Laccophilus australis, 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 : 218-219

Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera Dytiscidae

Laccophilus australis sp. n. Figs 176-177, 356, 506-507, 567

Type locality.

South Africa: Zululand, Mission Rock, St. Lucia.

Type material

(20 exs.). Holotype: male: "S. Afr., Zululand, St. Lucia, Mission Rock / 18.12. 1975; E-Y: 983 at black light leg. Endrödy-Younga” (TMSA; habitus in Fig. 506). - Paratypes: Same as holotype (5 exs. TMSA, 2 exs. MZH; habitus in Fig. 507); "S. Afr. E. Transvaal Hazyview 25.04S- 31.07E / 3.4. 1990 E-y: 2778, UV light trap leg. Endrödy-Younga” (1 ex. TMSA); "S. Afr.: Kruger Nat Pk, Skukuza research ca 25.00S- 31.35E / 19.2. 1995 E-Y: 3102, UV light & trap leg. Endrödy-Younga” (1 ex. TMSA); KwaZulu-Natal, Richards Bay, Umhlatuze Floodplain, Papyrus swamp, 7.6. 1985 Reavell" (4 exs. AMGS); "Natal Zululand, Mtuba-Tuba 23.9. 1947 JOC" (3 exs. AMGS). - Tanzania: "D.O. Africa Myambo 19.III. 14 leg. Methner" (1 ex. ZMHB); "Daressalaam II. 12" (1 ex. ZMHB). - Malawi: "Nyasaland Dally’s 18.12. 1946 R.H. Love B.M. 1948-309" (1 ex. BMNH).

Diagnosis.

Laccophilus australis is characterized by colour pattern of body-dorsal-aspect, by its double reticulation on head and elytra, large meshes of which have almost disappeared by reduction and by peculiar shaped penis apex; apex truncate with distinct lateral extension. Externally it resembles of Laccophilus secundus and in part also of Laccophilus luctuosus (a species placed in an own species group 15). Penis apex extension longer in Laccophilus australis , in comparsion with Laccophilus secundus . See also diagnosis of Laccophilus luctuosus (p. 236).

Description.

Body length 3.4-3.6 mm, width 1.9-2.0 mm. Dorsal, colour pattern of body exhibits some variation.

Head: Pale ferrugineous. Submat, finely and quite densely microsculptured. Reticulation double, but large meshes extensively, strongly reduced and hardly discernible. Almost impunctate; at eyes comparatively extensively with fine, irregular punctures. Areas of punctures extended towards middle of head-disc, forming a puncture row, however, medially very sparse.

Pronotum: Pale ferrugineous, basally in middle with a vague blackish to dark ferrugineous marking. At margins except basally in middle with fine, sparse and irregular punctures; otherwise pronotum impunctate. Submat, finely microsculptured; reticulation double. Large meshes only slightly more strongly developed than small meshes. Large meshes contain 2-5 small meshes.

Elytra: Blackish to blackish ferrugineous, with rather distinct but somewhat variable pale ferrugineous markings. Colour pattern consists of a slightly uneven, transverse, pale ferrugineous marking located close to elytral base. Post-medially with variable, longitudinal pale spots (Figs 506-507). Submat, finely and densely microsculptured; reticulation double but large meshes extensively very indistinct, in part absent. Discal row of punctures consists of fine, irregular punctures, discernible from base to apex. Besides discal row towards outer edge, punctures appear fine to very fine, sporadic, irregular and quite sparse; no distinct rows of punctures formed. Pre-apical, lateral, shallow furrow provided with some punctures and hairs.

Ventral aspect: Blackish to blackish ferrugineous, posteriorly on abdomen slightly paler; dark ferrugineous. Prothorax pale ferrugineous. Rather shiny to submat; finely microsculptured but reticulation partially reduced, absent. Ventrites with fine, slightly curved striae. Apical ventrite asymmetric, provided with a small, sharp knob on one side (Fig. 176). Almost impunctate; apical ventrite with some irregular, fine punctures. Metacoxal plates with some 8-9, transverse, shallow and in part reduced furrows. Prosternal process rather slender, posteriorly slightly extended, apically pointed.

Legs: Pro- and mesotarsus slightly extended, enlarged and provided with suckers.

Male genitalia: Penis larger than in Laccophilus secundus . In lateral aspect penis straight and extreme apex with a distinct lateral extension (Fig. 356).

Female: Apical ventrite symmetric, lacks lateral knob (Fig. 177). Pro-and mesotarsus slender.

Etymology.

The species name australis is a Latin adjective meaning “southern”. It refers to the location from where the new species was first detected, i.e. South Africa. Later on the new species was also recorded from more northern sites in Malawi and Tanzania.

Distribution.

Tanzania, Malawi, South Africa (Fig. 567).

Collecting circumstances.

Flight-capable; sampled at UV and black light collection. In Kwazulu Natal sampled in a Papyrus swamp.