The aquatic Adephaga of the Makay, central-western Madagascar, with description of two new diving beetle species (Coleoptera, Gyrinidae, Haliplidae, Noteridae, Dytiscidae)

By

Ramahandrison, Andriamirado
Rakouth, Bakolimalala
Manuel, Michaël

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2022

Original Publication

ZooKeys

Volume

1127

Pages

1--60

Subjects

Conservation , Copelatus , Distribution , Diving beetles , endemism , Faunistics , forest , freshwater , new species , Species diversity

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1127.85737

 

Abstract

Water beetles of the families Gyrinidae, Haliplidae, Noteridae, and Dytiscidae (aquatic Adephaga) of the Makay in central-western Madagascar were surveyed in three campaigns during the years 2016–2018. A total of 74 species was collected from 62 sampling sites, all except one being newly recorded from the Makay. Copelatus malavergnorumsp. nov. (irinus group) and C. zanabatosp. nov. (erichsonii group) (Dytiscidae, Copelatinae) are described and their habitus and male genitalia are illustrated. A systematic account is given, including description of habitat preferences for each species. Analyses of species composition and dominance, species diversity and endemism highlighted the strong singularity of the aquatic Adephaga fauna inhabiting the sandstone massif of inner Makay (notably with several local endemic dytiscids) with respect to its peripheral lowlands. These comparisons were also performed between groups of sites categorised according to vegetation context (forested, semi-forested, non-forested). Rather unexpectedly, inner Makay although well-preserved and little deforested has relatively low endemism level and low species diversity (H1 Hill number twice lower than in the geographically close and geologically similar massif of Isalo). Species diversity was higher in the deforested and man-impacted peripheral sites, which yielded a rich contingent of western Madagascar lowland species including a few undescribed or rarely observed dytiscids.