Laccodytes cobrinae, Toledo, Mario, Megna, Yoandri S. & Alarie, Yves, 2011

Toledo, Mario, Megna, Yoandri S. & Alarie, Yves, 2011, Description of a new species of Laccodytes Régimbart, 1895 (Coleoptera, Dytiscidae, Laccophilinae) from Cuba, Zootaxa 2792, pp. 63-67 : 64-67

Laccodytes cobrinae sp. n.

( Figs. 1 , 2 )

Type locality. Cuba: Holguín, Moa, Piloto Arriba.

Type material. Holotype ɗ ( CZCTR): Cuba, Holguín, Moa, Piloto Arriba, Piloto Arriba river, 1.II.2001, leg. M. Lewis & N. Hernández. Paratypes: 1 ɗ, 2 ΨΨ ( CZCTR, CMT) same data as holotype; 2 ɗɗ ( USNM) Cuba, Holguín, Seboruco, Cueva del Jagüey, 28.II.1973, leg. V. Decu; 1 ɗ. ( USNM) Cuba, Santiago de Cuba, Mayarí Arriba, Arroyo Seboruquito, 28.II.1973, leg. L. Botosaneanu.

Diagnosis. Laccodytes cobrinae can be distinguished from other species of Laccodytes by the following combination of characters: prosternal process ending posteriorly with a short tip, not going beyond mesocoxae; lateral sides of pronotum rounded; relatively large size; head, pronotum and underside mainly dark; pronotum medially with a wide transverse band, testaceous; apex of elytra truncate; male aedeagus very distinctive in shape ( Fig. 2 ).

Description. Habitus ( Fig. 1 ). Body length 2.0–2.2 mm. Glossy. Shape oval elongated, elytra apically truncate but with rounded lateral angles. Lateral sides of pronotum rounded. Posterior angles of pronotum rounded.

Colour. Dorsal surface black or piceous-brown, clypeus paler; pronotum with a testaceous transverse fascia; each elytron with two testaceous large maculae: one subbasal, transverse and irregular and one close to apex, somewhat drop-shaped; apex of elytra paler. Ventrally piceous, with abdomen often paler apically; antennae and mouthparts reddish; legs reddish or reddish-brown.

Sculpture. Head with hardly visible microreticulation, consisting of small somewhat irregular cells and small punctures scattered on whole dorsal surface. Cells on pronotum a little more impressed than on head, with very fine, small, sparse punctures. Microreticulation on elytra much more impressed than on head and pronotum, consisting of irregularly elongated to almost rounded cells, giving impression of short transversal impressions on surface; no punctures visible, except for two longitudinal series, fragmented in regular intervals along their whole length. Whole surface of underside with strongly impressed microreticulation, consisting of irregularly rounded cells, mostly fused together in irregular, longitudinal or somewhat transverse, wrinkles.

Structures. Pronotum and elytra with narrow lateral bead; posterior angles of pronotum rounded. Prosternum smooth, slightly elevated, without carinae or ridges; prosternal process broad and flat with a long, acute posterior tip, not going beyond the mesocoxae. Lines of metacoxal processes straight, with apical lobes not divided by a visible notch. Epipleuron broad almost up to the elytral apex. Pro- and mesolegs long and slender. Metatarsomeres 1– 4 with apicolateral angles distinctly lobed. Metatibial spurs acute. Antennae with segments 8–10 slightly broadened; last segment long almost twice the preceding one.

Male. Pro- and mesotarsi not dilated, with a single sucker on each side of segments 1–3. Last ventrite, apically acutely rounded. Median lobe of aedeagus, seen in lateral view, flattened and strongly emarginated apically, narrowed close to the basal third, with no membraneous expansions visible ( Fig. 2 a). Parameres ( Fig. 2 b) slightly asymmetrical, the right elongate, with two hairs projecting from apex; left paramere slightly shorter than right, with a single apical hair.

Female. Apex of last ventrite a little more broadly rounded than in males, without notches or emarginations. Distribution. Cuba: at present known for the provinces of Holguín and Santiago de Cuba ( Fig. 3 ).

Ecology. Specimens of L. cobrinae from Holguín were collected in a spring located in highlands. Nothing more is known of their habitat preference. However, the type locality stands inside the National Park Alejandro de Humboldt, which due to their species richness, ecosystems, and landscape is considered the main centre of diversity for Cuba and the Caribe Insular (CENAP, 2004). Presence of L. cobrinae in this pristine habitat would suggest that this species represents a good bioindicator of mountainous freshwater ecosystems. L. cobrinae has also been collected in a cave (Cueva del Jagüey), but this finding should be considered accidental: according to Peck et al. (1998), who proposed categories for populations of beetles in caves from Cuba, Laccophilinae are not regularly associated with caves as they do not complete their life cycle in this type of ecosystem.

Derivatio nominis. The species is dedicated to La Virgen de la Caridad de Cobre, the patron saint of all cubans.

Systematics. Laccodytes cobrinae is distinguished from the other known species of Laccodytes by three unique characters: the presence of a distinct longitudinal series of dots on the elytra, the non-emarginated or notched apex of last abdominal female ventrite, and the distinctive darker colouration. According to Toledo et al. (2010), to which we refer for comparison, L. cobrinae should belong to the Laccodytes phalacroides -group based on the following characters: tip of metasternal process not extending beyond mesocoxae; posterior angles of pronotum rounded; median lobe of aedeagus lacking membranous expansions; pro- and mesolegs legs elongate and slen- der; and, male tarsi not broadened. Within this species-group, L. cobrinae could potentially be confounded with L. americanus Peschet owing to shape, size and colour pattern. However, Laccodytes cobrinae can be easily separated from the latter by a more elongated body outline, darker colour and absence of the peculiar microreticulation of L. americanus (see Toledo et al. 2010).

This study brings to 11 the number of species included in the genus Laccodytes , which are listed below:

L. apalodes -group

L. apalodes Guignot, 1955 : French Guyana, Guyana, Suriname, Venezuela L. rondonia Toledo, Spangler & Balke, 2010 : Brazil

L. phalacroides -group

L. americanus Peschet, 1919 : French Guyana, Guyana, Suriname, Venezuela L. androginus Toledo, Spangler & Balke, 2010 : Venezuela

L. bassignanii Toledo, Spangler & Balke, 2010 : Guyana, Venezuela L. cobrinae sp.n.: Cuba

L. neblinae Toledo, Spangler & Balke, 2010 : Venezuela L. obscuratus Toledo, Spangler & Balke, 2010 : Venezuela L. olibroides Régimbart, 1895 : Brazil

L. phalacroides Régimbart, 1895 : Brazil

L. takutuanus Toledo, Spangler & Balke, 2010 : Guyana, Venezuela

Biogeography. Up to the recent revision of Toledo et al. (2010) Laccodytes distribution was found to be restricted to northern continental South America (southern Venezuela, Guyanas, Suriname) and central Brazil. The unexpected discovery of a new species in Cuba represents the first mention of true Laccodytes in the Caribbean area, which extends considerably the distribution of the genus in the Neotropics. Moreover, such finding suggests that other species of Laccodytes might occur north of the Orinoco basin as well as in other parts of the Antilles and the Caribbean.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Subschematic body shape and colour patterns of Laccodytes cobrinae sp. n.

FIGURE 2. Male genitals of Laccodytes cobrinae sp. n.: a) median lobe of aedeagus; b) right and left parameres.

FIGURE 3. Known distribution of Laccodytes cobrinae sp. n. in Cuba: (a) Holguín, Moa, Piloto Arriba; (b) Holguín, Seboruco, Cueva del Jagüey; (c) Santiago de Cuba, Mayarí Arriba, Arroyo Seboruquito.