Metepisterna ca 3.5× as long as wide, subparallel. Scutellum triangular, with similar punctures to elytra. Elytra with ground punctures similar to those on pronotum and with 3 distinct rows of systematic punctures (Fig. 11), without sutural stria; epipleura very broad anteriorly, reaching posterior margin of first visible abdominal sternite, with sparse, coarse punctures. Femora densely pubescent, with apical eighth glabrous (Figs 10, 17). Metatarsomeres with dense white hairs ventrally and some long swimming hairs dorsally. Claws of moderate size, rather strongly curved.
ABDOMEN. All visible abdominal ventrites with dense pubescence; first ventrite not carinate (Fig. 17).
AEDEAGUS. Broad, paramere ca 6.5× as long as width of apex, subparallel, slightly expanded subapically and round apically, apex without small, inwardly directed tooth; median lobe somewhat expanded subapically, abruptly narrowed apically (Fig. 47).
Differential diagnosis
This species is closest to H. songi sp. nov., from which it can easily be distinguished by its smaller size; clypeus yellowish brown laterally (Fig. 12–14); elytra with yellowish or reddish brown margin laterally (Fig. 11); maxillary palps uniform yellow or yellowish brown (Figs 13–14); pronotum and elytra more finely punctate; parameres ca 6.5× as long as width of apex, apex without a small, inwardly directed tooth (Fig. 47).
Biology
This species occurs in small stagnant pools and on wet stones on ground with grass or leaf litter near rivers or streams, but never collected in habitats where Oocyclus spp. occur. It is occasionally collected at light. The female carries the egg case under the abdominal ventrites.
Distribution
China (Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hong Kong, Macau), Cambodia, Indonesia (Java, Sumatra), Malaysia (peninsula) (Hansen 1999). New record for China and Cambodia.
description: Published as part of Jia, Fenglong & Tang, Yu-dan, 2018, A revision of the Chinese Helochares (s. str.) Mulsant, 1844 (Coleoptera, Hydrophilidae), pp. 1-27 in European Journal of Taxonomy 438 on pages 6-9, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2018.438, http://zenodo.org/record/3785478