Laccophilus guineensis, 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 : 149-150

Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera Dytiscidae

Laccophilus guineensis sp. n. Figs 115, 305, 454, 562

Type locality.

Guinea: Seredou.

Type material

(3 exs.). Holotype: male: "Guinea Seredou, lux, 5.4. 1975 leg. Zott" (ZMHB). - Paratypes: Same data as holotype but "4.4. 1975" (1 ex. MZH); "Rep. Guinea Sérédou, lux, 4. Apr. 1975 leg. A. Zott" (1 ex. ZMHB; habitus in Fig. 454).

Diagnosis.

Closely related to Laccophilus guentheri and Laccophilus bizonatus ; characterized by quite similar, elytral colour pattern. Laccophilus guineensis is separated from them by having a robust penis, the apical half of which is broad, simple and moderately modified; extreme apex formed as a broad, rounded enlargement; not hooked.

Description.

Body length 3.9 mm, width 2.1 mm. Dorsal, aspect of body with stable colour pattern (Fig. 454).

Head: Pale ferrugineous to ferrugineous. Rather shiny, although finely microsculptured. Reticulation double; large meshes in part reduced and only slightly more strongly developed in comparison with fine meshes. Impunctate, except at eyes with a group of irregularly distributed, fine punctures. Area of punctures extended a short distance towards middle of head-disc.

Pronotum: Pale ferrugineous, almost unicoloured. Narrowly darker at foremargin. Basally at moderate distance from midline with two small and vague, dark ferrugineous spots. Submat, finely microsculptured. Reticulation double; large meshes only slightly more strongly developed than small meshes. Large meshes contain, when discernible, 2-6 small meshes (sometimes number difficult to estimate). Impunctate, except laterally and at foremargin; here fine, irregular punctures discernible.

Elytra: Pale ferrugineous, with irregularly distributed, dark ferrugineous irrorations. Frontally at pronotum dark irrorations absent, forming an irregular, pale, transverse area. Posterior to pale area dark irrorations thickened, forming a dark transverse area. Posterior to dark area, irrorations somewhat loosened and appear somewhat irregular (Fig. 454). Rather shiny, although finely microsculptured; reticulation double. In frontal part of elytra division into two mesh-size-categories is clearly discernible. Posteriorly division becomes vague and indistinct. Impunctate, except for three, vague, longitudinal rows of punctures. Pre-apical, lateral row of fine punctures located in shallow furrow, which is finely pubescent.

Ventral aspect: Dark ferrugineous to ferrugineous, no distinct colour pattern. Prothorax somewhat paler, ferrugineous to pale ferrugineous. Almost impunctate; apical ventrite with some punctures. Rather shiny, although finely microsculptured. Prosternal process rather slender; posteriorly somewhat elongated, apically pointed. Metacoxal plates in posterior half smooth; anteriorly with fine, shallow, in part reduced, transversely located furrows. Rather shiny, although very finely microsculptured. Abdomen with fine, curved striae. Apical ventrite as in (Fig. 115); asymmetric knob hardly discernible; rudimentary.

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

Male genitalia: Penis in lateral aspect curved; extreme apex formed as a broad, rounded enlargement; not hooked (Fig. 305).

Female: Unknown.

Etymology.

The species name guineensis is an adjective meaning "from Guinea", the country from where, the new species is described.

Distribution.

Guinea (Fig. 562).

Collecting circumstances.

Almost unknown. Collected at light.