Laccophilus nusatenggaraensis, Hájek & Brancucci, 2015

Hájek, Jiří & Brancucci, Michel, 2015, A taxonomic review of the Oriental Laccophilus javanicus species group (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae), Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 63, pp. 309-326 : 322-323

Laccophilus nusatenggaraensis , new species

( Figs. 12 , 30 )

Type locality. Indonesia, Sumbawa Island , Dompu District , near road from Dompu to Empang, ca. 10 km SW of Dompu, 8°35′33.78′′S, 118°17′27.24′′E, 90 m.

Material examined. Holotype male, labelled: Indonesia: Sumbawa , Dompu- / Empang, restpools, 90 m / 15.ix.2011, 08 35.563S 118 / 17.454E, Balke ( SUMB06 ) ( MZBC). Paratypes: 287 ex.: same label data as holotype ( GWCV, JSCL, LHCM, MZBC, NHMB, NHMW, NMPC, PMCB, ZSMG); 1 male, 1 female: Indonesia: Sumbawa , Batu / Dulang, 10 mins to Tepai, forest / stream, 860 m, 16.ix.2011, 08 / 35.865S 117 16.675E, Balke / ( SUMB08 ) ( ZSMG) ; 1 female: FL 1- Flores, near Ruteng, 900 m / 26.viii.1991, Balke leg. ( NHMW); 29 ex.: FL 3- Flores, Danau Ranamese / betw. Ruteng and Mborong, / 1200 m, 28.viii.1991, Balke leg. ( MZBC, NHMW, NMPC, ZSMG); 1 male, 4 females: Indonesia: Timor , Soe-Kaplan, / stream, 785 m, 1.X.2011, / 09 50.466S 124 17.144E, / Balke ( TIM01 ) ( MZBC, NMPC, ZSMG) ; 5 males, 2 females: Indonesia: Timor , Soe-Niki, / creek, 760 m, 2.x.2011, 09 52.841S / 124 19.244E, Balke ( TIM05 ) ( ZSMG) ; 3 males; 11 females: Indonesia: Timor , Naikliu Area, / restpools in dry forest, 180 m, / 3.x.2011, 09 58.425S 123 / 41.439E, Balke ( TIM11 ) ( MZBC, NMPC, ZSMG) .

Additional non-type material. INDONESIA: Sumba: 68 ex., puddles in dry streambed, 09°38.569′S, 119°41.581′E, 570 m, 27 September 2011, coll. M. Balke ( SUA08 ) ( MZBC, NMPC, ZSMG); 36 ex., Tarimbang , stream, 09°57.355′S, 119°56.927′E, 50 m, October 2011, coll. Dika ( SUA14 ) ( NMPC, ZSMG).

Diagnosis. Medium sized, oval oblong species (body length 4.0– 4.5 mm). The new species is in habitus and male genitalia similar to Laccophilus javanicus and L. tobaensis . It can be distinguished from those species mainly based on the brown colouration of elytra with extensive testaceous pattern.

Description. Colouration: Head and pronotum testaceous. Elytra brown with broad testaceous subbasal band not separated from elytral base, indistinct longitudinal mediolateral spot, large preapical spot (preapical transverse band interrupted in sutural area), and small apical spot ( Fig. 12 ). Appendages and ventral part testaceous.

Surface structures and sculpture: Head reticulation simple, composed of large irregular polygonal meshes, which are moderately deeply impressed. Frons between eyes with clusters of punctures. Reticulation of pronotum same as that of head. Pronotum along margins with numerous setigerous punctures. Reticulation of elytra simple, composed of moderately impressed large irregular polygonal meshes similar to that of head or pronotum. Meshes mostly complete, their inner space sometimes with a small puncture. Each elytron with indistinct sutural, discal and lateral rows of large serial setigerous punctures. Ventral side reticulated with fine elongate meshes. Prosternal apophysis lanceolate. Abdominal ventrites with numerous oblique grooves and several large setigerous punctures, lateral margin bordered. Apical ventrite rounded posteriorly, with numerous large setigerous punctures and transverse grooves on disc. Male pro- and mesotarsomeres 1–3 weakly dilated with bundle of adhesive setae on ventral side. Claws of pro- and mesotarsi simple and equal.

Male genitalia: Median lobe of aedeagus in lateral view as in Fig. 30 .

Female genitalia: Similar to male; pro- and mesotarsomeres not dilated.

Variability. Specimens of the new species vary considerably in body colouration; some specimens are almost uniformly yellowish with only indistinctly pale elytral pattern; on the other hand, some specimens especially those from Sumba are constantly dark, with brown-blackish elytra and a bright testaceous pattern of which the subbasal transverse band is usually separated from the elytral base – those specimens are from this reason excluded from the type series.

Measurements (N= 40): Body length 4.0– 4.5 mm (mean value 4.3 mm, holotype 4.2 mm); width 2.3–2.6 mm (mean value 2.4 mm, holotype 2.4 mm).

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from “ Nusa Tenggara ” – an Indonesian name for Lesser Sunda Islands, which refers to the area of distribution of the new species.

Distribution. Laccophilus nusatenggaraensis occurs in Flores, Sumba, Sumbawa and Timor Islands of the Lesser Sunda Islands, Indonesia ( Fig. 41 ).

Figures

Figs. 10–17. Habitus of Laccophilus: 10, L. mahakamensis; 11, L. mazzoldii, new species; 12, L. nusatenggaraensis, new species; 13, L. schillhammeri, new species; 14, L. stastnyi, new species; 15, L. tobaensis; 16, L. tonkinensis; 17, L. wittmeri. Scale bar = 1 mm.

Figs. 18–35. Median lobe in lateral view: 18, Laccophilus aurofasciatus; 19, L. auropictus; 20, L. ceylonicus; 21, L. elegans; 22, L. girardi; 23, L. hendrichi, new species; 24, L. jaechi, new species; 25, L. javanicus; 26, L. kalimantanensis, new species; 27, L. komareki, new species. 28, L. mahakamensis; 29, L. mazzoldii, new species; 30, L. nusatenggaraensis, new species; 31, L. schillhammeri, new species; 32, L. stastnyi, new species; 33, L. tobaensis; 34, L. tonkinensis; 35, L. wittmeri. Scale bar = 0.5 mm.

Figs. 40–41. Distribution of the species of the Laccophilus javanicus group