Lacon funebris (Solsky, 1881)

Prosvirov, Alexander S., 2016, New and little-known species of the genus Lacon Laporte, 1838 (Coleoptera: Elateridae) of Afghanistan and adjacent countries, Zootaxa 4168 (2), pp. 279-296 : 293

Lacon funebris (Solsky, 1881)

( Figs. 47–50 )

Material. Afghanistan: 1 male , 1 female. 1 male: “Afghan. Panj riv., Samti, 900 m, 10.5.1971, Kabakov ” [NE Afghanistan, Takhar Province, Panj River, Samti Town , 900 m, 10 May 1971, O.N. Kabakov leg.] ( ZISP, OK) ; 1 female: “N. Afghanistan, Baghlan prov., Puli Khumri city env., 600 m., 10.IV.2008 [10 April 2008], O.V. Pak, Yu. E. Skrylnik leg.” ( CPM).

This species was known from Iran and Central Asia ( Cate et al. 2007) and already was reported from Afghanistan ( Jacobson, 1913) but without any exact data. This is the first reliable record of L. funebris for Afghanistan.

Systematic remarks. L. funebris is a rather distinctive species of the genus. Externally it is similar to such western Palaearctic species as L. kapleri Platia & Schimmel, 1994 , but the shape of its genitalia is notably different ( Fig. 48–50 ; see also Platia & Schimmel 1994). On the other hand, the aedeagus of L. funebris is rather similar to those of L. unicolor ( Candèze, 1874) and L. nadaii , but the general appearance and female genitalia of L. funebris are quite different ( Fig. 47 ; see also Platia & Gudenzi 1999; Platia & Németh 2011). Two other species similar to L. funebris , L. griseus ( Schwarz, 1900) and L. incomptus ( Kraatz, 1882) , were described from Central Asia ( Heyden & Kraatz 1882; Schwarz 1900). These species, judging by the original descriptions, seem closely related to L. funebris and probably are no more than morphological forms of this variable species.

Figures

FIGURES 47 – 50. Lacon funebris, from Afghanistan (Figs. 47 – 49) and Tajikistan (Fig. 50). 47. Habitus, dorsal view, female (16 mm). 48. Ovipositor, ventral view. 49. Part of female genital tract, general view. 50. Aedeagus, ventral view. Not to scale.