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The recently described Hydrochara major İncekara, Mart, Polat, & Karaca, 2009 from Turkey is transferred to the genus Brownephilus Mouchamps. New records and habitat information are given for the species, as well as diagnostic features for separating it from the only other described member of the genus, Brownephilus levantinus Balfour-Browne. The discovery of Brownephilus in Turkey marks the first time the lineage has been found since its original description more than seventy years ago.
Aquatic beetles, Hydrophilidae, Middle East, Turkey, new combination
Members of the Hydrophilina
(or “giant water scavenger beetles”) are common and readily collected
in all biogeographic regions. Defined by their large size and prominent
sternal keels, they are easily distinguished from other groups of
hydrophiloids. Recently,
In a recent review of the Hydrochara of Turkey,
Turkey: Samsun Province, Ondokuzmayıs, Fish Lake, 41°35'10"N; 36°06'42"E, 0 m elev.
TURKEY: Afyon Province: 2 ♂♂, 3 ♀♀, Dinar (Karakuyu Lake), 38°04.587"N; 30°16.505"E, 1020 m, 22.V.2009; 1 ♂, 1 ♀, same locality, 20.VI.2009 (specimens are deposited in the Gazi University Zoological Museum, Ankara, Turkey, and the Snow Entomological Collection, University of Kansas, Lawrence, USA).
Total body length 20.0–21.5 mm. Very similar to Brownephilus levantinus, from which it may be distinguished by the shape of the aedeagus: the outer margins of the parameres are slightly sinuate medially, with the apex noticeably prolonged apically in Brownephilus levantinus (Fig. 3) while they are straight with the apex only slightly prolonged apically in Brownephilus major (Fig. 2).
All collecting events for this species were from the margins of moderately to densely vegetated, standing waters (Fig. 4).
1 Brownephilus major, dorsal habitus 2 Brownephilus major, aedeagus 3 Brownephilus levantinus, aedeagus (holotype) 4 Karakuyu Lake, Turkey, habitat of Brownephilus major.
Known distribution of Brownephilus species: Brownephilus major (●); Brownephilus levantinus (■).
The rediscovery of the genus Brownephilus is significant as its taxonomic and phylogenetic placement has been enigmatic, the genus was known from only two slightly damaged specimens, and nothing was known of its biology or distribution.
The locality where we recollected the genus (Karakuyu
Lake) is included in the Ramsar List of Wetlands of International
importance under the UNESCO’s Convention on Wetlands of International
importance especially as waterfowl habitat. The lake, with a total area
of 1220 ha and a maximum depth of 3.5 m, is fed by both surface and
groundwater (