Two new species of the Exocelina ekari group from New Guinea with strongly modified male antennae (Coleoptera, Dytiscidae, Copelatinae)

Abstract

Two new species of the genus Exocelina Broun, 1886: E. athesphatos sp. nov. and E. tsinga sp. nov. are described from New Guinea and placed into the E. ekari group based on the structure of their male genitalia. The two species are very similar with respect to their external morphology and characterised by almost identical, strongly modified male antennae. However, they can easily be separated by the shape and setation of the median lobe and paramere. Based on morphological similarity and results of a molecular phylogenetic analysis, we suggest these are sister species. Both of them have been collected on the southern slopes of the Central Range (the spine of New Guinea), with a distance of ca. 380 km straight line between the collecting localities.