Introduction

Many approaches and initiatives to “accelerate” the descriptive taxonomic process have recently been proposed or partially implemented. We suggest that the wikimedia engine provides one of the most powerful tools for routine taxonomic work, with wikipedia providing generic data and wikispecies a taxonomic backbone, i.e. the tree of life (see Page 2010). Here, we test an approach where we publish a new species in open-access journal format, and at the same time upload the data to a purpose-buildt wiki, the species ID site, flanked by a wikispecies entry which de facto serves as a "shop window".

The epigean species of the Australasian genus Neobidessodes Hendrich & Balke, 2009 were recently treated in a comprehensive systematic revision, including morphological and molecular data (Hendrich et al. 2009). Two new species, one from Australia and one from New Guinea, were described. Larvae of the genus were described in Michat et al. (2010). In northern Australia, Neobidessodes are among the most common and widespread diving beetles occurring in rest pools of intermittent streams during the dry season. Despite the fact that the first author studied more than 6000 specimens from his own samples and numerous museum collections (Hendrich et al. 2009), the new species described in this publication is known just from the female holotype. The single specimen was until recently overlooked in a vial, including numerous Neobidessodes mjobergi (Zimmermann 1922) and Hydroglpyhus godeffroyi (Sharp 1882) collected in August 2006, on the way from Pine Creek to the Kakadu National Park.

Combining morphology and mitochondrial DNA sequence data we describe the new species and provide a modified key for all epigean species of the genus. The DNA sequence data and a high resolution digital image of the beetle habitus, coloration and sculpture are made available online for faster dissemination of taxonomic knowledge. Links are provided below.

Material and methods

Material. This study is based on the examination of 26 specimens, the holotype of our new species and specimens of Neobidessodes bilita (Watts, 1978) and Neobidessodes mjobergi, deposited in CLH, SAMA and ZSM.

Neobiodessodes bilita (Watts, 1978): Australia, New South Wales. 12 exs., S NSW, 6.5 km SW Eden, Towamba Road 2 km N Nullica, 556 m, 16.XI.2006, 37.04.412S 149.51.200E, L. & E. Hendrich leg. (NSW 111), two specimens with “DNA M.Balke 1900”, “DNA M.Balke 1901” [green printed labels] (CLH, ZSM).

Neobidessodes mjobergi (Zimmermann, 1922): Australia, Northern Territory. 13 exs., Manton Dam Recreation Area, 46 km S Darwin, 35 m, 19.VIII.2006, 12.50.270S 131.08.050E, L. & E. Hendrich leg. (NT 1), one specimen with “DNA M.Balke 1656” [green printed label] (CLH, ZSM).

Descriptions. Beetles were studied with a Leica MZ 12.5 dissecting scope at 10–100x. Habitus photos of beetles were made by Alexander Riedel (Karlsruhe, Germany) and by the authors. Image stacks were aligned and assembled with the computer software Helicon Focus 4.77TM. Abbreviations used in the text are: TL (total length), TL-H (total length without head), and MW (maximum width). Label data of type material are cited in quotation marks.

DNA sequencing and data analysis. We extracted DNA from the alcohol preserved female holotype after removal of the abdomen, using the Qiagen Dneasy tissue kit. We ran a PCR with Bioline Mago Taq at 94° for 2 min, 40 cycles of 94° for 30 s, 47° for 30 s and 72° for 60 s, and a final extension of 72° for 10 min, using primers for the 3’ end of cytochrome c oxidase 1 (cox1) Jerry (F: 5’- CAA CAT TTA TTT TGA TTT TTT GG -3’) and Pat (R: 5’- TCC AAT GCA CTA ATC TGC CAT ATT A -3’) (Simon et al. 1994).

This cox1 fragment is our standard “DNA barcoding” fragment for Dytiscidae, a short fragment of DNA used for preliminary species identification and study of population-level processes (see e.g. Hendrich and Balke 2009 and Hendrich et al. 2009). We used the cox1 fragment sequenced for the female holotype to obtain quantitative data for species recognition which we here suggest especially useful as we had no male specimens for study of male genital structures. The sequence was added to our database of Australian Dytiscidae (Hendrich et al. 2010), containing around 70% of the Australian fauna, including all Neobidessodes species (Hendrich et al. 2009). We ran neighbour joining analysis in PAUP* (Swofford 2002) using HKY85 as well as uncorrected p-distances. The Species Identifier module of Taxon DNA software was used to study sequence divergence in the dataset (Meier et al. 2006).

Codens

CLH Collection Lars Hendrich, Berlin, Germany; property of the Naturhistorisches Museum Wien, Austria

SAMA South Australian Museum, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

ZSM Zoologische Staatssammlung München, Munich, Germany

Results and discussion DNA Sequencing

We obtained 450 bp 3’ cox 1 sequence (GenBank accession # FR733592). Ran against our 1400+ Australian cox1 sequence database, we find minimum uncorrected p-distances in SpeciesIdentifier of 10.15% (Limbodessus jundeensis Watts and Humphreys, 2003), followed by Neobidessodes samkrisi Hendrich & Balke, 2009, Neobidessodes thoracicus Hendrich & Balke, 2009 and Neobidessodes bilita (Watts, 1978) (10.37–10.39%) and e.g. Copelatus tenebrosus Régimbart, 1880 (10.59%). The neighbour joining analysis in PAUP* placed Neobidessodes darwiniensis sp. n. as the sister of all other Neobidessodes. This is not necessarily the correct phylogenetic position of Neobidessodes darwiniensis, but indicates that the female studied here does not belong to any other known Neobidessodes, nor to any other species in our database.

Taxonomy

Neobidessodes is a genus with 10 species distributed in Australia (9 species) and New Guinea (1 species). All but two [the stygobitic Neobidessodes limestonensis (Watts and Humphreys, 2003) and Neobidessodes gutteridgei (Watts & Humphreys, 2003)] species have a more or less contrasting black/yellow surface. The basic pattern of these species includes various yellow or reddish spots. The median lobes are simple and very elongate, in ventral view strongly tapered or rounded at tip. The size of the species varies from 1.95 to 3.85 mm (see also Hendrich et al. 2009).

The new species was placed in Neobidessodes because of the following combination of characters: 1) body elongate oval; 2) basal pronotal striae sharply incised, not connected by a transverse groove; 3) elytra lacking basal striae and sutural striae; 4) epipleura lacking transverse carina; 5) head lacking cervical line and its foremargin not bordered; 6) prosternal process broad, distinctly excavated and marginated; 7) inner margin of both metacoxal wings strongly ridged; 8) hind margin of abdominal ventrites 3–5 without row of minor irregular dentate processes.

Checklist of Neobidessodes species

NSW = New South Wales; NT = Northern Territory; QLD = Queensland; VIC = Victoria; WA = Western Australia; N = northern; S = southern.

Australia – epigean

Neobidessodes bilita (Watts, 1978) S QLD, NSW, VIC

Neobidessodes darwiniensis Hendrich & Balke, sp. n. NT

Neobidessodes denticulatus (Sharp, 1882) N WA, NT, QLD, NSW

Neobidessodes flavosignatus (Zimmermann, 1922) N WA, NT, N QLD

Neobidessodes grossus (Zimmermann, 1922) N WA, NT, N QLD

Neobidessodes mjobergi (Zimmermann, 1922) N WA, NT, N QLD

Neobidessodes thoracicus Hendrich & Balke, 2009 N WA, NT, N QLD

Australia – stygobitic

Neobidessodes gutteridgei (Watts & Humphreys, 2003) WA (Yilgarn)

Neobidessodes limestonensis (Watts & Humphreys, 2003) WA (Yilgarn)

New Guinea – epigean

Neobidessodes samkrisi Hendrich & Balke, 2009 West Papua, Merauke, Indonesia

The key to epigean species of Neobidessodes in Hendrich et al. 2009 should be modified as follows: