Laccophilus inconstans, Bistroem, Olof, Nilsson, Anders N. & Bergsten, Johannes, 2015

Bistroem, Olof, Nilsson, Anders N. & Bergsten, Johannes, 2015, Taxonomic revision of Afrotropical Laccophilus Leach, 1815 (Coleoptera, Dytiscidae), ZooKeys 542, pp. 1-379 : 195-196

Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera Dytiscidae

Laccophilus inconstans sp. n. Figs 160-161, 343, 489-490, 566

Type locality.

The Ivory Coast: Man.

Type material

(63 exs.): Holotype: male: "Ivory Coast Man 14-21.10. 1973 R. Linnavuori" (MZH; habitus in Fig. 490). - Paratypes: Same data as holotype (1 ex. MZH); "Coll. Mus. Tervuren Cote d’Ivoire: Bingerville VI. 1962 J. Decelle" (1 ex. MRAC, 1 ex. MZH); same and “à la lampe U.V." (1 ex. MRAC); "same but "VIII. 1962" (2 exs. MRAC); “Bouakè 12.8. 1973 Bilardo & Pederzani" (1 ex. NHMB); "Toumodi 11.8. 1973 Bilardo & Pederzani" (1 ex. NHMB); "Cote d’Ivoire Duékoué / 12. 1930-IV. 1931 Alluaud & Chappuis" (1 ex. MNHN). - Guinea: "Rep. Guinea Seredoux, lux, 7-8.4. 1975 leg. Zott" (1 ex. ZMHB); same data but "18.4. 1975" (1 ex. ZMHB); same data but "4.4. 1975" (1 ex. ZMHB, 1 ex. MZH). - Ghana: "Eastern Region Boti Falls 30 km NE Koforidua Dr. S. Endrödy-Younga / Nr. 490 shore washing 27.XII. 1971" (1 ex. CGW); "Ashanti Region Kwadaso 259 m, N 6.55 - W 1.39 Dr. S. Endrödy-Younga / Nr. 367 - light trap on field 2.VI. 1969" (1 ex. CGW); "Ashanti Region Kumasi, Nhiasu 330 m, N 6.43 - W 1.36, Dr. S. Endrödy-Younga / Nr. 229 light trap 24.VI. 1967" (2 exs. CGW, 1 ex. MZH); same data but "Nr. 256 at light 10.VIII. 1967" (1 ex. CGW); same data but "Nr. 274 at light 15.IX. 1967" (1 ex. CGW); same data but "Nr. 280 at light 9.X. 1967" (1 ex. MZH); same data but "Nr. 281 at light 18.X. 1967" (4 exs. CGW); same data but "Nr. 282 at light 20.X. 1967" (1 ex. CGW); "Kumasi 24.6. 1967 S. Endrödy-Younga” (2 exs. CGW, 1 ex. MZH, 1 ex. HNHM); same but "18.5. 1967" (3 exs. CGW, 2 exs. HNHM); same but "20.5. 1967" (3 exs. CGW, 3 exs. HNHM); same but 12.6. 1967 (2 exs. HNHM); same but 16.4. 1967 (2 exs. HNHM). - Nigeria: "Nigeria W. St. Ife 7-8.7. 1973 R. Linnavuori" (3 exs. MZH); "Ile-Ife W. State 13. Aug. 1972 J.T. Medler Coll." (2 exs. USNM); "Lagos Colony Iseri 29-30.3. 1949 Malkin / meander pool in shallow water" (2 exs. CGW); same data but "26-27.3. 1949 / Stream, deep slimy mud with sand over" (1 ex. CGW). - Cameroon: "Cameroun Buea-Nord-est Malende 17-1-79 A. Bilardo / Laccophilus sp. (?) near contiro det. S. Rocchi 1985" (1 ex. CSR; habitus in Fig. 489); "Cameroon, 25 km WNW Douala Modeka, Secondary Forest and Plantation, at light 18.1. 1978 Loc. No. 27/Lund Univ. Syst. Dept. Sweden Cameroon Exp. Dec.-Jan. 1977-78 Gärdenfors-Hall- Samuelsson / Laccophilus secundus Régimbart Det. A. Nilsson -96" (5 exs. MZLU, 2 exs. MZH).

Diagnosis.

Laccophilus inconstans is especially characterized by small body, by extensively black coloured elytra with minor and somewhat variable, pale ferrugineous markings and peculiar penis. Laccophilus inconstans resembles quite much Laccophilus conjunctus , from which it can be distinguished by slightly smaller body and by examination of penis; in lateral aspect penis curved, quite broad and extreme apex extends to an almost square-like process (corresponding apical process in Laccophilus conjunctus is distinctly smaller).

Description.

Body length 3.1-3.2 mm, width 1.7-1.8 mm. Elytral colour pattern variable; sometimes with quite extensive basal pale marking; sometimes pale markings strongly reduced (Figs 489-490).

Head: Pale ferrugineous, head sometimes a little darker posteriorly. Impunctate, except at eyes with fine, irregular punctures. Slightly mat, finely microsculptured. Reticulation double but size-classes of meshes difficult to separate because difference between them is often minimal. When discernible, large meshes may contain 3-6 small meshes.

Pronotum: Pale ferrugineous. Basally in middle with distinct, blackish to dark ferrugineous spot. Anteriorly, with a somewhat vague, dark ferrugineous to ferrugineous spot. Impunctate, except anteriorly, where very fine, irregular punctures may be discerned. Slightly mat, microsculptured; reticulation double. Large meshes generally discernible; may contain 3-6 fine meshes.

Elytra: Black to dark ferrugineous, with variable pale ferrugineous markings (Figs 489-490). Almost impunctate. Only a discal row of fine and irregular punctures clearly discernible. Pre-apical, lateral row of punctures form a shallow furrow which is finely pubescent. Slightly mat, finely microsculptured. Delimiting lines of large meshes laterally and posteriorly in part reduced, indistinct.

Ventral aspect: Dark ferrugineous to ferrugineous; no distinct colour pattern. Prothorax pale ferrugineous. Almost impunctate. Shiny, indistinctly microsculptured; in part microsculpture lacking. Basal ventrites with fine, slightly curved striae. Metacoxal plates with some ten shallow, in part indistinct furrows, which are mostly transversely located. Apical ventrite asymmetric; on one side with a small knob (Fig. 160). Prosternal process slender, apically extended and pointed.

Legs: Pale ferrugineous. Pro- and mesotarsus slightly enlarged, with suckers.

Male genitalia: Penis slightly curved, quite broad and ends in a distinct, square-like process (Fig. 343).

Female: Pro- and mesotarsus slender. Apical ventrite simple, no lateral knob (Fig. 161).

Etymology.

The name inconstans is a Latin adjective that here refers to the highly variable appearance of the elytra.

Distribution.

Guinea, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon (Fig. 566).

Collecting circumstances.

In Cameroon collected with light in secondary forest and plantation. From Nigeria label data give that the species has been collected in a meander pool in shallow water and in a stream.