Lacon punctatus (Herbst, 1779)

(Figs 1, 2, 9, 13, 16, 17, 188, 189, 194)

Elater punctatus Herbst, 1779: 316 .

= Elater carbonarius Schrank, 1781: 184 .

= Elater pulverulentus Panzer, 1795: 235 .

= Elater atomarius Fabricius, 1798: 139 .

Lacon punctatus: Fleutiaux (1926: 94); see Hayek (1973: 14, 76).

For more information on synonyms see Hayek (1973: 76) and Cate (2007: 101).

Type material. Type material of L. punctatus is probably deposited in the MFNB (Hayek 1973: 76). However, since L. punctatus is widespread and common species which is well represented in the collections and figured in numerous publications, the examination of its type was not necessary (e.g., Hayek 1973, Cate 2007, Németh & Merkl 2009, Prosvirov 2016b, Kabalak & Özbek 2018, Németh 2019).

Type locality. Germany (see Hayek 1973: 76).

Other material examined (only from the Levant). Cyprus, 1 male, „ Mont Armen, Cypern, coll. Splichal (NHMW)“; Israel , 3 ex., „ Israel, 9.3.[19]85, W Jerusalem, under bark of Pinus halepensis, leg. Jäch “ (NHMW) ; 1 ex., „ Israel: Hadera, iii.2008, G. Wizen [leg.]” (SMNH) ; 1 ex., “ Israel: Upper Galilee, Biriyya, 11.III.2009, E. Rotholz [leg.]” (SMNH) ; 1 ex., “90818, Israel: Panyas, 33°14.9’N, 35°41.7’E, 15.iii.2011, E. Morgulis [leg.]” (SMNH) ; 1 ex., “ Israel: ‘ En Zetim, 33°00’N, 35°29E, 10.v.2006, L. Friedman [leg.] (SMNH); Lebanon, 2 ex., „ Appl, 1878 I., Beirut “ (NHMW); 1 ex., „ Appl, Beirut, 1878“ (NHMW); Syria, 1 male, „ Syria, Coastal Region, VII.1999, R. Lízler leg.“ (PCJM); 1 male, „ Syria, Coll. Plason “ (NHMW); 1 female, „ Syria, prov. Latakia, Jabal al Aqra, 5 km S Kasab, ~ 800m, 2004.V.29., Leg: Nádai László“ (HNHM); 1 female, „ Aleppo, Syrien, Collect. Konschegg“ (NHMW); 1 female, „Syria, Al Lathqiyah env., Slenfe env., 1500m, 30.- 31.5.1998, Josef Mertlik lgt.“ (PCJM); 5 ex., „ Syria, Prov. Latakia, 5km S Kasab, pine forest, from beneath bark, 3.VI.2010, leg. Attila Kotán, Edvárd Mizsei, Tamás Németh & Nikola Rahmé “ (PCRK) .

Comparative remarks. Lacon punctatus is easily recognizable from the remaining Lacon species in the Levant by its large, black body (11.5–21.0 mm) (Figs 1, 2, 189), black and white, wide, scale-like setae which are curved and decumbent (Fig. 13), pronotum longer than wide, with longitudinal median impression distinctly widened at basal half, with punctures rough, dense, almost contiguous, and surface between punctures shiny (Fig. 9), aedeagus with the median lobe longer than parameres, and elongate parameral apical lobes (Fig. 16), and the typical shape of large sclerite of bursa copulatrix (Fig. 17).

Diagnostic characters. Male. Body about 11.5–18.5 mm long and 3.5–5.5 mm wide. Body moderately shiny to shiny, black; covered with relatively wide, scale-like, greyish-black setae with several white setae, setae strongly curved with apices oriented towards body surface. Antenna short, usually reaching about half of pronotal length. Antennomere III about 1.15 times as long as antennomere IV, median antennomeres serrate, about 1.0–1.2 times as wide as long. Pronotum with uneven suface, about 1.10–1.15 times as long as wide, sides widely to equally rounded, with posterior angles slightly to distinctly divergent; pronotal disc covered with almost contiguous large punctures, surface between punctures convex, narrow, shiny. Scutellar shield about 1.1–1.2 times as long as wide. Elytra 2.00–2.25 as long as wide, and 2.10–2.15 times as long as pronotum, densely covered with large punctures. Aedeagus (Fig. 16) with median lobe robust, elongate; paramere with apical lobe elongate, apically rounded, subapical hook distinct.

Female (Figs 1, 2, 9, 13, 17) similar to male, usually slightly more robust, body about 14.0– 21.5 mm long and 4.2–6.2 mm wide. Antenna less serrated, median antennomeres with serrations more rounded. Large sclerite of bursa copulatrix distinctly curved, with narrow body and very long spines.

Larva described and figured e.g. by Dolin (1982: 93).

Distribution. Europe (from Iberian Peninsula to Russia and the Caucasus), Minor Asia, Levant (Cyprus, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria; Fig. 194), Iran, Pakistan (dubious data, see Prosvirov 2016b: 290), North Africa (Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia). For more details see Cate (2007) and Németh (2019); for the habitat photograph see Fig. 188.

Biology. Larvae of L. punctatus prey on small invertebrates associated with dead, fungus-grown wood, and develop in dead trunks of Pinus (Greece, Syria, Lebanon, Croatia, Albania), Quercus, (Croatia, Montenegro, Hungary), Fagus (Hungary), and Platanus (Greece) (Laibner 2000, Németh & Merkl 2009, Merkl et al. 2010, Kovács et al. 2014; T. Németh, personal observation). Adults are active usually in the late afternoon, evening or at night.

Literature. Herbst (1779: 316): original description [as Elater]; Candèze (1857: 26): revision [as Agrypnus]; Candèze (1874: 10): revision [as Agrypnus]; Schwarz (1906: 10): catalogue [as Adelocera]; Schenkling (1925: 10): catalogue [as Adelocera]; Fleutiaux (1926: 94): catalogue, nomenclatural note; Hayek (1973: 76): revision; Guglielmi & Platia (1985: 170): distributional note; Sánchez-Ruiz (1996): catalogue; Cate (2007: 101): catalogue; Mertlik & Platia (2008: 3): catalogue; Németh & Merkl (2009: 123): distributional note; Gülperçin & Tezcan (2010: 4): catalogue; Merkl et al (2010: 98): distributional note; Pedroni & Platia (2010: 70): distributional note; Akhter et al. (2012: 44): distributional note; Kovács & Merkl (2013: 90): distributional note; Kovács et al. (2014: 83): distributional note; Mardjanyan & Barimani Varandi (2014: 82): distributional note; Platia (2014: 75): distributional note; Prosvirov (2016b: 290): taxonomical and distributional note; Kabalak & Özbek (2018: 145): distributional note; Tarnawski et al. (2018: 17): catalogue; Németh (2019: 130): catalogue, distributional note.