Neotropical leaf-litter beetle genus Motonerus (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae): new species, distribution data and description of third instar larva

<p>Numerous new material of the genus <em>Motonerus </em>Hansen, 1989 (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae: Sphaeridiinae) was examined over the past decade, resulting in the discovery of several undescribed species as well as new distributional records for most of the previously described species. Three species are here described as new: <em>Motonerus explanatus </em>sp. nov. (Panama), <em>M. inca </em>sp. nov. (Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia) and <em>M. sofiae </em>sp. nov. (Peru). New country records are provided for <em>M. depressus </em>Fik&aacute;ček &amp; Short (new for Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia), <em>M. hanseni </em>Fik&aacute;ček &amp; Short (new for Panama) and <em>M. problematicus </em>Fik&aacute;ček &amp; Short (new for Panama). An updated identification key and distributional maps are provided for all species, along with complete occurrence data in a DarwinCore formatted file. Potential distribution of the genus is modelled using the maximum entropy approach. Wing morphology is examined in detail, which revealed most species are macropterous, with <em>M. andersoni </em>Fik&aacute;ček &amp; Short being brachypterous, and <em>M. apterus </em>Fik&aacute;ček &amp; Short, <em>M. oosternoides </em>Fik&aacute;ček &amp; Short and <em>M. explanatus </em>sp. nov. micropterous. The third instar of the putative larva of <em>M. obscurus </em>Hansen is briefly described based on larvae collected in association with adults.</p>