Lacon solai Platia & Gudenzi, 2000

Kundrata, Robin, Mertlik, Josef & Németh, Tamás, 2019, Unexpected diversity of Lacon Laporte, 1838 (Coleoptera: Elateridae: Agrypninae) in the Levant: revised species concepts, new species, and an identification key, Zootaxa 4679 (3), pp. 401-449 : 418-419

Lacon solai Platia & Gudenzi, 2000

( Figs 70–79 )

Lacon solai Platia & Gudenzi, 2000: 66 .

Type material. Holotype, male, „Turchia [ Turkey] — Adiyaman, dint. Katha, 01-05-2000, leg. C. Sola, Lacon solai Pl.Gu. det. Platia 2003, Holotypus Lacon solai n. sp. Platia-Gudenzi“ ( PCGP); 1 paratype, male [not examined in this study], “Turchia [ Turkey ] — Kahraman, Mar vil., 30 km N Kah Maras [Kahramanmaraş], 7–17.VI.1992, leg. S. Dacatra & S. Graziosi ( PCSR).

Type locality. Turkey: Adiyaman, Katha .

Other material examined. Turkey, 1 male, „TR — Adiyaman, Doğanşehir, Reşadiye , pass 1 km S, 1413m, 38°58‘57“N, 38°00‘11“E, 03.V.2008, E. Yağmur [leg.], Lacon solai Pl.Gu. det. Platia 2009“ ( PCGP) ; 1 male, „Zur- key [sic!, Turkey], Gaziantep, 30 km NW, 7.6.2001, M. Šárovec [leg.]” ( PCJM) ; 4 males, “ Turkey, vil. Gaziantep, Yavuzeli-Cimendli (850m), 28.4.2001, (37.17E [sic!, N], 37.34E), Marek Dvořák leg.“ (3x PCJM, 1x PCVD) ; 1 male, „ Marasch , V.28., Taurus, leg. H. Kulzer “ ( PCJM) ; 1 male, „ Syrie, Akbes [Turkey: Hatay province], C. D. 1891, Museum Paris, Collection Léon Fairmaire 1906, Adelocera lithophila ♂ Cand., candezei Desbr. “ ( MNHN); 1 male, „ Syrie, Akbes [Turkey: Hatay province], C. D. 1891, Adelocera candezei ; Museum Paris , Coll. M. Pic “ ( MNHN); 3 males, „ Akbes , Syria [Turkey: Hatay province], coll. Schwarz [one specimen with an additional label „ unicolor Cand.”]” ( SDEI); 1 male, “ Elbistan , Asm , 26.5.-6.6.[19]65, leg. F. Schubert, coll. F. Schubert NatHistMus Wien , Lacon solai Platia & Gudenzi, 2000 , det. Cate, 2001“ ( NHMW); 1 female, „ Elbistan, Asm, 26.5.–6.6.[19]65, leg. F. Schubert, coll. F. Schubert NatHistMus Wien, Lacon solai Pl.Gu ., ♀, det. Platia [2]002” ( NHMW); 1 female, “ Turchia — Malatya, Resadiye Gec. — M. 1540 C., 20/06/02, L. Saltini leg., Lacon solai Pl.Sc. , det. Platia [2]002” ( PCGP) .

Other material from the Levant. Syria, 1 female, „ Syria, Daret Azze , Aleppo, 470 m, 25.–27.IV.2004, I. Bozcik [Boščík leg.]“. This material was reported by Platia (2008: 139) as part of the collection of T. Sitek (Ostrava, Czech Republic), however, it is currently not present there (T. Sitek, personal communication) .

Comparative remarks. This species shares the general habitus, male antenne surpassing pronotal posterior angles, and the sclerites of bursa copulatrix in females with L. candezei , L. ganglbaueri and L. carmelensis (female unknown). It differs in the usually larger and slightly lighter body, relatively longer male antennae, and the aedeagus with a median lobe longer, surpassing lateral subapical hooks of parameres ( Figs 36–46, 50–59, 63, 64 , 70–77, 79 ). What more, L. solai is known only from Turkey (including southern parts bordering with Syria), while the above mentioned species occur in Lebanon and more to the south. We failed to find any stable morphological character other than the size and coloration, which would separate females of L. solai from from those of L. candezei and L. ganglbaueri , since they share similar external characters and also pregential segments and genitalia ( Figs 39–42, 47–51 , 55, 57, 60–64 , 72, 73, 75, 78, 79 ).

Platia & Gudenzi (2000) mentioned that this species additionally differs from L. candezei by the relative length of antennomere III but this character is variable in both species and cannot be used for the reliable identification.

Diagnostic characters. Male ( Figs 70, 71, 74, 76, 77 ). Body 10.0– 14.5 mm long and 2.5–3.5 mm wide (holotype: 10.1 mm long, 2.6 mm wide). Body moderately shiny to shiny, reddish brown to dark brown, with antennae, pronotal posterior angles and legs slightly lighter; covered with mostly greyish to reddish brown/dark brown setae (some of them tricolorous: greyish, reddish brown, and white) and several white setae, all moderately long and thick. Antenna relatively long, surpassing posterior angles of pronotum by about two antennomeres. Antennomere III about 1.2–1.3 times as long as antennomere IV; median antennomeres serrate, about 1.3 times as long as wide. Pronotum 1.25–1.35 times as long as wide, sides almost subparallel, with posterior angles slightly divergent, disk densely covered with large, moderately deep to deep punctures, intervals between punctures flat, shiny, about 0.5–1 times as a diameter of puncture. Scutellar shield about 1.5 times as long as wide, with anterior margin concave. Elytra 2.6–2.8 as long as wide, and 2.5–2.8 times as long as pronotum, with moderately deep to deep punctures of two sizes; smaller punctures of about 2/3 of size of larger punctures, surface between punctures from flat and shiny to slightly rugose and less shiny. Aedeagus slender; median lobe slightly surpassing lateral subapical hook of paramere; paramere subparallel-sided along most of its length, apically with inner sides distinctly diverging; apical parameral lobe moderately elongate, outer margin slightly concave, apex rounded.

Female ( Figs 72, 73, 75, 78, 79 ). Body 11.4–12.8 mm long and 3.2–3.5 mm wide. Body more robust than in male. Antenna shorter, not reaching 2/3 of pronotal length. Antennomere III about 1.20 times as long as antennomere IV; median antennomeres relatively shorter, about as long as wide or slightly wider than long. Pronotum relatively shorter and wider, 1.1–1.2 times as long as wide, sides widely to equally rounded, posterior angles subparallel to slightly convergent. Elytra combined 2.2–2.3 times as long as wide, about 2.1–2.3 times as long as pronotum. Ovipositor and sclerites of bursa copulatrix as in Figs 78 and 79 , respectively.

Immature stages unknown.

Distribution. Turkey, Syria ( Fig. 194 ).

Literature. Platia & Gudenzi (2000: 66): orignal description; Cate (2007: 102): catalogue; Platia (2008: 139): distributional note; Kabalak & Özbek (2018: 145): distributional note, description of the sclerites of bursa copulatrix, photographs of female habitus and genitalia.

Figures

FIGURE 194. Distribution of Lacon spp. in the mainland Levant. Dots representing L. candezei in Lebanon and Syria are only approximate since there are no exact data for these countries.

FIGURES 70–79. Morphology of Lacon solai. Habitus: 70–71, holotype, male, dorsal and lateral view, respectively; 72–73, female, dorsal and lateral view, respectively. Pronotum, dorsal view: 74, holotype, male; 75, female. 76, holotype, male, detail of elytral surface. 77, holotype, male genitalia. 78, female, ovipositor. 79, female, sclerites of bursa copulatrix. Scale bars = 2.0 mm (Figs 70–73, 78), 1.0 mm (Figs 74–75), 0.5 mm (Figs 77, 79); Fig. 76 not to scale.

FIGURES 36–51. Morphology of Lacon candezei. Habitus: 36–37, lectotype, male, dorsal and lateral view, respectively; 38, male from Jordan, dorsal view; 39, female from Jordan, dorsal view. Pronotum, dorsal view: 40, lectotype, male; 41, male from Jordan; 42, female from Jordan. 43, lectotype, male, detail of elytral surface. Male genitalia: 44, lectotype; 45, specimen from Jordan; 46, specimen from Israel. Female pregenital segments and genitalia of specimen from Jordan: 47, tergite VIII; 48, sternite VIII; 49, ovipositor; 50, sclerites of bursa copulatrix. 51, female from Israel, sclerites of bursa copulatrix. Scale bars = 2.0 mm (Figs 36–39), 1.0 mm (Figs 40–42, 48–49), 1.5 mm (Figs 44–47), 0.2 mm (Figs 50–51); Fig. 43 not to scale.

FIGURES 52–64. Morphology of Lacon ganglbaueri. Habitus: 52–53, lectotype, male, dorsal and lateral view, respectively; 54, male from Lebanon, dorsal view; 55, female from Lebanon, dorsal view. Pronotum, dorsal view: 56, male lectotype; 57, female paralectotype. Lectotype, male: 58, detail of elytral surface; 59, aedeagus. Female paralectotype, pregenital segments and genitalia: 60, tergite VIII; 61, sternite VIII; 62, ovipositor; 63, large sclerite of bursa copulatrix. 64, female from Lebanon, large sclerite of bursa copulatrix. Scale bars = 2.0 mm (Figs 52–55), 1.0 mm (Figs 56–57), 0.5 mm (Figs 59–62), 0.2 mm (Figs 63–64); Fig. 58 not to scale.