Laccophilus brownei Guignot, 1947

Bistroem, Olof, Nilsson, Anders N. & Bergsten, Johannes, 2015, Taxonomic revision of Afrotropical Laccophilus Leach, 1815 (Coleoptera, Dytiscidae), ZooKeys 542, pp. 1-379 : 190-191

Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera Dytiscidae

Laccophilus brownei Guignot, 1947 Figs 156-157, 339-340, 485-486, 567

Laccophilus brownei Guignot 1947: 26 (original description, faunistics); Guignot 1948: 13 (description, faunistics); Guignot 1953e: 4 (discussion); Guignot 1954 a: 28 (discussion); Omer-Cooper 1957: 12 (discussion); Guignot 1959a: 552, 553, 554 (description, faunistics); Nilsson 2001: 241 (catalogue, faunistics); Nilsson 2015: 209 (catalogue, faunistics).

Laccophilus brownei ab. celidotus Guignot 1947: 26 (description, faunistics); Guignot 1948: 14 (description, faunistics); Guignot 1959a: 553, 554 (description, faunistics); Nilsson 2001: 281 (infrasubspecific name, not valid taxon).

Type locality.

Zaire: PNA, Lac Magera.

Type material studied

(5 exs.). Holotype: male: "Holotypus / Congo belge: P.N.A. Lac Magera 2000 m, 27-VIII-1935 Mission H. Damas: (A) 370 / Coll. Mus. Congo (ex. coll. I.P.N.C.B.) / Type / F. Guignot det. 1945 Laccophilus brownei Guign. Type, male" (MRAC). - Paratypes (incl. Allotype): Same sampling data as holotype (1 ex. IRSNB, 1 ex. MRAC) "Paratypus / Congo belge P.N.A. Ngesho 3-VIII-1935 Mission H. Damas: 291 / F. Guignot det. 1948 Laccophilus brownei Guign." (2 exs. MRAC; habitus in Fig. 485).

Additional material studied

(15 exs.). Zaire: "Congo belge P.N.A. Ngesho 3-VIII-1935 Mission H. Damas: 291 / F. Guignot det. 1948 Laccophilus brownei ab. celidotus sp. n. / Holotype / Paratype" (3 exs. IRSNB, 1 ex. MNHN, 4 exs. MRAC; habitus in Fig. 486); "Kivu Kagogo 2-9.6. 1952 Damas" (1 ex. MRAC). - Tanzania: "Tanganjika PWD Camp Tundume Mbeya rd 14.X. 1948 JOC." (1 ex. AMGS); "Tanganyika creek Chunya-Mbeya road 11.10. 1948" (5 exs. AMGS).

Diagnosis.

Laccophilus brownei is especially characterized by shape of penis; apical half of penis almost straight and evenly broad to distinct apex. Apical part is merged to basal part so that no contraction visible but apex separated from basal part by narrow incision. Dorsal colour pattern resembles corresponding features in some other species located in this species group (e.g. Laccophilus incrassatus , Laccophilus quindecimvittatus and Laccophilus empheres ).

Description.

Body length 4.2-4.5 mm, width 2.4-2.6 mm. Habitus (Fig. 485). Longitudinal dark lines medially independent, not confluent. Sometimes dark markings of head and pronotum slightly more enlarged; dark elytral lines medially confluent (celidotus-aberration) (Fig. 486).

Head: Pale ferrugineous, posteriorly at pronotum narrowly darkened. Slightly mat, distinctly reticulated. Reticulation in part double, which is clearly discernible in a medial area where large meshes contain 2-5 smaller meshes. At eyes with irregular, quite dense punctures.

Pronotum: Pale ferrugineous; anteriorly at head with a vague, dark ferrugineous marking. Posteriorly, at scutellar region with a broad but narrow, distinct, dark ferrugineous marking. Slightly mat, densely reticulated. Reticulation extensively double; large meshes contain 2-7 small meshes. At margins with scattered, irregular puntures (hardly visible at scutellar region).

Elytra: Pale ferrugineous, with dark ferrugineous to dark brownish, longitudinal lines. Lines variable; medially independent, not confluent or confluent, especially in centre of elytra (Figs 485-486). Submat, distinctly reticulated. Reticulation simple. Sometimes, indistinct fragments of larger meshes may be discerned. Impunctate, except for three, irregular and vague rows of fine punctures.

Ventral aspect: Metathorax and abdomen pale ferrugineous to ferrugineous; metacoxal plates blackish to dark ferrugineous. Impunctate. Very finely microsculptured. Metacoxal plates with shallow, transverse furrows. Prosternal process sharp, narrow. Apical ventrite asymmetric, with a lateral knob (Fig. 156). Abdomen with slightly curved striae.

Legs: Pale ferrugineous to ferrugineous. Pro- and mesotarsus somewhat enlarged, provided with distinct suckers.

Male genitalia: Penis long, slightly curved at base and almost straight and evenly broad in apical half. Extreme apex broad and moderately extended (Figs 339-340).

Female: Apical ventrite lacks knob (Fig. 157). Pro- and mesotarsus slender.

Distribution.

Zaire, Tanzania (Fig. 567).

Collecting circumstances.

Not known.