Oocyclus bolivari Short & Garcia, sp. n.
Creators: name: Short, Andrew E. Z.
name: García, Mauricio
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2010
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Hydrophilidae
Oocyclus
Oocyclus bolivari

description: Oocyclus bolivari Short & García sp. n.
(Figs. 6 D, 7)
Type material. Holotype: VENEZUELA: Bolívar State: male, “ VENEZUELA. Bolívar/ Auyan-tepui 1700 m / 5°51’N- 62°33’W / 7-14-II- [19]94/ J.L. García-A. Chacón” “ HOLOTYPE / OOCYCLUS / bolivari sp.n. / des. Short & García 2010 ” (MIZA). Paratypes (9): VENEZUELA: Bolívar State: same data as holotype (8 exs., MIZA, KSEM); Auyan tepui, 5°46’N, 62°32’W, 2178 m, 20.iv.1994, leg. L. Masner & J.L. García, “T. Amarilla” [=yellow pan trap] (1 ex., MIZA).
Diagnosis. Small to medium species. Posterolateral corners of pronotum rounded. Procoxae weakly spinose. Elytra with distinct rows of systematic punctures, which are represented by interrupted rows of erect to decumbent setae. Elytral suture not raised at apex. Elytral margins fringed with long yellow setae; not explanate.
This species is very similar to O. floccus, but the density of the setal clumps is reduced and with finer setae. The four spine-like setae on the process of the mesoventrite are much longer and not as thickened as in O. floccus. Additionally, the parameres are more gradually narrowed in O. floccus (Fig. 5 D), while they are nearly parallel sided in the apical third to half in O. bolivari (Fig. 6 D).
Description. Size and form. Body length = 3.4–4.0 mm. TL/GW = 1.54 mm. Body oval, moderately convex.
Color. Dorsum of head, pronotum, and elytra black with a general faint iridescent green sheen. Anterolateral margins of pronotum with small pale patch, one-quarter to one-third the lateral margin. Elytra with very indistinct green maculae. Maxillary and labial palps yellow. Stipes light to reddish brown, slightly paler than ventral face of head; mentum brown to dark brown, similar in color to the head venter. Legs, epipleura, lateral margins of prosternum yellowish brown. Abdominal ventrites reddish brown.
Head. Ground punctation on labrum, clypeus and frons fine, distance between punctures 1.5–2.0x the width of one puncture. Systematic punctures on labrum consisting of several indistinct punctures medially. Frons with irregular row of systematic punctures mesad of each eye. Clypeus with a few very indistinct systematic punctures along anterolateral margins, slightly larger than surrounding punctation. Maxillary palps moderately short, subequal to slightly shorter in length to the width of labrum; segment 2 slightly bulbous, apical segment slightly longer than penultimate. Labial palps three-fourths as long as width of mentum. Mentum quadrate, anterior margin slightly convex, bearing very fine punctures.
Thorax. Ground punctation on pronotum and elytra composed of fine, evenly distributed punctures of generally uniform size. Pronotal systematic punctures with short fine setae, similar to slightly larger in size to ground punctures, blending with larger ground punctures. Lateral margins of pronotum and elytra with dense row of long yellow setae, creating a fringed appearance. Posterolateral corners of pronotum rounded. Sutural punctation on elytra absent or unmodified from ground punctation. Elytra with five distinct rows of systematic punctures, some of which form clumps, each clump composed of several coalesced punctures which each bears short erect yellow seta. Prosternum with sharp, high carina which is elevated anteromedially, the elevation bearing two long thin spine-like setae. Elevated process of mesoventrite raised to a point medially, with flat, even posteriorly sloping face set with 4–5 slightly thickened setae. Metaventrite with oval glabrous area posteromedially, about twice long as wide, length of glabrous area ca. half the length of metasternum. Procoxae with dense, fine short pubescence; with a few short thickened setae or spine-like setae mesally, which are easily overlooked. Protibiae each with 6–7 spine-like setae on dorsal face. Mesofemora and posteroproximal margin of metafemora with short thickened, spine-like setae.
Abdomen. Ventrites with sparsely scattered setae, loosely arranged into two to three rows of long erect setae which are distinctly longer than the longest setae on the metaventrite. Aedeagus as in Figure 6 D.
Etymology. Named in honor of Simon Bolívar, Venezuelan liberator and national hero.
Distribution. Known only from two sites on Auyan-tepui, the legendary table-top mountain that is home to the highest waterfall in the world (Fig. 7).
Remarks. Label data suggest the specimens were collected passively, in flight-intercept and yellow-pan traps.
description: Published as part of Short, Andrew E. Z. & García, Mauricio, 2010, A review of the Oocyclus Sharp of Venezuela with description of twelve new species (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae: Laccobiini), pp. 1-31 in Zootaxa 2635 on pages 10-11, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.198427