Laccophilus incrassatus Gschwendtner, 1933

Bistroem, Olof, Nilsson, Anders N. & Bergsten, Johannes, 2015, Taxonomic revision of Afrotropical Laccophilus Leach, 1815 (Coleoptera, Dytiscidae), ZooKeys 542, pp. 1-379 : 172-173

Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera Dytiscidae

Laccophilus incrassatus Gschwendtner, 1933 Figs 141-142, 327, 472-473, 564

Laccophilus incrassatus Gschwendtner 1933: 85 (original description, faunistics); Guignot 1946c: 263, 264, 265, 312 (description, faunistics, discussion); Legros 1954: 268 (discussion); Guignot 1959a: 544, 549, 550 (description, faunistics); Nilsson 2001: 245 (catalogue, faunistics); Nilsson 2015: 212 (catalogue, faunistics).

Laccophilus virgatus Guignot 1953e: 4 (original description, faunistics); Guignot 1954: 27 (description, faunistics); Guignot 1959a: 544, 546, 550 (description, faunistics); Nilsson 2001: 253 (catalogue, faunistics); Nilsson 2015: 219 (catalogue, faunistics). New synonym.

Type localities.

Laccophilus incrassatus : Zaire: Moero, Kasiki.

Laccophilus virgatus : Zaire: Upemba National Park, Riv. Dipwa.

Type material studied

(14 exs.). Laccophilus incrassatus : Holotype: male: "Holotypus / Musée du Congo Tang. - Moero: Kasiki 20/27-VI-1931 G.F. de Witte / Type Gschw. / R. DÈT. A 2223 / Laccophilus incrassatus Gschw. det. Gschwendt." (MRAC; habitus in Fig. 472). - Paratype: female (considered male in original description): Same data as holotype, but: "Paratype Gschw. / Coll. Gschwendtner / Paratype" (1 ex. OLML).

Laccophilus virgatus : Holotype: male: "Holotypus / Congo belge: P.N.U., R. Dipwa (1.900 m) 17-I-1948 Mis. G.F. de Witte, 1239a / Coll. Mus. Congo (ex. coll. I.P.N.C.B.) / Laccophilus virgatus sp. n. Type, male symbol / F. Guignot det., 1952 Laccophilus virgatus Guign. Type, male symbol" (MRAC). - Paratype: "Congo belge: P.N.U., R. Dipwa (1.900 m) 17-I-1948 Mis. G.F. de Witte, 1242 / Paratype" (5 exs. IRSNB); same but “1293” (1 ex. IRSNB); "Congo Belge P.N.U. Katobwe (Mukana 1810 m) 22-III-1947 Mis. G.F. de Witte: 92a / Paratype" (2 exs. IRSNB); "PNU Mukana 1810 m/12.3. 1947 F. de Witte / Paratype" (1 ex. MNHN); "Congo Belge: PNU Lusinga (Mukana) 28-V-1945 / Paratype / Guignot det., 1953: Laccophilus virgatus sp. n." (1 ex. IRSNB, habitus in Fig. 473); "PNU Lusinga (Galerie) / 22-25.5. 1945 G.F. de Witte / Paratype" (1 ex. MNHN).

Additional material studied

(1 ex.). Zaire: "PNU Mukana 1810 m, 24.III. 1947 / F. Guignot det., 1953: Laccophilus virgatus sp. n." (1 ex. IRSNB). [Comment: labelled as paratype, but not listed as such in the original description.]

Comments on synonymy.

Holotypes of Laccophilus incrassatus and Laccophilus virgatus have been examined and compared but no characteristics, justifying separation in two species were found. Accordingly, the two species are considered conspecific and Laccophilus incrassatus , being older, is the valid name of the species.

Diagnosis.

Laccophilus incrassatus resembles most of Laccophilus cyclopis , Laccophilus quindecimvittatus and Laccophilus empheres . From Laccophilus cyclopis , Laccophilus incrassatus is separated by the elytral reticulation, which is clearly double in Laccophilus cyclopis while simple or almost simple in Laccophilus incrassatus (if larger meshes are discerned they are always rather indistinct and reduced). From Laccophilus quindecimvittatus , Laccophilus incrassatus is separated by having distinctly larger body (max. 4.2 mm in Laccophilus quindecimvittatus ). Shape of penis is also characteristic; apex broader in Laccophilus incrassatus . From Laccophilus empheres , Laccophilus incrassatus is distinguished by differences detected in male genitalia; penis distinctly broader in Laccophilus empheres .

Description.

Body: Length 4.6-5.0 mm, width 2.7-2.8 mm. Pale ferrugineous with distinct blackish ferrugineous to dark ferrugineous colour pattern (Figs 472-473).

Head: Pale ferrugineous. Narrowly at pronotum with a dark ferrugineous, fairly well delimited marking. Submat, rather distinctly microsculptured. Reticulation double; meshes of two kinds and large meshes only slightly coarser than fine meshes. Large meshes discernible in medial part of head; posteriorly and anteriorly with simple reticulation. Large meshes, when discernible, contain two to almost ten small meshes. At eyes with some scattered, fine punctures extending towards centre of head.

Pronotum: Pale ferrugineous, frontally with a quite broad, slightly vague dark ferrugineous marking; mediobasally with a rather narrow, blackish ferrugineous marking. Microsculpture dense and rather distinct; reticulation double. Large meshes only slightly more distinctly developed in comparison with fine meshes. Large meshes contain two to six fine meshes. Almost impunctate. Sparse and irregular, scattered punctures may be discerned.

Elytra: Pale ferrugineous, with distinct dark ferrugineous colour pattern; with longitudinal, blackish to dark ferrugineous markings, which exhibit some variation (Figs 472-473). Submat, rather densely microsculptured; reticulation almost of one kind (large meshes hardly discernible). Discal, dorsolateral and lateral rows of punctures discernible, but fine, irregular and sparse. Lateral, pre-apical furrow finely pubescent.

Ventral aspect: Pale ferrugineous to ferrugineous, metacoxal plates laterally with a narrow blackish area. Metacoxal plates with transveresely located, very shallow furrows. Rather shiny, although, with very fine microsculpture. Abdomen with sparsely located, fine and somewhat curved striae. Almost impunctate. Prosternal process apex extended, slender and pointed. Apical ventrite with a lateral knob (Fig. 141).

Legs: Pro- and mesotarsus quite long and slender, provided with distinct suckers.

Male genitalia: Penis comparatively long, slightly curved and extreme apex forms an angulate, medium broad process. External outline of penis provided with a distinct membranous area (Fig. 327).

Female: Apical ventrite lacks knob (Fig. 142). Pro- and mesotarsus slender.

Distribution.

Zaire (Fig. 564). Not recorded from other African countries.

Collecting circumstances.

Unknown, not documented.