Laccodytes phalacroides Régimbart, 1895

Toledo, Mario, Spangler, Paul J. & Balke, Michael, 2010, Taxonomic revision of the Neotropical diving beetles genus Laccodytes Régimbart, 1895 (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae), Zootaxa 2347, pp. 37-58 : 50

Laccodytes phalacroides Régimbart, 1895

Figs (31, 41, 47, 57, 62)

Laccodytes phalacroides Régimbart (1895: 346) ; Peschet (1919: 146); Zimmermann (1920: 29); Nilsson (2001: 239).

Type locality. Brazil.

Type material. According to Régimbart (18959 there should be two types from Mr. Grouvelle, housed in the MNHN. We did not study the type but a male and a female from BMNH agrees well with the description and habitus drawing of this conspicuous species provided in the original description, see also notes on type comparison below.

Other material studied. Brazil: Rio de Janeiro, Fry Coll. 1905-100 (13, 1Ƥ BMNH). The male was identified as Laccodytes phalacroides by J. Balfour-Browne and compared to type material in 1950, the female identified as Laccodytes phalacroides by F.N. Young according to identification labels attached, which state “compared to type ”. The male is lacking head and pronotum.

Diagnosis. Habitus ( Fig. 31 ). Body length 2.4 mm. Body drop shaped. Tip of elytra slightly truncate. Hind angle of pronotum rounded.

Color ( Fig. 31 ). Head black. Pronotum yellow with anterior margin, posterior 2/5 and a medial line black. Each elytron black, with three orange discal spots anteriorly and posteriorly. The spots are isolated and they do not reach margins or suture. Body appendages orange. Venter dark reddish, paler on prosternum

Scultpure. Head with a fine MR, hardly visible on pronotum and elytra. No obvious punctures are visible on dorsal surface. Venter with a faint MR. Punctures visible on metaventrite and, more densely, on metacoxal plates. No longitudinal lines or longish meshes visible.

Structures. Pronotum with narrow lateral bead; posterior angle rounded. Prosternum and prosternal process with small ridge; prosternal process broadly carinate and with a rather long, nose-like tip ( Fig. 41 ). Epipleuron distinct up to level of sternite 7. Hind lobes of metacoxal process broadly rounded, with a small medial V-shaped notch.

Male. Hind margin of sternite 7 broadly concave ( Fig. 57 ). Metatarsomeres 1–4 with apico-lateral angle distinctly lobed. Aedeagus ( Fig. 47 ): median lobe large and robust; in lateral view distal half laterally duck head-shaped; dorsally with tip flat and broadened. Parameres visibly different in size, both apparently without apical setae: right subtriangular, with a characteristic apical process, left broad, almost rounded.

Female. Sternite 7 ( Fig. 57 ) with hind margin emarginate, almost forming semicircular notch. Metatarsomeres 1–4 with apico-lateral angle less distinctly lobed than in male.

Distribution ( Fig. 62). Apparently southeastern Brazil.

Biology. Unknown.

Figures

FIGURES 28 – 39. Subschematic body shape and colour patterns: 28) Laccodytes apalodes; 29) L. rondonia; 30) L. americanus; 31) L. phalacroides; 32) L. takutuanus; 33 a – 33 b) L. neblinae (variation of elytral patterns); 34) L. bassignanii; 35) L. obscuratus; 36) L. olibroides; 37) L. androginus; 38) Laccodytes sp. 1.; 39) Laccodytes sp. 2.

FIGURES 40 – 43. Line drawings of prosternal process: 40) Laccodytes takutuanus; 41) L. phalacroides; 42) L. rondonia; 43) L. olibroides.

FIGURES 54 – 61. Last abdominal segment (left male; right female) in Laccodytes species: 54) L. apalodes; 55) L. rondonia; 56) L. americanus; 57) L. phalacroides; 58) L. takutuanus; 59) L. neblinae; 60) L. bassignanii; 61) Laccodytes sp. 1 female.

FIGURES 44 – 47. Male genitals in Laccodytes species: 44) L. apalodes: a) median lobe of aedeagus in lateral view, b – c) right and left parameres; 45) L. rondonia: idem; 46) L. americanus: idem; 47) L. phalacroides: a) apical half of median lobe of aedeagus in dorsal view, b) median lobe in lateral view, c – d) right and left parameres;