Lacon ammanensis Platia, 2010

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 : 431-432

Lacon ammanensis Platia, 2010

( Figs 133–138 , 194 )

Lacon ammanensis Platia, 2010: 24 . Type material. Holotype, female, „ Jordan: Amman Governate, 27-31 Dec [„V.“ written erroneously in the original description] 1990, R.D.Ward, under stones in field, Robert D. Ward collection, Holotypus Lacon ammanensis n.sp., G. Platia descr.“ (MSNG).

Type locality. Jordan: Amman Governate .

Comparative remarks. Only the holotype specimen of this species is known, and it is similar in habitus to L. platiai , L. tafilensis , and L. zenobiae , but it can be easily distinguished by the reddish brown body, combination of greyish and reddish-grey pubescence, relatively longer antennomere III, and a very small large sclerite of bursa copulatrix ( Figs 133–138 ). This bursal sclerite is about two times larger in all other species of the similar body size, and also with denser spinules and spines.

Diagnostic characters. Holotype, female ( Figs 133–138 ). Body 10.0 mm long and 2.9 mm wide. Body moderately shiny, reddish brown, with antennae, ventral thorax, pronotal posterior angles, center of scutellar shield and legs lighter; covered with combination of greyish and reddish-grey setae, all moderately long and thick. Antenna moderately long, reaching about 2/3 of pronotal length. Antennomere III about 1.4 times as long as antennomere IV; median antennomeres serrate, as long as wide, with margins slightly rounded. Pronotum 1.1 times as long as wide, sides very widely rounded, almost subparallel, with posterior angles very slightly divergent, disk moderately densely covered with deep punctures, separated by about 1.0–1.5 times of their diameter. Scutellar shield about 1.5 times as long as wide, with anterior margin slightly concave. Elytra 2.25 as long as wide, and 2.2 times as long as pronotum, with very deep punctures of two sizes, those forming striae distinctly larger than those in interstriae. Pregential segments and ovipositor missing [specimen was already dissected]. Large sclerite of bursa copulatrix very small (width: 0.6 mm), sparsely covered with short spinules, apical spines sparse, relatively short.

Male unknown. Immature stages unknown.

Distribution. Jordan ( Fig. 194 ).

Literature. Platia (2010: 24): original description.

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 133–138. Morphology of Lacon ammanensis, holotype, female. 133, habitus, dorsal view; 134, habitus, lateral view; 135, basal antennomeres; 136, pronotum, dorsal view; 137, detail of elytral surface; 138, sclerites of bursa copulatrix. Scale bars = 2.0 mm (Figs 133, 134), 1.0 (Fig. 136), 0.5 (Fig. 135), 0.2 (Fig. 138); Fig. 137 not to scale.