Podaena kuscheli Ordish 1984
Creators: name: Delgado, Juan A.
name: Palma, Ricardo L.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2010
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Hydraenidae
Podaena
Podaena kuscheli

description: Podaena kuscheli Ordish, 1984   
(Figs 21, 22, 31, 35, 54, 81, 82, 87, 98, 101)  
 Podaena kuscheli Ordish, 1984: 15, figs 9, 10, 28, 55, 82, 111.   
 Differential diagnosis. Male (Fig. 101) body length (taken from anterior margin of labrum to elytral apex) 1.90 mm; female body length 1.98 mm. Externally similar to P. dentipalpis, P. obscura, P. trochanteralis, P. latipalpis, P. hauturu and P. moanaiti, but distinguished from all these species by its less modified male palps with a much reduced chaetotaxy, and the last two distal palpomeres without ventral grooves (Figs 21–22). Among the species with less or not modified male palps, P. kuscheli can be clearly separated from P. maclellani, P. mariae and P. glabriventris by the male foretibiae (compare Figs 31, 35 with Figs 25–30), and from P. aotea by the chaetotaxy and length of the male palps, and by the male foretibiae, especially by the position of tibial spines 1 and 2 (compare Figs 31, 35 with Figs 39, 43 respectively).   
 The male foretibiae of P. kuscheli have a conspicuous tibial spine 2, placed in the most distal position among all species, hence it is widely separated from tibial spine 1 (Figs 31, 35). Metaventrite with a glabrous central area as in Fig. 47, and terminalia similar to those of close species (Figs 54, 65, 68). Male genitalia (Figs 81−82) with the proximal half of the main piece cylindrical, and a distal half progressively flattened, foliaceous, and very unsclerotized, almost colourless. Distal lobe equally colourless and hardly distinguishable from the main piece, with an evertable flagellum, but variable morphology, not useful for species identification. Spermatheca (Fig. 87) with a sinuous tapering central piece, ending in a long thin distal duct.   
 Note. Since P. kuscheli is not known from the Nelson area (NN), the male genitalia figured by Ordish (1984: 49, fig. 82) is incorrectly labelled as from “ Flora Creek ”, a locality situated in the Nelson area.   
 Distribution. As in Fig. 98. Restricted to the west coast of the South Island.   
 Material examined. Type material. Holotype: South Island: Westland (WD): Male – “Hercules Ck., Mt. / Hercules WD / 30 Mar. 73 / G. Kuschel ”.   
 Paratypes: South Island: Westland (WD): 8 males 1 female (4 males en alcohol, 4 males dry-mounted: printed labels, 1 female in alcohol) (NZAC): “ 8 km S. of / L. Paringa / 29 Mar 1973 / G.K. + J.McB.”. 14 males, 10 females (10 males in alcohol, 4 males dry-mounted, 9 female in alcohol, 1 female dry-mounted) (NZAC): “Hercules CK / Mt Hercules, WD / 30 Mar 73, G.K.”, “see slide” [2 slides in MONZ]. 1 male, 1 female (1 male in alcohol, 1 female dry mounted: printed label) (MONZ): “ Mt Hercules Cr. / WD. 30 Mar 73 / G. Kuschel ”. 1 male, 1 female (dry-mounted: partially printed) (MONZ): “ Mt Hercules Cr. / WD. 30 Mar 73 / G. Kuschel NZ”. 10 males, 11 females (7 males in alcohol, 3 males dry-mounted: printed labels, 7 females in alcohol, 4 females dry-mounted: printed labels) (MONZ): “Hercules CK., Mt / Hercules. WD. / 30 Mar. 1973 / G. Kuschel ”. 1 male (dry-mounted) (MONZ): “Hercules Ck. / Mt. Hercules WD. / 30.3.73 G.K.”.   
 Additional material examined. South Island: Westland (WD): 2 males, 2 females (in alcohol) (NZAC): “Hercules CK / Mt Hercules, WD / 30 Mar 73, G.K.” [surplus to the number of paratypes listed by Ordish 1984: 15. See Table 1]. 1 female (dry mounted: printed label) (NZAC): “ 8 km S. of / L. Paringa / 29.3.1973 / G.K. + J.McB.”. 3 males, 2 females (dry mounted: printed labels) (SMDG, CDMS): “New Zealand WD. Chelsea, Creek. Serpentine Creek, 15 km east of Haast. 200m, Leg. Jäger & Nunn 20.01.08”. 2 males, 7 females (dry mounted: printed labels) (CDMS): “ Rata Creek at Bridge 695/9.60 / Near Paringa Lake / NEW ZEALAND / 5−12−96 (10− Sur) / Podocarpus forest / J.A. Delgado leg”.
description: Published as part of Delgado, Juan A. & Palma, Ricardo L., 2010, A revision of the genus Podaena Ordish (Insecta: Coleoptera: Hydraenidae), pp. 1-47 in Zootaxa 2678 (1) on pages 21-24, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.2678.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/5303297