Lacon platiai, Kundrata & Mertlik & Németh, 2019

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 : 433-435

Lacon platiai sp. nov.

( Figs 139–151 , 194 )

Type material. Holotype, male, „ Jordan — 50 km S Amman, 11.IV.2009, S. Ziani [leg.], Paratypus Lacon freidbergi n. sp., G. Platia descr.“ ( PCGP). 3 paratypes: 1 male, 2 females, same data as holotype ( PCGP).

Type locality. Jordan: 50 km S Amman .

Etymology. The species name is a patronym in honor of Giuseppe Platia ( Italy).

Comparative remarks. This species is morphologically close to L. qatanensis sp. nov., L. tafilensis sp. nov. and L. zenobiae sp. nov. It differs from L. qatanensis sp. nov. in having a relatively shorter pronotum in males (usually 1.20 times as long as wide; more elongate pronotum, 1.30 times as long as wide in L. qatanensis sp. nov.; Figs 145 , 155 ) and distinctly different shape of male genitalia (paramere subparallel-sided, with apical lobe small, and subapical hook less distinct; paramere with outer margin distinctly bisinuate, with apical lobe robust and elongate, and subapical hook distinct and sharp in L. qatanensis sp. nov.; Figs 148 , 158 ). Lacon tafilensis sp. nov. differs from L. platiai sp. nov. in the larger body size (11.2–12.2 mm; up to 10.0 mm in L. platiai sp. nov.), darker coloration of body and pubescence (e.g., Figs 146 , 165 ), much denser body vestiture ( Fig. 167 ), much stronger serrations of median antennomeres in males (1.3 times as wide as long; 1.2 times as wide as long in L. platiai sp. nov.; Figs 143, 144 , 163 ), relatively wider scutellar shield (1.4 times as long as wide; 1.5 times in L. platiai sp. nov.; Figs 147 , 166 ), and aedeagal paramere more curved, with larger apical lobe and more distinct subapical hook ( Figs 148 , 168 ). Lacon zenobiae sp. nov. differs from L. platiai sp. nov. in the relatively shorter and more convex pronotum in males (usually 1.15 times as long as wide, maximum up to 1.2 times; about 1.2 times as long as wide in L. platiai sp. nov.; Figs 140, 145 , 171, 175 ), denser pronotal punctation (punctures usually separated by up to their diameter; by 1.0–1.5 times their diameter in L. platiai sp. nov.), relatively shorter elytra (up to 2.35 times as long as wide; 2.40–2.45 times in L. platiai sp. nov.), distinctly elongate parameral apical lobe (apical lobe short in L. platiai sp. nov.; Figs 148 , 179 ), and the relatively smaller and narrower large sclerite of bursa copulatrix ( Figs 151 , 180 ).

Description. Male ( Figs 139, 140, 143, 145, 147, 148 ). Body 7.7–9.0 mm long and 2.0– 2.4 mm wide (holotype: 7.7 mm long, 2.0 mm wide), elongate, dorsally moderately shiny to matt, dark brown to black, antennae, pronotal posterior angles and legs lighter, reddish brown to brown; densely covered with combination of dark brown/black and white setae, all moderately long and thick.

Head including eyes 0.65 times as wide as pronotum, frons with large shallow median depression; punctures rounded, large, densely distributed, separated by about half of their diameter. Labrum transverse, slightly convex, moderately densely punctate, covered with shorter white and long yellow, semi-erect to erect setae. Maxillary palpi with apical palpomere elongate, almost twice as long as wide, hatchet-like, apex obliquely cut and flattened. Antenna serrate from antennomere III, moderately long, almost reaching pronotal posterior angles; length ratio of antennomeres II–V = 1.0: 2.5: 2.2: 2.1; antennomere II short, transverse; antennomere III about 1.2 times as long as wide, antennomeres IV–X transverse, subtriangular; median antennomeres about 1.2 times as wide as long, with serrations very narrowly rounded; apical antennomere oblong-ovate, more than twice as long as wide, apically narrowly rounded; surface of antennomeres moderately densely covered with relatively short setae.

Pronotum elongate, about 1.2 times as long as wide, widest medially, moderately convex dorsally; sides widely rounded; anterior angles short, slightly produced forward; posterior angles divergent; disk densely covered with moderately large, deep, setiferous punctures, usually separated by about 1.0–1.5 times their diameter. Pubescence on pronotal disc rather dense, long, curved, almost decumbent. Prosternum moderately densely covered with large punctures, with dense semi-erect setae; prosternal lobe with frontal margin widely rounded; prosternal process about 3.5 times as long as diameter of procoxal cavity. Scutellar shield elongate, about 1.5 times as long as wide, slightly convex, widest basally; anterior margin as well as sides roundly emarginate, apex narrowly rounded; punctures moderately large and dense; pubescence sparse, moderately long, decumbent. Elytra distinctly elongate, 2.40–2.45 times as long as wide, and 2.25 times as long as pronotum, only very slightly convex, widest at about half, sides subparallel, in apical third narrowed toward apex; striae and interstriae formed by lines of moderately large, deep, setiferous punctures, punctures on interstriae of about 2/3 of size of punctures on striae; surface between punctures more rugose basally; pubescence moderately dense, long, curved, almost decumbent. Tarsomeres elongate; tarsomere I about twice as long as tarsomere II; tarsomeres II–IV gradually shorter, tarsomeres II elongate, about 1.7 times as long as wide; tarsomere III shorter, elongate, more than 1.5 times as long as wide; apical tarsomere long, narrow, slightly shorter than tarsomere I.

Abdomen with ventrites covered with moderately large punctures, covered with short, more or less decumbent pubescence. Aedeagus with median lobe slightly shorter than paramere; parameres subparallel-sided from base to apical lobe, apically with inner sides distinctly diverging; apical parameral lobe small, with narrowly rounded apex, outer margin slightly concave; subapical hook small.

Female ( Figs 141, 142, 144, 146, 149–151 ). Body 9.0–10.0 mm long and 2.6–2.9 mm wide. Body more robust and dorsally convex than in male. Antenna shorter, surpassing half of pronotal length; median antennomeres shorter, triangular, about as long as wide, serrations shorter, more rounded. Pronotum relatively shorter and wider, more convex, 1.1 times as long as wide, sides more rounded, posterior angles divergent. Elytra together about 2.15 times as long as wide, about 2.05 times as long as pronotum. Abdominal sternite VIII, ovipositor and sclerites of bursa copulatrix as in Figs 149–151 .

Immature stages unknown.

Distribution. Jordan ( Fig. 194 ).

Remark. There is a single female specimen of Lacon sp. collected in Jordan, with the following data: „ Jordan, Al Arida, 4.III.2010, G. Sabatinelii leg.“ (PCGP). This specimen resembles the females of L. platiai sp. nov. but it is lighter, smaller (8.0 mm long, 2.3 mm wide), with slightly shorter antennomere III, pronotum 1.15 times as long as wide, and the large sclerite of bursa copulatrix smaller and with much sparser spines and spinules. We tentatively keep this specimen under L. platiai sp. nov., but we exclude it from the type series. More material from Jordan is needed for any reliable taxonomic conclusion.

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 139–151. Morphology of Lacon platiai sp. nov. Holotype, male: 139, habitus, dorsal view; 140, habitus, lateral view. Paratype, female: 141, dorsal view; 142, lateral view. Antenna: 143, holotype, male; 144, paratype, female. Pronotum: 145, holotype, male; 146, paratype, female. 147, holotype, male, scutellar shield. 148, holotype, aedeagus. Paratype, female: 149, sternite VIII; 150, ovipositor; 151, sclerites of bursa copulatrix. Scale bars = 2.0 mm (Figs 139–142), 1.0 mm (145, 146, 149, 150), 0.5 mm (143, 144, 148), 0.2 mm (147, 151).

FIGURES 152–158. Morphology of Lacon qatanensis sp. nov., holotype, male. 152, habitus, dorsal view; 153, habitus, lateral view; 154, antenna; 155, pronotum, dorsal view; 156, scutellar shield; 157, detail of elytral surface; 158, aedeagus. Scale bars = 2.0 mm (Figs 152, 153), 1.0 mm (Fig. 155), 0.5 mm (Figs 154, 158), 0.2 mm (Fig. 156); Fig. 157 not to scale.

FIGURES 159–169. Morphology of Lacon tafilensis sp. nov. Holotype, male: 159, habitus, dorsal view; 160, habitus, lateral view. Paratype, female: 161, habitus, dorsal view; 162, habitus, lateral view. 163, holotype, male, antenna. Pronotum: 164, holotype, male; 165, paratype, female. 166, holotype, male, scutellar shield. 167, holotype, male, detail of elytral surface. 168, holotype, male, aedeagus. 169, paratype, female, sclerites of bursa copulatrix. Scale bars = 2.0 mm (Figs 159–162), 1.0 mm (Figs 163–165), 0.5 mm (Figs 168, 169), 0.2 mm (Fig. 166); Fig. 167 not to scale.

FIGURES 170–180. Morphology of Lacon zenobiae sp. nov. Holotype, male: 170, habitus, dorsal view; 171, habitus, lateral view. Paratype, female: 172, habitus, dorsal view; 173, habitus, lateral view. 174, holotype, male, antenna. Pronotum: 175, holotype, male; 176, paratype, female. 177, holotype, male, scutellar shield. 178, holotype, male, detail of elytral surface. 179,