Laccophilus seyrigi Guignot, 1937

Bistroem, Olof, Nilsson, Anders N. & Bergsten, Johannes, 2015, Taxonomic revision of Afrotropical Laccophilus Leach, 1815 (Coleoptera, Dytiscidae), ZooKeys 542, pp. 1-379 : 40-41

Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera Dytiscidae

Laccophilus seyrigi Guignot, 1937 Figs 41-42, 242-244, 396, 532

Laccophilus seyrigi Guignot 1937: 140 (original description, faunistics); Guignot 1959a: 544, 545, 550 (description, faunistics); Rocchi 1991: 86 (faunistics, list); Nilsson 2001: 250: (catalogue, faunistics); Nilsson 2015: 217: (catalogue, faunistics).

Type locality.

Madagascar: Békily.

Type material, studied

(6 exs.). Holotype: male: "Madagascar Békily III 1936 - S / male symbol / Type" (MNHN). - Paratypes: Same data as holotype but “Paratype” (1 ex. MNHN; habitus in Fig. 396); Same data as holotype but "female symbol / Paratype" (3 exs. MNHN, 1 ex. IRSNB).

Diagnosis.

Laccophilus seyrigi forms together with Laccophilus comes and some other morphologically similar species an own group of species. Laccophilus seyrigi is, however, a deviating species in the group, and it is separated from the other species by clearly larger body size, by peculiar elytral colour pattern, by longitudinally extended meshes of microsculpture and by species-characteristic shape of penis; in dorsal aspect being long, slender and straight; in lateral aspect basally, with a distinct enlargement.

Description.

Body length 5.0-5.8 mm, width 2.8-2.9 mm. Dorsal, colour pattern of body rather distinct and stable; only minor variation exhibited (Fig. 396).

Head: Pale ferrugineous. At eyes with dense and fine punctures. Additionally with fine punctures in a short transverse impression located close to each eye. Submat, finely microsculptured. Reticulation double. Coarse meshes distinct; fine reticulation reduced, only in part discernible. Fine meshes extensively obliterated.

Pronotum: Pale ferrugineous, frontally in middle with distinct dark ferrugineous area; posteriorly in middle with a vague, bilobed ferrugineous to dark ferrugineous spot. Almost impunctate, except frontally and laterally with fine scattered punctures. Rather shiny, distinctly microsculptured. Reticulation double. Large meshes distinct; especially in middle meshes longitudinally extended. Fine meshes clearly discernible laterally; medially fine reticulation absent or almost totally obliterated.

Elytra: Pale ferrugineous, with distinct, dark ferrugineous markings (Fig. 396). Almost impunctate; discally and laterally with a few, fine punctures. Rather shiny, although distinctly microsculptured. Reticulation double. Coarse meshes distinct, in frontal half meshes longitudinally extended. Fine meshes frontally almost totally obliterated; in posterior half fine meshes clearly discernible. When discernible, coarse meshes contain 3-6 fine meshes.

Ventral aspect: Pale ferrugineous, laterally gradually darker, or with quite distinct, dark, lateral spots; dark ferrugineous to blackish. Abdomen pale ferrugineous. Ventrites latero-posteriorly with darker areas (dark ferrugineous to blackish). Apical ventrite pale except for latero-basally, with dark ferrugineous areas. Apical ventrite not modified (Fig. 41). Almost impunctate. Apical ventrite with fine punctures. Rather shiny, although very finely microsculptured. Microsculpture in part reduced, obliterated. Abdomen with fine striae. Metacoxal plates with 5-6 very fine, shallow furrows, which are almost transversely located. Prosternal process rather slender and comparatively short, apically pointed.

Legs: Pro- and mesotarsus rather slender and extended, with protruding suckers.

Male genitalia: Penis in dorsal aspect long, slender and straight; in lateral aspect basally, with a distinct enlargement (Figs 242-244).

Female: Pro- and mesotarsus slender, somewhat extended. Apical ventrite uniform (Fig. 42).

Distribution.

Madagascar (Fig. 532).

Collecting circumstances.

Unknown.