A new species of Hydrobiomorpha from iSimangaliso Wetland Park, South Africa (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae)

Abstract

Hydrobiomorpha perissinottoi sp. nov. is described from iSimangaliso Wetland Park, in the Maputaland region of KwaZulu-Natal, Republic of South Africa. The new species was found in a range of small wetlands around Lake St. Lucia, where it appears to be relatively abundant. Diagnostic notes are provided to allow H. perissinottoi sp. nov. to be distinguished from other Afrotropical species of the genus, together with information on its ecology. The new species was part of a diverse water beetle fauna and co-occurred with the superficially similar Hydrochara fulvofemorata (Fairmaire, 1869), which is reported from the Republic of South Africa for the first time.