[Entomology • 2024] Copelatus espinhasso, C. florae & C. panguana • Underestimated Diversity and Range Size of Diving Beetles in Tank Bromeliads—Coleoptera of ‘hygrofloric’ lifestyle (Dytiscidae)

Copelatus espinhasso sp. nov. (Brazil), 
Copelatus florae sp. nov. (Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador and Panama) and 
Copelatus panguana sp. nov. (Peru)

Hájek, Alarie, Benetti, Hamada, Springer, Hendrich, Villastrigo, Torres, Basantes & Balke, 2024

DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlad093

Abstract

Tank bromeliads provide a vast amount of stagnant water high up in the Neotropical forest canopy. However, the aquatic macroinvertebrate diversity in this specialized habitat remains poorly explored. Here, we study obligatorily bromeliadicolous species of the diving beetle genus Copelatus Erichson, 1832. We review the known species Copelatus bromeliarum Scott, 1912 (Trinidad and Venezuela) and Copelatus bimaculatus Resende & Vanin, 1991 (Brazil). We describe three new species: Copelatus espinhasso sp. nov. (Brazil), Copelatus florae sp. nov. (Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador and Panama) including its larva, and Copelatus panguana sp. nov. (Peru). Based on their male genital morphology, these species form a distinct clade within the genus. Other shared characters such as compact drop-shaped habitus, shortened appendages, and reduction of natatory setae on legs are interpreted as adaptations for what we call the ‘hygrofloric’ lifestyle. We document the thin water layer between leaf axils as the preferred habitat of both Copelatus adults and larvae, and not necessarily the central tank.

Neotropical forest canopy, tank bromeliads, specialized Coleoptera, diving beetles, new species

Habitat of Copelatus florae in Alto de Piedra, Panama.
A, general view of the pasture with solitary trees. B, large cf. Werauhia bromeliad. C, collecting of beetles from leaf axils. D, specimen of C. florae crawling on the leaf.

Jiří Hájek, Yves Alarie, Cesar J. Benetti, Neusa Hamada, Monika Springer, Lars Hendrich, Adrián Villastrigo, Rodulfo Ospina Torres, Michael S. Basantes and Michael Balke. 2024. Underestimated Diversity and Range Size of Diving Beetles in Tank Bromeliads—Coleoptera of ‘hygrofloric’ lifestyle (Dytiscidae). Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 200(3); 720–735. DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlad093