Lacon elegantissimus, Prosvirov, Alexander S., 2016

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 : 280-281

Lacon elegantissimus sp. nov.

( Figs. 1, 2 , 5, 8, 9 )

Type locality. Afghanistan, Kunar Province.

Type material. Holotype, male, Afghanistan: “ Afghan., Konar, W. Barikot, 1800 m, 22.7.1972, Kabakov ” [NE Afghanistan, Kunar Province, W Barikot Town , 1800 m, 22 July 1972, O.N. Kabakov leg.] ( ZISP, OK) . Paratype, female, India: [first label] “ Keshtewar, [illegible, probably “V”]anjal”, on the underside of the label – “ Kashmir ” [N India, Jammu and Kashmir State, Jammu Region, Kishtwar District ]; [second label] “109” [probably this number is from the list of localities of coll. AS, but I could not find how it is deciphered]; [third label] “ Adelocera, Kashmir R. [probably “ Region ”]” ( ZISP, AS) .

Diagnosis. L. elegantissimus sp. nov. is similar to L. altaicus (Candèze, 1857) and L. quadrinodatus Lewis, 1894 ( Figs. 3 , 6, 10 ; see also Kishii 2003). It can be easily distinguished from these species by the distinctly larger and flatter body, red color of the scale-like pubescence, more transverse and differently sculptured pronotum, more elongate and only slightly tapered to apex elytra, different shape of the genitalia, and by other minor characters.

Description. Male: Length 16.4 mm; width 4.8 mm. Body elongate, more or less flattened, matt, blackish; antennae, mouthparts, propleural depressions for insertion of profemora, propleurae along prosternal sutures, elytra, articulations of legs and tarsi all dark reddish brown; claws yellowish. Dorsum covered with very dense red scale-like setae; underside covered with dark reddish brown scale-like setae; lateral part and anterior 1/3 of propleurae, prosternal lobe and partially disk of prosternum, sides and posterior margin of last abdominal sternites and elytral epipleurae covered with identical red pubescence as on dorsum. Antennomere 1 covered with dense red scale-like setae and sparse brownish hair-like setae, other antennomeres covered with identical hair-like pubescence only, these setae slenderer and shorter than on other dorsal parts.

Head. Clearly wider than long (length/width 0.49); frons deeply depressed almost over entire width; this depression extended to middle of vertex, being, however, relatively shallow medially. Punctures coarse and dense; intervals between punctures subequal to or smaller than diameter of one puncture. Antennae reaching near middle of pronotum, distinctly serrate from antennomere 3. Antennomere 1 long, dilated, notably thicker than others; antennomere 2 globose, less than half as long as antennomere 3; antennomere 3 elongate, prominent at apex; antennomeres 4 to 10 about 0.7-0.8 times as long as antennomere 3, about equal in shape, somewhat wider than long; last antennomere oblong, almost obovate (ratio of length/width of antennomeres from 1 to 5 as 2.2; 1; 1.4; 1; 0.8, respectively). Pubescence of antennae rather dense, antennomeres internally covered with recumbent and some erect setae, externally (from antennomere 2) with erect setae. Mandible with tooth; last segment of maxillary palpus noticeably broadened and truncated at apex, obtriangular.

Thorax. Pronotum slightly wider than long (length 4.2 mm; width 4.5 mm), widest medially, flattened laterally; narrowed toward front angles more sharply than toward hind angles; pronotal sides at anterior 1/4 with angulate prominence, then simply narrowed toward anterior margin, notably sinuate before hind angles. Front angles of pronotum relatively short, pointed, covering almost half length of each eye. Median impression on pronotal disc very wide and deep, extended from base almost to anterior margin, less deep at anterior half. Disc of pronotum with two pairs of tubercules laterally from median impression, first one at anterior 1/4, second one near posterior 1/3; anterior pair somewhat larger than posterior pair. Pronotum with small distinct impressions outwardly from posterior pair of tubercules; pronotum also impressed at anterior 1/3, slightly behind lateral angulate prominence. Hind angles of pronotum rather short, flattened, narrowly rounded at apex, clearly divergent, without carina. Pronotum and head similarly punctate.

Prosternal sutures deeply grooved almost over entire length, near procoxal cavities simply furrowed. Prosternal lobe rather short, with rounded and distinctly carinate anterior margin, partially covering labium; separated from rest of prosternum by rather deep transverse impression at about anterior 1/4 of prosternum. Prosternum and head punctate similarly, punctures somewhat larger than on head. Hypomeron and prosternum punctate similarly, punctures denser than on prosternum. Hypomeron basally with broad and deep depression for insertion of profemora; this depression impunctate; hypomeron slightly impressed along prosternal suture at basal 1/2. Prosternal process with weak prominence near apex, about 3 times as long as diameter of procoxal cavity, slightly bent inwards immediately behind procoxal cavities. Mesoventrite, metaventrite, and head punctate similarly. Metaventrite longer than wide (length/width 1.2); without lateral depressions, medially with narrow and rather deep impression extended almost over entire length; metepisternum rather broad, narrowed towards posterior margin. Broad part of metacoxal plates about 3 times as wide as narrow part, with rounded prominence.

Scutellum distinctly inclined, flat, short, tongue-shaped, anterior margin weakly emarginate medially, with punctation as on head. Elytra strongly oblong, slightly wider than pronotum, widest near middle, more than 2.5 times as long as pronotum (both elytra together: length 11.2 mm; width 4.8 mm); almost parallel-sided from shoulders to posterior 1/3, then slightly tapering to apex; shoulders evenly rounded. Disc of elytra flat, weakly convex at anterior half laterally, distinctly convex lateral of scutellum; slightly divergent along suture near apex, narrowly rounded at apex; without striae, more or less evenly punctate; punctures subequal in size to those on head, sparser than on head.

Metathoracic wings completely developed, reaching apex of elytra.

Abdomen. Abdomen and metaventrite punctate similarly.

Aedeagus ( Fig. 5 ). Typical, trilobate. Parameres slightly shorter than penis, broadened at basal 1/2, broadly expanded at anterior 1/4, with tooth, rounded at apex. Penis relatively slender, narrow; its apophyses short, about 0.3 times as long as penis.

Female. Slightly lighter than male. Similar in size to male (body length 15.9 mm; width 4.8 mm); pronotum and elytra relatively wider than in male; antennae somewhat shorter than in male (ratio of length/width of antennomeres from 1 to 5 as 2.2; 1.3; 1.25; 1.2; 0.8, respectively; antennomeres from 6 to 10 subequal in length and maximum width). Erect setae on antennomeres weakly developed, consisting of only a few setae. Pronotal tubercules and median impression less developed than in male. Scutellum shorter and wider than in male, almost triangular.

In all other respects, female similar to male.

Female genitalia. ( Figs. 8, 9 ). Ovipositor relatively long; baculum long, strongly sclerotized (ratio length baculum/length ovipositor 0.81); coxite moderately sclerotized, with several setae, narrowed to apex, with rather long, distinct stylus. Bursa copulatrix with large sclerotized plate typical of this genus covered with short spinules and long spines, plate sharply narrowed in middle; distal small plate weakly sclerotized, walls of bursa copulatrix lateral of this plate sclerotized similarly. Several dark sac-like spermatophores contained inside bursa copulatrix

Larva. Unknown.

Distribution. Northeastern Afghanistan: Kunar Province; Northern India: Jammu and Kashmir State.

Bionomics. The biology of this species remains unknown, but according to the label data it is likely that L. elegantissimus sp. nov. inhabits mountain areas.

Etymology. The name of the new species is derived from the Latin elegantissimus (very elegant) and refers to its beautiful and striking appearance.

Systematic remarks. In addition to L. altaicus and L. quadrinodatus , this species is also somewhat similar to L. lepidopterus (Panzer, 1800) ( Figs. 4 , 7, 11 ). All these species are characterized by the very dense, more or less light scale-like pubescence of the body, rather short antennae, reaching only near the middle of the pronotum, and specific pronotal sculpture consisting of tubercules and/or impressions. The genitalia of these species are also quite similar. It is very likely that all these species form a separate natural species group within the genus, although L. elegantissimus sp. nov. seems more distantly related to the other three species than these three species to each other.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 4. Habitus of Lacon species, dorsal view. 1. L. elegantissimus sp. nov., male, holotype (16.4 mm). 2. L. elegantissimus sp. nov., female, paratype (15.9 mm). 3. L. altaicus, female (14.1 mm; Russia, Primorsky Krai). 4. L. lepidopterus, female (14.1 mm; Russia, Republic of Adygea). Not to scale.

FIGURES 5 – 11. Genitalia of Lacon species: aedeagus, ventral view (Figs. 5 – 7); ovipositor, ventral view (Fig. 8); part of female genital tract, general view (Figs. 9 – 11). 5. L. elegantissimus sp. nov., holotype (apex of penis broken and placed separately). 6, 10. L. altaicus (Russia, Primorsky Krai). 7. L. lepidopterus (Russia, Krasnodar Krai). 8, 9. L. elegantissimus sp. nov., paratype. 11. L. lepidopterus (Russia, Republic of Adygea). Not to scale.