Hydraena (Hydraenopsis) blancae Deler-Hernandez, Fikacek & Delgado, new species

Hydraena (Hydraenopsis) blancae Deler-Hernández, Fikáček & Delgado, new species

(Figs 1–3; 7a, b; 8d)

Type locality. Cuba, Holguín Province, Frank País Municipality, Pico Cristal National Park, 20.57341°N 75.4223219°W, 503 m.

Type material. Holotype (male): Cuba. Holguín, Pico Cristal National Park, road to Pico Cristal, 20.57341°N 75.4223219°W, 503 m, 12.v.2013, coll., A. Deler-Hernández, [printed] / “ HOLOTYPE, HYDRAENA blancae, Det:. A. Deler-Hernández et al. 2016, Hygropetric habitat” [red printed] (NMPC). Paratypes: 10 specimens with same data as for the holotype: 4 males, 5 females dry-mounted (CDUM, NHMW, MCZ); 1 male, DNA and genitalia extracted, specimen dry-mounted after extraction (IBE/DNA voucher IBE-AN507). GenBank accession number LT627658.

Descriptions. Male. Habitus as in Fig. 1. Body length (taken from anterior margin of labrum to elytral apex) about 1.33¯ 1.40 mm. Colour: Head (dorsal) dark brown to black; pronotal disc dark brown; anterior angles of pronotum paler, yellowish brown; elytra brown, with lateral margin, including the apical region, paler; maxillary palpi, antennae and legs pale brown to testaceous; distal half of terminal maxillary palpomere darkened (Fig. 1).

Head. Labrum moderately excised anteriorly; lobes evenly rounded. Clypeus with fine and sparse punctures. Frons finely sparsely punctuate. Clypeal and frontal punctures denser on lateral areas than medially; interstices shining.

Thorax. Pronotum wider than long, widest near middle; anterior margin straight; anterior angles rounded, sides margined; straight and convergent to anterior angle, sinuate and convergent to posterior border; sculpture of pronotum almost obsolete, only anteroexternal foveolae distinct; punctures moderately deeply impressed, of similar size to those of frons, slightly sparser on disc; interstices shining. Elytra elongate oval, lateral explanate margin moderately developed, not reaching apex; apices in dorsal view separately rounded; with 14¯15 (10 between suture and shoulder) rows of impressed punctures; rows 5 to 7 (taken from suture) somewhat irregular; punctures round, of approximately same size as on pronotum; interstices not elevated, shining. Mesoventrite with internal and external carinae slightly divergent posteriad; median carina broad, not reaching base of intercoxal process, similar in width to external and internal carinae; intercoxal process narrow, sides nearly parallel; apex blunt, width at apex approximately 0.3 distance between internal and median carinae. Base of mesocoxal cavities angulate. Metaventrite with plaques well developed, oval, subparallel; width of each plaque approximately twice of intercoxal process width; plaques separated by a plaque width. Legs moderately short and stout; protibiae broad, with a small spine on inner face near apex (Fig. 7 a); metatibiae not modified (Fig. 7 b).

Abdomen. Terminal sternite (ventrite VII) and spiculum gastrale as in Fig. 3 a; terminal sternite subquadrate, with anterior margin concave and posterior margin rounded; spiculum moderately long and curved, not firmly connected with sternite. Aedeagus as in Figs 2 a–c; phallobase symmetrical; main piece stout, short and globose in lateral and dorsolateral views (Figs 2 b–c); with two distinct distal processes: a median gonopore-bearing process (flagellum) distinctly coiled (Fig. 2 a) and a lateral laminar process; distal end of main piece projected in a curved laminar piece offering the impression of a third process; right paramere long and slender, inserted more proximally than left one; left paramere short and distinctly widened.

Female. Similar to male in shape and size; pro- and mesotibiae not modified; gonocoxite as in Fig. 3 c, suboval, longer than wide, outer plate with lateroposterior setae and two tufts of subapical setae; inner plate slightly exposed basally, cavea large and irregular; tergite X as in Fig. 3 b, transverse, suboval, hyaline margin slightly emarginated medially; subapical fringe with few and moderately long setae; spermatheca as in Figs 3 d–e, with proximal (caudal) portion cylindrical and curved basally, central portion enlarged and distal (cranial) portion small; spermathecal gland smooth and isodiametric; spermathecal duct sinuous and slender.

Differential diagnosis. Hydraena blancae shares with H. franklyni and H. matthiasi a similar body shape and dorsal coloration, but can be differentiated from them by its smaller size, less marked (almost obsolete) pronotal foveolae (Fig. 1), unmodified metatibiae in males (Fig. 7 b), short and broad median carina of the thoracic mesoventrite, base of the mesocoxal cavities angulate and the shape of metaventral plaques (Fig. 8 d). The shape of the aedeagus indicates a close relationship with H. franklyni and H. matthiasi, but they can be differentiated by the shape of the distal laminate process of the main piece and the median gonopore bearing process, which is coiled in H. blancae and straight in the other two species.

Etymology. This new species is dedicated to Blanca Delgado, daughter of J.A.D. and a future enthusiastic naturalist.

Distribution. Currently known only from the type locality (Pico Cristal National Park) in eastern Cuba (Fig. 9).

Habitat. The type material was collected on sunny, exposed, wet rock faces (seepages) within a well preserved rainforest at 503 m a.s.l.