Laccobius (Glyptolaccobius) josefi, Gentili & Fikaček, 2009

Gentili, Elio & Fikaček, Martin, 2009, Taxonomic notes on Laccobius, subgenus Glyptolaccobius, with new records and description of four new species (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 49 (2), pp. 607-623 : 615-616

Laccobius (Glyptolaccobius) josefi sp. nov.

( Fig. 3 , 9 )

Type locality. India, Arunachal Pradesh, 1 km N of Bhalukpong, 27°01′21″N 92°38′06″E, 240 m a.s.l.

Type material. HOLOTYPE: J ( NMPC): ‘ INDIA, Arunachal Pradesh (16a) / 1 km N of Bhalukpong / 7–8.V. 2008, 240 m / 27°01′21″N 92°38′06″E / Fikáček, Podskalská, Šípek lgt.” // seepage: wet rock with moos [= moss] / and Nostoc below steep slope / with tropical evergreen forest’ . PARATYPES: 1 J 1 ♀ 2 spec. ( NMPC, MSNV): same data as holotype.

Description. Total length 2.20 mm, total width 1.15 mm. Body widely oval, convex, maximum width in anterior elytral third. Ratio total length / total width = 1.9.

Head. Coloration blackish with two pale preocular spots, surface with rare but distinct punctures, without microsculpture; ‘systematic punctures’ indistinct; periocular sulci distinct and punctate at 100×, reaching anterolateral branches of frontoclypeal suture; metopico-sagittal suture scarcely detectable. Labrum blackish, without specula; anterior margin nearly straight, slightly emarginated medially; posterior margin arched, strongly bent. Eyes oblong, oblique, closest to each other posteriorly, not protruding laterad, separated by distance equal to 2.35× of width of one eye, posterior margin of eye, in dorsal view nearly straight, not reniform; postocular portion of tempora short. Mentum flat, microgranulated and punctured, emarginated anteriorly. Submentum and gula microgranulated. Maxillary palpi yellow-brown; palpomere 1 thin and short; palpomeres 2 and 3 nearly equal in length, palpomere 3 dilated at apex; palpomere 4 elongate, nearly twice as long as palpomere 3, asymmetrical, inner margin straight and outer margin convex, apex truncate. Eight antennomeres; scape (antennomere 1) longer than antennomeres 2–4 combined; pedicel (antennomere 2) cone-shaped; two intermediate antennomeres (antennomeres 3–4) very short; cupule (antennomere 5) asymmetrical, oval in ventral view, crescent-shaped and emarginate in dorsal view; antennal club loose, with dense setae, antennomeres 6 and 8 nearly equal in length, antennomere 6 wider, antennomere 7 shorter and narrower.

Thorax. Pronotum transverse, 0.44× as long as wide; black with yellowish lateral margins; yellow area as wide as posterior margin of eye along the base; surface smooth as that on head, without microsculpture except some sparse and faint punctures. Prosternum black, tectiform, with longitudinal keel. Scutellar shield equilateral, black, with some punctures. Mesoventrite granulate, with longitudinal, anteriorly tuberculate keel. Elytra combined slightly elongate, ca. 1.20× as long as wide, blackish with yellowish lateral margins and apices; each elytron with pale yellow dot near middle of base; 10 longitudinal rows of regularly impressed punctures alternating with 10 rows (interstriae) of sparser and fainter punctures. Parasutural furrow scarcely conspicuous on posterior elytral third, disappearing before elytral apex. Epipleura and pseudoepipleura oblique, nearly vertical. Metaventrite setiferous with median longitudinal glabrous area and three longitudinal sulci converging posteriorly.

Legs. Fore coxae and trochanters granulate, pubescent; fore femora setiferous on basal third, smooth distally, with tibial grooves; fore tibiae smooth, each bearing stiff setae and two apical spurs. Middle femora smooth, with tibial grooves; ventral side of middle tibiae with three longitudinal rows of stiff setae and sulcus between two longitudinal ridges. Hind trochanters smooth and shining; hind femora smooth, each with scarce punctures and tibial grooves; hind tibiae curved, ventral side of each tibia with three longitudinal rows of stiff setae and longitudinal sulcus between two ridges. Natatory setae nearly absent on dorsal surface of tarsi.

Abdomen. All six ventrites smooth, without microsculpture.

Aedeagus ( Fig. 3 ). Total length 0.49 mm. Parameres nearly 1.5× as long as phallobase. Median lobe slightly longer than parameres, its apex widened and separated into two lobes. Differential diagnosis. Laccobius josefi sp. nov. belongs to the group of species with curved hind tibiae, longitudinal rows of elytral punctures and black elytral surface with yellowish basal dots (together with L. guttalis sp. nov., L. munus and L. sharmai ). It differs from the other three species by the clear preocular spots and by the shape of the aedeagus with the widely swollen apical portion of the median lobe; from L. guttalis sp. nov. it also differs by the lack of transverse lines on the parasutural stripe in anterior elytral third and from L. munus and L. sharmai by the less convex body.

Etymology. We dedicate this species to Josef Jelínek on the occasion of his 70 th birthday.

Bionomics. See L. hanka sp. nov.

Distribution. India, lowland border regions of Arunachal Pradesh.

Figures

Figs. 1–3. Aedeagus (a – ventral view, b – dorsal view, c – lateral view). 1 – L. guttalis sp. nov.; 2 – L. hanka sp. nov.; 3 – L. josefi sp. nov. Scale bar: 0.25 mm.

Figs.7–10. Habitus of Glyptolaccobius species.7 – L. guttalis sp. nov., male, holotype; 8 – L. moriyai Kamite, Ogata & Hikida, 2007, female; 9 – L. josefi sp. nov., male, paratype; 10 – L. sipeki sp. nov., male, holotype.