Lacconotopedilus elongatus Pic, 1936

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 : 123-126

= Lacconotopedilus elongatus Pic, 1936 syn. nov.

Type material. L. elongatus , holotype ♀ [ MNHN] ( Figs 5–8 ): U. 4/IV. Co 2280 [handwritten] // Tanganyika (Conrads) [handwritten] // elongatus n sp [handwritten] // type [handwritten] // Museum Paris Coll. M. Pic [printed, label bluish] // TYPE [printed, label red] // HOLOTYPE [printed] Lacconotopedilus elongatus Pic [handwritten] Examined by D.A. Pollock 19 [printed] 97 [handwritten] [label red] // MNHN, Paris EC 15939 [printed, provided with QR code]. The type is missing both terminal antennomeres and both forelegs.

Pollock (1997: 55–56) redescribed Lacconotopedilus from the type of L. singularicornis and additional material from Botswana, south-eastern DR Congo, and South Africa. Similar as in my case, Pollock was also unable to read in full the locality label of the holotype L. singularicornis : “Afrique [with other illegible name, something like Lrimave]” (Pollock 1995: 55) and therefore suggested possible conspecifity of L. elongatus and L. singularicornis but did not propose the formal synonymy due to lack of comparative material ( Pollock 1997: 53).

The holotype of L. singularicornis was obtained from unknown locality, since I was not able to attribute the type locality (spelled as Limawe, Limowe, Limare or Limare) to any existing place in Africa.

The oldest label of the holotype of L. elongatus is handwritten by an unknown person, while the next one, claiming the specimen is from Conrads material from “Tanganyika”, was undoubtedly added later by Pic (judging from handwriting on both labels). Had the type specimen really been collected by P. Conrads, the letter “U.” on the initial label likely refers to Ukerewe Island, Lake Victoria, Tanzania, where Conrads extensively collected 1912–1931 ( Lanjouw & Stafleu 1954). In support of this hypothesis, there are nine syntypes of Nanophyes conradsi Marshall, 1939 ( Brentidae Billberg, 1820 ) present at BMNH, all described from Conrads collected material from Ukerewe Island, each bearing handwritten collecting locality code label “2215” which is close to the “2280” code as on the initial label of the L. elongatus holotype.

Measurements. Holotype ♀ ( Figs 1–4 ), total body length 8.3 mm; head length 1.3 mm, head width across eyes 1.4 mm, pronotal length 1.2 mm, maximum pronotal width 1.5 mm, minimum pronotal 1.2 mm, elytral length 5.8 mm, combined maximum elytral width in apical third 3 mm. Selected comparative ♂♂ from Tanzania 5.7–5.8 mm long (see Checklist for locality data).

Redescription, ♂ from Ukiriguru, Tanzania ( Figs 9–11 ; consider Checklist below for specimen label data): Dorsal forebody generally dark brown, pronotal basal area narrowly paler, clypeus and labrum dirty yellow to yellowish brown. Elytra ochre with black, strongly elongate sutural spot in apical third leaving suture and apex of elytra narrowly yellow. Antennae black. Maxillary palps pale brown. Legs black-brown to brown, tarsi yellowish brown, trochanters yellowish brown. Venter generally brown, ventral and posterolateral parts of prothoracic hypomeron yellow to yellowish brown. Head ( Figs 9–10 ) transverse, moderately glossy dorsally, flattened, with extremely large and globose hemispherical compound eyes occupying most of head. Compound eye touching antennal insertion, with inconspicuous notch at point of contact. Interfacetal setae dense, rather long. Frontoclypeal suture or impression not indicated. Labrum broadly emarginate at anterior margin. Frons extremely narrow between compound eyes (at its narrowest point frons is narrower than length of basal antennomere), strongly widens posteriad. Antennal insertion free, not concealed by anterolateral margin of frons. Tempora not indicated, head base straight, not narrowed to a neck, hidden beneath anterior margin of pronotum. Dorsal cranial punctures dense and rather coarse, irregular (especially anteriad eyes). Intervening spaces moderately glossy on frons. Head dorsal setation yellowish, inconspicuous, suberect. Antenna ( Fig. 11 ) extending beyond mesocoxa when directed backwards. Basal antennomere short, about 1.2× as long as wide. Antennomere three about 1.2–1.3× as long as antennomere two. Antennomeres 4–8 asymmetrical, 4–10 strongly transverse. Terminal antennomere greatly elongated, flattened dorso-ventrally and somewhat shallowly impressed on whole ventral surface, densely rugulose, rounded apically, with an inconspicuous, obtuse angulation about midlength of anterior margin, significantly longer than combined length of antennomeres 1–10. Terminal maxillary palpomere slightly fusiform, narrow. Pronotum ( Figs 9–10 ) moderately glossy dorsally, transverse, markedly narrower than head across compound eyes, subtruncate at anterior margin. Lateral margins subparallel. Anterolateral angles obsolete, posterolateral angles broadly obtuse to rounded. Pronotal base broadly rounded, with narrow bead. Pronotal disc flattened dorsally. Punctures circular, regular, intervening spaces glossy, narrower than to twice as wide as punctures. Pronotal dorsal pubescence yellow, moderately long, rather dense, suberect. Scutellar shield triangular, rounded apically. Elytra ( Fig. 9 ) elongate, nearly parallel-sided, slightly glossy, flattened dorsally, somewhat ‘malacoderm-like’ thin and flimsy. Humerus broadly rounded. Punctures on elytral disc coarser and denser than those on pronotum, with irregular intervening spaces which are generally narrower than punctures; punctures not or hardly becoming more delicate in apical third. Elytral pubescence yellow, dense, suberect, moderately long, directed posteriad. Sutural striae not indicated. Epipleuron short, moderately broad, present from humerus towards about posterior margin of mesocoxal cavity. Metathoracic wings fully developed. All legs of similar shape, sparsely setose. Femora not clavate, tibiae nearly straight, rugulose. Pro- and mesothoracic tibia about as long as corresponding femur, metathoracic tibia longer than metathoracic femur. Tibial terminal spurs paired, inconspicuously short. Penultimate tarsomeres not bilobed, with truncate ventral pad. Basal metathoracic tarsomere shorter than the combined length of all remaining metathoracic tarsomeres. Pretarsal claws short, curved, distinctly cleft. Tergite VII subtruncate at posterior margin ( Fig. 20 ), morphological sternite VII short and broad, subtruncate at posterior margin ( Fig. 21 ). Tergite VIII and morphological sternite VIII short and broad, subtruncate at posterior margin. Aedeagus with median lobe longer than tegmen. Median lobe somewhat funnel-shaped, wide basally in dorsal and lateral view, strongly narrowed towards rounded apex ( Figs 36–38 ). Gonopore armature as in Fig. 38 . Apical portion with several pores, apical margin with 5–6 radial channels ( Figs 36–37 ). Tegmen stout, with parameres externally evenly, broadly curved; paramere apex rounded, with several moderately long setae raising from pores ( Figs 28–29 ). Outer margin of paramere narrow ( Fig. 28 ). Inner margin of paramere nearly straight except at apex where it strongly curves inwards ( Fig. 28–29 ). Ventral side of paramere with sparse, moderately long setae ( Fig. 29 ).

Redescription, ♀ holotype. Female ( Figs 1–3 ) generally longer than male (see measurements, above). Frons comparatively wider between compound eyes. Antenna ( Figs 1, 3 ) comparatively shorter than that of male. Antennomere three triangular, twice as long as antennomere two. Antennomeres 4–9 slightly asymmetrical, 5–10 strongly transverse, 9–10 distinctly broadly emarginate at posterior margin. Terminal antennomere asymmetrically ovoid, truncate apically, about as long as 4–4.5 preceding antennomeres.Terminal maxillary palpomere subtriangular, slightly widened apically. Basal metathoracic tarsomere longer than combined length of all remaining metathoracic tarsomeres. Tergite VII and morphological sternite VII subtruncate at posterior margin.

Intraspecific variability. Specimens significantly vary in body length (see Measurements). Colour of pronotum varies from entirely black to brown. In ♀ holotype of P. liturata the dark apical elytral spot is not touching sutural or apical margin leaving them narrowly yellow. Elytron with or without indistinct tracks of four vaguely raised longitudinal costae.

Ecology. Some specimens were attracted to light.

Figures

FIGURES 5–8. Physciolagria liturata Pic, 1930, holotype ♀ Lacconotopedilus elongatus Pic, 1936. 5—Habitus, dorsal view; 6—ditto, lateral view; 7—ditto, ventral view; 8—Labels [images courtesy Christophe Rivier, MNHN].

FIGURES 1–4. Physciolagria liturata Pic, 1930, holotype ♀. 1—Habitus, dorsal view; 2—ditto, lateral view; 3—Forebody, anterodorsal view; 4—Labels [not to scale].

FIGURES 9–11. Physciolagria liturata Pic, 1930, ♂ from Homa, Kenya. 9—Habitus, dorsal view; 10—Head, dorsal view; 11—Left antenna, ventral view [not to scale].

FIGURES 20–27. Male terminalia of Physciolagria Pic, 1930. 20—P. liturata Pic, 1930, tergite VII, dorsal view; 21—ditto, morphological sternite VII, ventral view; 22—P. singularicornis (Pic, 1935), ♂ from Sebele, Botswana, tergite VII, dorsal view; 23—ditto, morphological sternite VII, ventral view; 24—P. smithi sp. nov., paratype, tergite VII, dorsal view; 25—ditto, morphological sternite VII, ventral view; 26—P. singularicornis (Pic, 1935), ♂ from Sebele, Botswana, spiculum gastrale; 27—P. smithi sp. nov., paratype, spiculum gastrale [not to scale].

FIGURES 36–44. Median lobe of Physciolagria Pic, 1930. 36—P. liturata Pic, 1930; 37—ditto, apical portion (note apical pores); 38—ditto, gonopore armature; 39—P. singularicornis (Pic, 1935), ♂ from Sebele, Botswana; 40—ditto, apical portion (note apical spines); 41—ditto, gonopore armature; 42—P. smithi sp. nov., paratype; 43—ditto, apical portion (note apical spines); 44—gonopore armature [not to scale].

FIGURES 28–35. Tegmen of Physciolagria Pic, 1930. 28—P. liturata Pic, 1930; 29—ditto, parameres, apical portion (note moderately long apical setation); 30—P. singularicornis (Pic, 1935), ♂ from Sebele, Botswana; 31—ditto, paramere, apical portion, apical setation removed; 32—ditto, parameres, apical portion (note long apical setation); 33—P. smithi sp. nov., paratype; 34—ditto, paramere, apical portion, apical setation removed; 35—ditto, parameres, apical portion (note long apical setation) [not to scale].