Laccophilus empheres, 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 : 173-174

Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera Dytiscidae

Laccophilus empheres sp. n. Figs 143-144, 328-329, 474, 475, 565

Type locality.

Kenya: Nairobi.

Type material

(10 exs.). Holotype: male: "Nairobi, Kenya 3-XI-67 (STAS) / C.V. Reichart Collector" (USNM; habitus in Fig. 474). - Paratypes: Same data as holotype (1 ex. MZH); "Kenya, Ol Kalou E Nakuru 28.10. 1995 leg. Wewalka (K5)" (6 exx. CGW, 2 exs. MZH; habitus in Fig. 475).

Diagnosis.

Laccophilus empheres resembles strongly the species mentioned under “Etymology” below. It can be separated by its dark elytral markings, which are always somewhat reduced in humeral region and sometimes in part, also medially. Moreover there are deviating details in the shape of the penis and its apex; penis robust, almost straight and apical, angled process broad.

Description.

Body length 4.5-5.1 mm, width 2.5-2.8 mm. Dorsal, colour pattern of body distinct, exhibits minor variation (Figs 474-475).

Head: Pale ferrugineous. Posteriorly at pronotum, head narrowly somewhat darker; ferrugineous to dark ferrugineous. Submat, finely microsculptured; reticulation double. Larger meshes contain 2-5 small meshes. Impunctate, except at eyes; with fine, scattered punctures. Medially punctures extend towards middle of head-disc.

Pronotum: Pale ferrugineous, frontally at area between eyes with a vague, dark ferrugineous marking. At base in middle with a rather narrow, blackish to dark ferrugineous marking. Submat, rather finely microsculptured; reticulation double. Large meshes contain 2-6 small meshes. Impunctate, except at margins; with fine, scattered punctures, which are also lacking medio-basally.

Elytra: Pale ferrugineous, with distinct, blackish to dark ferrugineous, longitudinal stripes, which are often almost complete in central area but basally reduced especially in humeral region (Figs 474-475). Submat, finely microsculptured; reticulation double. Large meshes of elytra are strongly reduced and only fragments of meshes can be discerned. Fine meshes distinct, of same size, and evenly distributed on elytra. Fine, irregular punctures form a vague, discal row of punctures. Similar but more sparsely distributed punctures indicate presence of a vague, dorsolateral and lateral row of punctures. Posteriorly on elytra punctures appear scattered and mixed, and no rows are formed. Pre-apical, lateral furrow of elytra rather shallow, punctate and provided with hairs.

Ventral aspect: Pale ferrugineous to ferrugineous, with no distinct colour pattern. Rather shiny, very finely microsculptured. In part microsculpture somewhat reduced and hardly discernible. Abdomen with fine, slightly curved striae. Almost impunctate; apical ventrite with some irregular punctures and a small knob on one side (Fig. 143). Fine, shallow, transverse furrows on anterior half of metacoxal plates. Metacoxal plates laterally close to epipleura with distinct, longitudinal impression. Prosternal process rather slender, posteriorly somewhat extended, apically pointed.

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

Male genitalia: Penis in lateral aspect almost straight, comparatively broad and extreme apex broad and angulate (Figs 328-329).

Female: Apical ventrite lacks asymmetric knob (Fig. 144). Pro- and mesotarsus slender.

Etymology.

The Greek word " empheres " is a noun in apposition and refers to something resembling or like. This epithet refers to the fact that the new species, especially externally, resembles strongly of some other Laccophilus species located in this species group, as Laccophilus incrassatus , Laccophilus brownei and Laccophilus quindecimvittatus .

Distribution.

Kenya (Fig. 560).

Collecting circumstances.

Unknown, not documented.