Laccophilus melas Guignot, 1958

Bistroem, Olof, Nilsson, Anders N. & Bergsten, Johannes, 2015, Taxonomic revision of Afrotropical Laccophilus Leach, 1815 (Coleoptera, Dytiscidae), ZooKeys 542, pp. 1-379 : 236-237

Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera Dytiscidae

Laccophilus melas Guignot, 1958 (Figs 194-195, 367, 518, 577)

Laccophilus melas Guignot 1958: 8 (original description, faunistics); Nilsson 2001: 246 (catalogue faunistics); Nilsson 2015: 216 (catalogue faunistics).

Type locality.

Zaire: Garamba National Park.

Type material studied

(14 exs.). Holotype: male: "Holotypus / Congo Belge, P.N.G. Miss. H. De Saeger II / gd/11 4-X-1951 Réc. 2511, H. de Saeger / Coll. Mus. Congo (ex. coll. I.P.N.C.B.) / Guignot det., 1957 Laccophilus melas sp. n. Holotypus" (MRAC; habitus in Fig. 518). - Paratypes: Same data as holotype but “Paratype” (1 ex. NHMB); "Congo Belge, P.N.G. Miss. H. De Saeger II/gd/11 24-VI-1952 H. De Saeger. 3693 / Paratype / F. Guignot det., 1958 Laccophilus melas sp. n. Paratype" (1 ex. IRSNB); same data but "Pali ´´ /8 24-VII-1952, 3816" (2 exs. IRSNB); same data but "8-VIII-1952, 3924" (3 exs. IRSNB); same data but "Ndelele/11, 21-II-1952, 3143" (4 exs. IRSNB); same data but "II/fc/11, 25-IV -1952, 3702"(1 ex. IRSNB); same data but "II/me/9, 28.2. 1952, 3156" (1 ex. NHMB).

Additional material studied

(4 exs.). Cameroon: "Nanga Eboko / 7-10. 59 Lenczy" (1 ex. CGW). - Zaire: "PNG II/gd/11, 19.8. 1952 De Saeger 3956" (1 ex. MRAC, 1 ex. MZH); "PNG PpK.51/g/9, 2, 4, 1952 De Saeger 3272" (1 ex. MRAC).

Diagnosis.

Laccophilus melas is particularly characterized by black to blackish ferrugineous colour of body. Pale colour reduced to two minor spots on pronotum posterior to eyes and to very fine, small, pale spots on humeral region and laterally posterior to middle on elytra. Penis exhibits also minor but diagnostically useful characters; penis quite large, evenly curved and apex outline rounded; basally with an enlargement (vide also diagnosis of Laccophilus villiersi on p. 248).

Description.

Body length 3.1-3.5 mm, width 1.7-1.9 mm. Dorsal, colour pattern reduced to a few pale spots (Fig. 518).

Head: Blackish to dark ferrugineous. Submat, finely reticulated. Reticulation double; large meshes extensively rather indistinct; only slightly more strongly developed than fine meshes. Large meshes generally contain 3-6 fine meshes. Punctation almost absent; frontally at eyes fine, irregular punctures discernible.

Pronotum: Blackish to dark ferrugineous. At foremargin slightly paler; posterior to eyes close to foremargin, with minute yellowish spot. Submat, finely reticulated; reticulation double. Minor differences between mesh-size classes. Large meshes generally contain 3-6 small meshes. At margins fine punctures may be discerned.

Elytra: Blackish to dark ferrugineous. Laterally, slightly posterior to middle with a minute yellowish spot (Fig. 518). Submat, rather shiny, finely reticulated. Double reticulation anteriorly clearly visible; posteriorly fragmentary and indistinct. Scattered, very fine punctures may be discerned. Lateral, pre-apical furrow fine, pubescent.

Ventral aspect: Blackish ferrugineous to dark ferrugineous. Submat, finely reticulated. Almost impunctate. Metacoxal plates in provided with a broad stridulatory file, delimitation of which is vague. Prosternal process slender, apex somewhat extended backwards, pointed. Transversely located, shallow furrows discernible on anterior half of metacoxal plates. Apical ventrite on one side with a distinct knob (Fig. 194). Basal ventrites with fine, sparse striae.

Legs: Protarsus slender, claws equally long and slightly curved. Pro- and mesotarsus with suckers.

Male genitalia: Penis comparatively large, evenly curved and apex outline rounded; lacks processes or extensions. At base, ventrally, with a distinct enlargement (Fig. 367).

Female: Apical ventrite almost symmetric, lacks lateral knob (Fig. 195). Pro- and mesotasus slender.

Distribution.

Cameroon, Zaire (Fig. 577).

Collecting circumstances.

Unknown.