Copelatus danyi Megna & Epler 2012, sp. nov.

Copelatus danyi sp. nov.

(Figs. 9, 10, 11, 29, 35)

Type locality. Cuba, Isla de la Juventud, Punta del Este, 21°33′43″N 82°33′18″W, ca. 3 m a.s.l.

Type material. HOLOTYPE: J (CZCTR): ‘CUBA: Isla de la Juventud: Punta del Este, 22.v.2006, Y.S. Megna leg. 21°33′43″N, 82°33′18″W,elevation ca. 3 m [printed] / Holotype, Copelatus danyi sp.n., Megna det.2012 [red,printed]’. PARATYPES (deposited in CZCTR if not stated otherwise): CUBA: ISLA DE LA JUVENTUD: 3 JJ 1 ♀, with same data as holotype; 2 JJ 1 ♀, ‘CUBA: Isla de la Juventud: Cerro Caudal, 22.v.2006, Y.S. Megna leg. 82°38′03″W 21°36′28″N, elevation ca. 12 m’. 1 ♀, ‘ 22.v.2006, Y.S. Megna leg. 82°38′06″W 21°36′27″N, elevation ca. 12 m’. SANCTI SPÍRITUS: 14 JJ, 9♀♀ (CZCTR, NMPC): ‘CUBA: Sancti Spíritus: Codina, 01.vii.2010, Y.S.Megna & A.Deler-Hernández leg. 80°03′36″W 21°54′42″N, elevation ca. 891 m’. Each paratype is provided with its respective red paratype label.

Description. TL 4.7–5.1 mm; EW 2.2–2.4 mm; see Table 1 for remaining body measurements.

Color. Head rufous, with piceous spot at posterior margin of eyes. Pronotum piceous, with rufous lateral margins. Elytra rufous, with narrow basal testaceous band not extended to lateral margins (Fig. 10); venter piceous; pro- and mesothoracic legs testaceous; prosternum rufous.

Sculpture and punctation. Dorsum with fine, widely spaced punctures. Head with short strioles on front. Pronotum with transverse row of coarser punctures along base, lateral bead abbreviated and not extending onto anterolateral angle, with short longitudinal strioles on disc. Elytron with a submarginal and 10 discal striae (Fig. 10). First four abdominal ventrites with short curved strioles.

Structure. Prosternum rounded medially, with anterior margin sinuate; prosternal process short, oval, finely margined laterally, bluntly pointed apically, flattened apically and broadly contacting anteromedial metaventral process; metacoxal processes with rounded lobe covering base of trochanter. Male protibia without ventrobasal emargination; metatibial spurs acute apically; metatarsomeres 1 to 4 flattened ventrally; metatarsal claws subequal.

Male genitalia. Median lobe with inner margin strongly concave over middle part (Fig. 11a); parameres narrow, subtriangular, with inner margin setose over middle part (Fig. 11c).

Sexual dimorphism. Males with pro- and mesotarsomeres 1–3 widened, with sucker-like setae; elytron with posterolateral submarginal stria and 10 discal striae, and with punctuation coarse and irregular. Pronotum with short and longitudinal strioles in males, whereas densely and complexly striate in females. Elytra rufous, with a narrow basal testaceous band not extended to lateral margins. Females with posterolateral submarginal stria and 10 discal striae on elytron and with interstrial space complexly striate (Fig. 9). Elytra piceous, without a narrow basal testaceous band.

Diagnosis. Males of C. danyi sp. nov. are recognized by the combination of the following characters: elytron with a posterolateral submarginal stria and 10 discal striae (Fig. 10) and female with interstrial space complexly striate (Fig. 9); male protibia without ventrobasal emargination; median lobe of aedeagus with inner margin strongly concave at midlength (Fig. 11a); parameres narrow, with inner margin setose at midlength (Fig.11c).

Copelatus danyi sp. nov. can only be confused with C. posticatus, but can be separated by its small size and the form of the 10 discal striae.

Etymology. The specific epithet danyi is a noun in the genitive case which honors Dany Daniel González-Lazo (Universidad de Oriente) for his contribution to the study of aquatic insects.

Ecology. Copelatus danyi sp. nov. was collected in temporary lagoons with turbid water and high temperatures in the coastal zone. Specimens were also collected in backwaters located in highlands with a low exposure to sun, without aquatic vegetation. The bottom of the collecting sites varied from muddy with abundant detritus to sandy-stony (Fig. 35).

Distribution. Copelatus danyi sp. nov. is recorded from western and central parts of the country including Isla de la Juventud (Fig. 29).