Laccophilus luteosignatus Gschwendtner, 1943

Bistroem, Olof, Nilsson, Anders N. & Bergsten, Johannes, 2015, Taxonomic revision of Afrotropical Laccophilus Leach, 1815 (Coleoptera, Dytiscidae), ZooKeys 542, pp. 1-379 : 137-139

Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera Dytiscidae

Laccophilus luteosignatus Gschwendtner, 1943 Figs 105, 293-294, 446, 557

Laccophilus luteosignatus Gschwendtner 1943: 417 (original description, faunistics); Guignot 1954: 26 (description, faunistics); Guignot 1959a: 534, 542 (description, faunistics); Omer-Cooper 1967: 60 (discussion, Laccophilus pullatus Omer-Cooper, Laccophilus septicola Guignot, Laccophilus alberticus Guignot and Laccophilus luteosignatus Gschwendtner are synonyms); Nilsson 2001: 246 (catalogue, faunistics); Nilsson 2015: 213 (catalogue, faunistics). Restored species.

Type locality.

Zaire: Bukama.

Type material studied.

Holotype: male: "Type Gschw. / Coll. Mus. Congo Bukama -VII-1937 Lt Mardée / coll. Gschwentner / Laccophilus luteosignatus Gschw. det. Gschwendt. / Type". (1 ex. OLML; habitus in Fig. 446).

Comments on synonymy.

Laccophilus luteosignatus was earlier considered synonymous with three other Laccophilus species (see above). After examination of types of all involved species we consider Laccophilus luteosignatus not synonymous with Laccophilus pullatus , Laccophilus septicola or Laccophilus alberticus , but being a separate species.

Diagnosis.

Laccophilus luteosignatus resembles most of Laccophilus septicola and Laccophilus pullatus . From the former species Laccophilus luteosignatus is separated by mostly blackish to blackish ferrugineous elytra while from Laccophilus pullatus by exhibiting minor but well delimited pale markings on elytra; elytra of Laccophilus pullatus lack pale markings. Male genitalia seem to be quite similar shaped in all three species, however, penis of Laccophilus pullatus and Laccophilus luteosignatus is evenly curved while distinctly bent in Laccophilus septicola .

Description.

Body length 2.9 mm, width 1.6 mm. Body distinctly bicoloured; head and pronotum predominantly pale ferrugineous, and elytra blackish to dark ferrugineous with minute pale humeral markings (Fig. 446).

Head: Pale ferrugineous. Submat, very finely microsculptured; reticulation indistinctly double. Coarse reticulation with meshes almost absent and very indistinct; fine reticulation with distinct meshes. At eyes with fine, irregular punctures.

Pronotum: Pale ferrugineous, medially at base with a transversely located dark ferrugineous marking. Finely microsculptured, reticulation double; coarser meshes only a little stronger developed in comparison with fine meshes. Coarse meshes contain 2-5 fine meshes. Almost impunctate; very fine, somewhat irregular punctures discernible.

Elytra: Blackish to dark ferrugineous, with minute, pale ferrugineous markings (Fig. 446). Submat, finely microsculptured. Reticulation double, but coarse meshes only indistinctly stronger developed than fine meshes. Posteriorly, coarse meshes become in part obliterated and indistinct. Very fine, somewhat irregular punctures discernible. Rows of punctures absent or very indistinct and hardly visible. Laterally, posterior to middle, with a discernible row of punctures.

Ventral aspect: Blackish to dark ferrugineous, thorax pale ferrugineous. Apex of prosternal process long, slender and pointed. Submat, very finely and in part indistinctly microsculptured. Metacoxal plates with some, shallow, transversely located furrows. Ventrites with distinct, somewhat curved striae. Almost impunctate. Male apical ventrite as in Fig. 105.

Legs: Pro- and mesotarsus quite extensive, slender and tarsal segments moderately enlarged with fine suckers.

Male genitalia: Penis in lateral aspect almost evenly curved from base to apex; extreme apex extended to a small but distinct tip (Figs 293-294).

Female: Unknown.

Distribution.

Zaire (Fig. 557).

Collecting circumstances.

Unknown.