Corresponding author: Michael Balke (
Academic editor: M. Michat
We studied
Balke M, Neven K, Villastrigo A, Ospina-Torres R, Prieto C, Gutierrez Rubiano N, Lotta I, Dueñas LF, Hendrich L (2023) Eastern Colombian Páramo
Diving beetles of the genus
However, diving beetles from the high altitudes of the Puna and Páramo regions have remained poorly studied until recently. Since 2019, as the result of research and training cooperation between our institutions, we regularly provide updates on the high-altitude fauna (e.g.
Here, we focus on taxa from the eastern mountain range of Colombia, specifically the Altiplano around Bogotá, and the Páramos of Almorzadero, Chingaza, Guantiva-Rusia, Matarredonda, Rabanal y Rio Bogotá, and Sumapaz.
To date, three
The goals of this publication are (1) to present a new species with highly characteristic male genitalia from the Páramo de Guantiva-Rusia and (2) to reveal a complex of apparently subspecific taxa within
Our sampling includes specimens collected in the Altiplano around Bogotá and the Páramos of Almorzadero, Chingaza, Matarredonda, Rabanal y Río Bogotá, and Sumapaz (Fig.
Map of sampling localities
Codes in the format COL_MB_2022_004 in the studied material sections are
The description of morphological characters follows our previous work on
Images were taken with a Canon EOS R camera. We used Mitutoyo 10× and 20× ELWD Plan Apo objectives for photographing habitus and genital structures, respectively. These were attached to a Carl Zeiss Jena Sonnar 3.5/135 MC. Illumination was with three LED segments SN-1 from Stonemaster (
The DNA sequencing and data analysis laboratory protocol follows standard Canadian Centre for DNA Barcoding (
We aligned the 276 COLLI sequences using the “
Diagnostic characters in the
Taxon, Number of sequences | 19 | 22 | 25 | 49 | 58 | 59 | 82 | 88 | 91 | 106 | 127 | 206 | 217 | 223 | 232 | 256 | 286 | 290 | 304 | 316 | 325 |
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DNA sequences from the
Haplotype network for the
We also computed the fixation index (
Heatmap of pairwise comparison of
Santa Rosita, Páramo de Guantiva-Rusia, Boyaca, Colombia.
Habitus with slight discontinuity between pronotum and elytra (Fig.
Total length 2.1–2.3 mm (
After the village of Santa Rosita, near the type locality. The word “santarosita” is a noun in the nominative singular standing in apposition.
This species differs from all other
Only known from the type locality in the Páramo de Guantiva-Rusia (Fig.
Exposed, densely vegetated peatland swamp.
Variation in size and dorsal coloration of subspecies of
Variation in size and dorsal coloration of subspecies and a hybrid of
Variation in size and dorsal coloration of subspecies of
Median lobes in lateral view of
Median lobes in lateral view of
Tips of median lobes in ventral view of
In the COLLI sequence database,
Some specimens exhibit intermediate morphological characteristics between the subspecies
The fixation index, on the other hand, revealed relatively higher population differentiation (
Minimum genetic distances between populations (Fig.
Here, we suggest that ongoing speciation or very young species might be present in
Colombia, “Bogota”.
Colombia • 10 specimens; Bogota, Usme; 3,100 m alt.; 17.iv.2017;
This subspecies was redescribed by
An occipital line is present, but sometimes it is faint. Females are sometimes with the entire dorsal surface with strong, dense microreticulation so that they appear dull (mesh-like as in Fig.
In the COLLI sequence database, only analyzing
Measurements (
Known from the Altiplano around Bogotá, from 2,400 to 3,100 m, but most likely with wider distribution at moderate altitudes (Fig.
Exposed, shallow, stagnant densely vegetated water bodies. Collected from swampy areas with thick mats of grass, black mud, and foul water.
Colombia, Santander, Páramo del Almorzadero.
Habitus narrowly elongate-oval, with slight discontinuity between pronotum and elytra (Fig.
Female variation: see below.
Named after the type locality, Páramo del Almorzadero. The word “almorzadero” is a noun in the nominative singular standing in apposition.
This subspecies is reliably identified only on the basis of the collecting locality and
Only known from the Páramo del Almorzadero (Fig.
Exposed, shallow, densely vegetated, stagnant water bodies.
Colombia, Cundinamarca, Páramo de Chingaza.
Habitus narrowly elongate-oval, with slight discontinuity between pronotum and elytra (Fig.
Loc. COL_MB_2018_06: total length: 2.3–2.5 mm (mean 2.39); length without head 1.9–2.2 mm (mean 2.07); maximum width 1.0–1.2 mm (mean 1.08).
Female variation: see below.
Named after the type locality, Chingaza National Park. The word “chingaza” is a noun in the nominative singular standing in apposition.
This subspecies is reliably only identified on the basis of the collecting locality and
Only known from the Chingaza National Park, Colombia (Fig.
Exposed, shallow, densely vegetated, stagnant water bodies.
Specimens from COL_MB_2018_06 are slightly larger than those from the two other localities in Chingaza. Their wings are slightly longer, the coloration is brighter in some specimens (Fig.
Colombia, Boyacá, Páramo Rabanal y Rio Bogotá, Laguna Verde.
The median lobe is slender and simply curved in lateral view, and simply narrowing towards the apex in ventral view (Fig.
This subspecies is only reliably identified on the basis of the collecting locality and
Known from the Páramo del Rabanal y Rio Bogotá, where it has been collected near Laguna Verde (Fig.
Exposed, shallow, densely vegetated, stagnant bodies of water.
Colombia, Cundinamarca, Páramo de Matarredonda.
Habitus narrowly elongate-oval, with a slight discontinuity between pronotum and elytra (Fig.
Female variation: see below.
Named after the type locality, Páramo de Matarredonda. The word “matarredonda” is a noun in the nominative singular standing in apposition.
The median lobe of the aedeagus is slightly more parallel-sided in ventral view than in the other subspecies (Fig.
Only known from the Páramo de Matarredonda but see below (Fig.
Exposed, shallow, densely vegetated, stagnant bodies of water.
Specimens from a locality at 3,300 m en route to the Páramo de Matarredonda from Bogota city are morphologically intermediate between
Colombia • 67 specimens; Cundinamarca, pools by the road from Bogotá before Matarredonda park; 3,300 m alt.; 20.xi.2018; 4.564, -74.008; Ospina, Balke & Megna leg.; COL_MB_2018_09;
This form is intermediate between two subspecies, in terms of body size and coloration (Fig.
Below Páramo de Matarredonda (Fig.
Colombia, Bogotá D.C., Páramo de Sumapaz.
A larger representative of the genus. Habitus narrowly elongate-oval, with slight discontinuity between pronotum and elytra (Fig.
Female variation: see below.
Named after the type locality, Páramo de Sumapaz. The word “sumapaz” is a noun in the nominative singular standing in apposition.
This subspecies is reliably only identified on the basis of the collecting locality and
Only known from the Páramo de Sumapaz (Fig.
Exposed, shallow, densely vegetated, stagnant water bodies.
We thank Robert Forsyth, Günther Wewalka and David Bilton who helped to make our text more concise. This work was made possible by a grant from the Alexander von Humboldt foundation under the Research Group Linkage Program (Evolution of the high Andean insect fauna project) which enabled the Colombian and German teams to closely work together and develop new partnerships on both sides. Michael Balke acknowledges support from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (BA2152/27-1), project number 496550039. Adrián Villastrigo is an Alexander von Humboldt foundation postdoctoral fellow at SNSB-
We are grateful for the generous support from the SNSB-Innovative scheme, funded by the Bayerisches Staatsministerium für Wissenschaft und Kunst (Project: “Geographische Isolation, Endemismus und Artbildungsprozesse bei Insekten in der hochmontanen Páramo Kolumbiens (und darüber hinaus)”). Michael Balke acknowledges support from the EU SYNTHESYS program, projects FR-TAF 6972 and GB-TAF-6776, which supported this research during visits to Natural History Museum in London and Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle in Paris in 2017 to study type material. We thank the Agencia Nacional de Licencias Ambientales (ANLA) for issuing the required legal documentation. This work was also supported with funds from the “Bayerischer Pakt für Forschung und Innovation (BayPFI)” (to M. Balke, setting up digitisation infrastructure).
Consortium of European Taxonomic Facilities (CETAF) data use statement: “Data on genetic material contained in this taxonomic article are published for non-commercial use only. Utilization by third parties for purposes other than non-commercial scientific research may infringe the conditions under which the genetic resources were originally accessed and should not be undertaken without obtaining consent from the original provider of the genetic material.”