Hydraena challeti, new species

Figs. 134 (habitus), 136 (aedeagus), 199 (map)

Type Material. Holotype (male): Colombia: Antioquia, 8.2 km NE Guarne on Hwy to Bogota, 14 vi 1984, G. L. Challet. Deposited in the USNM. Paratypes: Same data as holotype (3 USNM).

Differential Diagnosis. This species has a large pronotal fascia (color ratios ca. 4/17/6), and moderately dense pronotal punctation. It is quite similar in dorsal habitus to H. multiloba (Figs. 131, 134); differentiated therefrom by the smaller size (ca. 1.27 vs. 1.53 mm), the larger pronotal fascia (color band ratios ca. 4/17/6 vs. 5/12/5), the slightly wider elytra, and the wider, less widely separated plaques (ratios ca. 1/1/4/2 vs. 2/1/4/4). The aedeagi of the two species differ markedly (Figs. 133, 136).

Description. Size: holotype (length/width, mm): body (length to elytral apices) 1.53/0.66; head 0.21/0.36; pronotum 0.38/0.49, PA 0.38, PB 0.46; elytra 0.96/0.66. Dorsum of head piceous; pronotum testaceous to light brown in front of and behind large piceous fascia, ratios of color bands, as measured in midline, ca. 4/17/6; elytra dark brown; legs brown; maxillary palpi testaceous, tip not darker.

Frons punctures ca. 1–1.5xef, slightly larger and denser near eyes than medially; interstices effacedly microreticulate, weakly shining, ca. 0.5–1xpd laterally, 1–3xpd medially. Clypeus microreticulate laterally, very finely sparsely punctulate medially. Mentum sparsely moderately finely punctulate, shining; postmentum very finely densely micropunctulate, dull or weakly shining. Genae raised, shining, without posterior ridge.

Pronotum weakly arcuate laterally; anterior margin straight behind eyes, emarginate behind frons, scintilla absent; punctures on disc ca. 1xpd of largest punctures on frons, interstices shining, 2–5xpd on disc, punctures slightly larger and denser at anterior and posterior; PF1 and PF2 absent; PF3 deep; PF4 very shallow.

Elytra weakly arcuate laterally; summit of posterior declivity slightly before midlength; lateral explanate margins narrow; on basal 1/3 punctures ca. 1xpd largest pronotal punctures, punctures becoming finer and more widely spaced toward posterior. Intervals not raised, shining, on basal 1/3 ca. 1–3xpd, as are interstices between punctures of a row, a few punctures subserial. Apices in dorsal aspect conjointly rounded, in posterior aspect margins forming very shallow angle with one another.

Ratios of P2 width and plaque shape (P2/w/l/s) ca. 1/1/4/2. P1 laminate; median carina sinuate in profile. P2 l/ w ca. 5/2, sides slightly converging toward blunt apex, apex raised slightly above mesoventral intercoxal process.

Plaques moderately wide, straight, parallel or very slightly converging toward one another anteriorly, weakly raised, located at sides of median depression. AIS width at straight posterior margin ca. 2.5x P2. Legs slender, simple. Male abdominal apex symmetrical. Female (microslide mount, n=1): last tergite sharply rounded, with apicomedian notch, ca. 21 long, hooked setae; gonocoxite not midlongitudinally divided, apical margin broadly rounded, low transverse ridge evident at border of microreticulation; spermatheca type C2, process small.

Etymology. Named in honor of the collector, Gilbert L. Challet.

Distribution. Currently known only from the type locality (Fig. 199).