Graphipterus luctuosus Dejean, 1825: 335

Renan, Ittai, Assmann, Thorsten & Freidberg, Amnon, 2018, Taxonomic revision of the Graphipterusserrator (Forskal) group (Coleoptera, Carabidae): an increase from five to 15 valid species, ZooKeys 753, pp. 23-82 : 37

Graphipterus luctuosus Dejean, 1825: 335 Figs 7b, 9c, 16, 21b

Graphipterus reichei Guérin-Méneville, 1859: 534 (Tripoli)

Graphipterus intermedius Guérin-Méneville, 1859: 534 (Tripoli)

Types.

Holotype: ♂ (Green label, black handwritten): <Luctuosus. mihi/ h. in Barbaria. Tripoli>. (White label, black typewritten): <P. Bedel/Visit 1905>. (White label with brown margin, brown typewritten): <EX Musaeo/Chaudoir>. (Red label, black typewritten): <TYPE>. Deposited in NHMB, Chaudoir collection [examined]. Neotype: ♂ (White label, black handwritten): <Tripolis>. (White label, black handwritten): <Coll: Kraatz>. (Green label, black handwritten): <DEI Muncheberg/ Call-01342>. (Red label, black typewritten): <Neotypus/Graphipterus reichei/ Guérin-Méneville, 1859/ des. I. Renan, 2018. Neotype: ♂ (White label, brown handwritten): <intermedius/♂ reichei>. (White label, brwon handwritten): <Tripolis>. (White label, black handwritten): <Call: Kraatz>. ♂ (Green label, black handwritten): <DEI Muncheberg/Call-01343>. (Red label, black typewritten): <Neotypus/Graphipterus intermedius/ Guérin-Méneville, 1859/des. I. Renan, 2018>.

Diagnosis.

Medium-sized species with 22-30 isolated white, usually elongated elytral spots, six very short marginal extensions, and a series of 8-12 elongated spots along suture form a broken line. Median lobe of aedeagus with apex slightly bent ventrally.

Comparisons.

Graphipterus luctuosus resembles G. peletieri from which it differs mainly by the following characters: G. luctuosus : apical white frons stripes, wider than exposed frons; six elytral extensions; 8-12 elongated spots along suture of elytra; elytral suture conspicuous; white posterior margin almost attached; median lobe of aedeagus with bent tip. G. peletieri apical white frons stripes slenderer than exposed frons; four elytral extensions; elytral spots scattered; elytral suture not conspicuous; white posterior margin forming gap; median lobe of aedeagus with unbent tip. Graphipterus luctuosus resembles also G. rotundatus from which it differs mainly by the following characters: G. luctuosus : 8-12 elongated spots along suture of elytra; scales of elytral disc brown, disc visible between; metatibial secondary spur brown. G. rotundatus : elytral spots scattered; scales of elytral disc black, disc not visible between them; metatibial secondary spur dark, not darker than the elytral scales.

Description.

BL male: 15.0-17.5 mm, average 15.8 ± 1.5 mm; BL female: 15-18 mm, average 16.3 ± 0.6 mm.

Head medium; HW/PW: 0.74; EYL: 1-1.6 mm; EYL/EL: 0.15. Mentum with two or three teeth. Frontal ridge absent. In male, apical white frons stripes wider than exposed frons, (cf. Fig. 4b).

Pronotum cordiform; PL/PW: 0.64; BPWBPW/PW: 0.61; posteromedially concave and without white margin; white lateral margin as wide as antennomere I long.

Elytra oval, humeri rounded; EL: 7.3-9.9 mm, average 8.9 mm; EW: 5.8-8.4, average 7.7 mm; EL/EW: 1.16. Lateral cross section quite flat suture conspicuous. Scales brown, disc visible between them (Fig. 6b). White lateral margin narrow, as wide as half antennomere I long and with six extensions, rarely four; extension I usually elongated, sometimes constricted at the base to the lateral margin; extension II elongated, constricted or absent; extension III elongated; white posterior margin almost as wide as the lateral margin, gap at suture smaller than lateral margin or even absent. Disc usually with 22-30 mostly elongate small spots; anterior pair of spots slightly elongate, wide as extension I, lateral spots rounded, adjacent or sometimes fused to extension II, posterior pair of spots rounded, slightly larger than others, located toward suture, round spots slightly smaller than all others, located posteriori to third extensions and laterally to posterior spots; a series of 8-12 elongated spots along the suture. Apical sinuation developed, apex slightly protruded, strongly rounded (Fig. 7b).

Legs medium; MTIL: 4.5-5.9 mm, average 5.4 mm; El/MTIL: 1.7. Metatibial secondary spur brown. MTAL: 3.4-4.7 mm, average 4.4 mm; MTAL/MTIL: 0.8. Claws of hind legs brown at base.

Median lobe of aedeagus with ventrally bent tip (Fig. 9c).

Habitat.

Unknown.

Co-occurring species.

Graphipterus luctuosus lives in sympatry with seven other species: G. peletieri in north-west Algeria, G. heydeni in Tripoli region, G. valdanii in north Algeria, G. rotundatus in Tunisia and Algeria, G. stagonopsis in the Ghardaia region, Algeria, G. piniamitaii sp. n. in Tunisia, and G. barthelemyi in north-east Tunisia.

Distribution.

Graphipterus luctuosus presents the widest distribution range of the group: from Laghouat, more than 300 km inland Algeria to the arid and semi-arid regions of north-east Algeria, over most of the Tunisian coast and east up to Sirte on the Libyan coast (Fig. 16).

Conservation.

The species does not seem to be endangered as it apparently lives in numerous habitats. Consequently, it might not be so strongly affected by human activities.

Comments.

Graphipterus reichei and G. intermedius have been described by Guérin-Méneville (1859) as variants of G. multiguttatus . Unfortunately, the type material of both Guérin-Méneville's taxa has have been lost. Neotypes for both taxa are designated. Based on the original description and the type locality, Tripoli, the only other known species from the type locality is G. heydeni , which is clearly different in elytral pattern and body length. Basilewsky (1977), Huber and Marggi (2017) and Lorenz (2005) ranked both taxa as synonyms of G. luctuosus .