A new interstitial species of diving beetle from tropical northern Australia provides a scenario for the transition of epigean to stygobitic life (Coleoptera, Dytiscidae, Copelatinae)

By

Watts, Chris
Hendrich, Lars
Balke, Michael

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2016

Original Publication

Subterranean Biology

Volume

19

Pages

23-29

Subjects

adaptation to subterranean life , Beetles , interstitial aquatic fauna

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/subtbiol.19.9513

 

Abstract

Exocelina saltusholmesensis sp. n. is described from a single female collected in Holmes Jungle Reserve near Darwin in the Northern Territory, Australia. Phylogenetically, the new species is sister to a clade containing the epigean E. ferruginea (Sharp, 1882) and E. punctipennis (Lea, 1899) but well characterized by its smaller size, the much smaller eyes, vestigial wings and paler surface. Exocelina saltusholmesensis sp. n. was collected from a small pool in an intermittent and temporary small creek. The collecting circumstances suggest that this is an interstitial species, with morphological characters interpreted as adaptations to a strongly hidden if not mostly subterranean lifestyle.