Lacconotopedilus Pic, 1935

Telnov, Dmitry, 2022, Redefinition of Physciolagria Pic, 1930 (Coleoptera: Mycteridae) with a new family placement, genus-rank synonymy, new description, and a key, Zootaxa 5219 (2), pp. 121-138 : 123

= Lacconotopedilus Pic, 1935 syn. nov.

Pic (1935: 35)

Type species: Lacconotopedilus singularicornis Pic, 1935 , monotypy.

Type material. holotype ♀ L. singularicornis [ MNHN]:Afrique Limawe [handwritten; it also could read “Limowe” or “Limave” or “Limare”] // type [handwritten] // Lacconotopedilus n g. singularicornis n sp [handwritten] // type [handwritten] // TYPE [printed, label red] //Museum Paris Coll.M. Pic [printed, label bluish] // HOLOTYPE [printed] Lacconotopedilus singularicornis Pic [handwritten] Examined by D.A. Pollock 19[printed] 97 [handwritten] [label red, black frame] // MNHN, Paris EC17269 [printed, provided with a QR code]. The type has extensively damaged elytra and metathoracic legs except for a basal fragment of the left metafemur are missing.

Lacconotopedilus was established by Pic (1935) for one species, L. singularicornis , and was initially attributed to Lacconotinae (now a junior synonym of Eurypinae ) of Mycteridae , but without a formal family placement. Pollock (1997) redescribed and figured Lacconotopedilus and the two species known at that time, and confirmed the placement of this genus within Mycteridae . Three species ( Pic 1935, 1936; Telnov 2019) are currently attributed to this “one of the most distinctive genera” of Eurypinae as stated by Pollock (1997: 51). The most recent key to, and an annotated checklist of Lacconotopedilus were presented by Telnov (2019).

Study of the type species of both Physciolagria and Lacconotopedilus suggests both genera are congeneric. Physciolagria liturata was described from a single female which is holotype by monotypy ( Pic 1930: 7, footnote 1); L. singularicornis was also described from a single female, the holotype by monotypy ( Pic 1935: 35). Physciolagria Pic, 1930 is therefore transferred to Eurypinae (Mycteridae) and a new synonym is proposed.

Moreover, based on the study of the type material, P liturata was found to be conspecific with L. elongatus , and a new synonym is therefore proposed.

Since one of the three species hitherto attributed to Lacconotopedilus appear invalid (junior synonym of P. liturata , see below), two new combinations are proposed: Physciolagria pollocki ( Telnov, 2019) comb. nov., Physciolagria singularicornis ( Pic, 1930) comb. nov. (both from Lacconotopedilus ).