Laccomimus bolivari, Toledo, Mario & Michat, Mariano C., 2015

Toledo, Mario & Michat, Mariano C., 2015, Description of Laccomimus gen. n. and eleven new species from the Neotropical region (Coleoptera, Dytiscidae, Laccophilinae), Zootaxa 3990 (3), pp. 301-354 : 323-324

Laccomimus bolivari sp. n.

( Figs 1 ; 13; 41; 58; 74; 105–106; 115; 127; 133–134; 136)

Type locality. Venezuela, Bolivar State, Los Pijiguaos, 6°35.617'N, 66°49.238'W, 80 m (Fig. 134).

Type material. Holotype male ( MIZA) dissected by us; genitalia glued on the same rectangular card as holotype “ Venezuela, Bolivar State, 6°35.617'N, 66°49.238'W, 80 m, Los Pijiguaos, outcrop/morichal, 12.I.2009, leg. Short, Garcia, Camacho, Miller & Joly, VZ09-0112-01A, morichal margin” [printed], “ KUNHM-ENT SMC 0856789” [printed, together with barcode], “ HOLOTYPE Laccomimus bolivari Toledo & Michat” [red, rectangular, printed label].

Paratypes (87 exs, all bearing red, printed label “ PARATYPE Laccomimus bolivari Toledo & Michat”): Venezuela: same data as holotype (4 exs VAIP); “Bolivar State, 5°50'49.2"N, 61°28'2.4"W, 1340 m, Rio Aponowao at Hwy 10, 31. VII.2008, leg. A. Short, M. Garcia, AS-08-060a, small vegetated pool” (1 ex. VAIP); “ Amazonas State, 5°20.514"N, 67°.45,315"W, 87 m, S- Communidad Porvenir, 15.I.2009, leg. Miller & Short, VZ09-0115-03B: small streamlet” (19 exs VAIP, MTP); “ Amazonas State, 5°20.479'N, 67°45.358'W, 72 m, ca. 12 km N Samariapo, small stream at rd x-ing, 6.I.2006, AS-06-013, leg. A.E.Z. Short” (2 exs VAIP); “ Amazonas State, 5°16.639'N, 67°.48.044'W, 60 m, ca. 4 km N Samariapo, small stream at rd x-ing, 6.I.2006, AS-06-012, leg. A.E.Z. Short” (2 exs VAIP); “ Amazonas State, 5°48.414'N, 67°26.313'W, 80 m, nr. Iboruwa: "Tobogancito", 13.I.2009, leg. Short et al., VZ09-0113- 02X ” (1 ex. VAIP); “Guarico State, 8°31.705'N, 66°22.602'W, 145 m, ca. 65 km S Las Mercedes, 9.I.2009, leg Short, Miller, Garcia & Camarcho, large lagoon w/veg., VZ09-0109- 01X ” (2 exs VAIP); “Guarico State, 9°46.320'N, 67°21.177'W, 280 m, Rio San Antonio, N Dos Caminos, 8.I.2009, leg K.B. Miller, mic. Habitats, VZ09-0108-02C” (1 ex. VAIP) [each specimen in VAIP bearing second label ( KUNHM- ENT) with its own barcode and catalogue number]; “Guarico, 12 km S Calabozo, 11–6.XII.1969, P. & P.

Spangler”, “Est. Biologica Los Llanos, black light” (3 exs USNM). Suriname: “Brokopondo, 55°10'W, 04°59'N, rd. Brownsberg–Brownsweg, 24.X.1969, leg. N. Nieser (SN 201A)” (1 ex. NMW). Trinidad: “Cumuto, Trinidad, 1929, Darlington”; all printed label, except for one specimen, handwritten, presumably by Young; two specimens with additional label “ Laccomimus trinidadensis sp.nov. det. F.N. Young” handwritten by Young (51 exs NMHS).

Diagnosis. Externally hard to tell apart from other members of Laccomimus . Aedeagal characters distinctive, median lobe with angle between base and distal portion almost indistinct, apex ending in wide and flattened expansion ( Figs 105 a; 106a); left paramere straight ( Fig. 105 c). Females impossible to identify without association with males.

Description. Habitus ( Fig. 1 ). TL: 2.0– 2.4 mm; MW: 1.0– 1.2 mm (holotype: TL: 2.3 mm; MW: 1.2 mm); A- TL: 2.1 mm; A-MW: 1.1 mm (NUM: 35 exs); very similar to L. alvarengi in body shape and colouration; elytra markedly sinuate subapically; ventral surface uniformly testaceous.

Colour. Head, pronotum, and elytra as in L. alvarengi . Pale markings on elytra always well defined, subbasal band in most cases complete, occasionally fragmented in spots; lateral markings missing or very reduced. Subapical band extending to lateral margin, not reaching elytral apex. Underside testaceous, slightly darker along sutures and apex of abdominal ventrites 3, 4 and 5. Antennae and mouthparts testaceous. Legs testaceous; metatarsi slightly darker.

Structures and sculpture. Head smooth, shiny, with hardly visible microreticulation of rounded cells. Pronotum with quite impressed microreticulation, with iridescence visible as on elytra. Few scattered punctures mostly along fore and hind margins. Elytra lacking subapical sinuation; less narrowed at tip than preceding species; smooth with quite impressed reticulation and intense iridescence. Underside with faint iridescence. Prosternal process quite elongate and visibly carinate, almost acute at tip; lobes of metacoxal processes ending in obtuse angulation ( Fig. 41 ).

Male. Last abdominal ventrite tectiform, with antero-lateral sides visibly sinuate. Outer claw of forelegs scimitar-shaped ( Fig. 74 ). Median lobe of aedeagus, in left lateral view ( Figs 105 a; 106a), elongate, almost straight, with angle between base and distal portion almost indistinct; gradually narrowed to apex, ending in characteristic, wide and flattened expansion. In dorsal view ( Fig. 115 ), slender, gently but visibly turned to right; ejaculator groove gradually narrowed to apex, closed before apical fifth of median lobe. Left paramere ( Fig. 105 c) straight, gradually tapering to apex.

Female. Iridescence as in male or slightly more intense. Last abdominal ventrite triangular, very narrowly rounded at apex, almost pointed. Lateral tergites thin and partly membranous. Gonocoxal blade with single denticle; ramus as in preceding species, with large and spaced teeth.

Distribution. Venezuela, Trinidad, Suriname ( Fig. 127 ).

Ecology. VAIP’s field data suggest a wide ecological range, with collections from a morichal, a lagoon and a small streamlet ( Figs 133 –134; 136).

Etymology. Young and Spangler named in litteris this species Laccomimus trinidadensis , based on material in USNM, in great part collected from Trinidad. However, it is clear that this species has a much wider distribution. We decided to name this taxon bolivari in reference to the type locality and in honour of the Venezuelan patriot Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolivar, “El Libertador”. The specific epithet is a noun in the genitive case.

Notes on variability. The only specimen seen from Suriname has the median lobe in lateral view thicker in distal portion and more abruptly narrowing to apex in distal fourth; the apical expansion is slightly smaller ( Fig. 106 a).

Remarks. This species is close to L. pumilio and related species, sharing with them external male characters, similar female genitalia, and a similar shape of the prosternal and metacoxal processes. It is, however, well characterised by aedeagal features, unusual compared to the other species of Laccomimus .

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 7. 1) Habitus of Laccomimus bolivari, dorsal view (Photo A. E. Z. Short); 2) habitus of Laccodytes apalodes, dorsal view (Photo A. E. Z. Short); 3 – 7) SEMs of Laccomimus species (females): 3) habitus of L. alvarengi, dorsal view; 4) habitus of L. bordoni, dorsal view; 5) pronotum of L. alvarengi, dorsal view; 6) pronotum of L. bordoni, dorsal view; 7) pronotum of L. bordoni, dorsolateral view.

FIGURES 103 – 106. Male genitalia in Laccomimus species, left lateral view: 103) L. bordoni, a) median lobe, b) magnification of apex of median lobe, c) left paramere, showing apex in different positions, d) right paramere; 104) L. spangleri, a) median lobe, b) left paramere; c) right paramere; 105) L. bolivari (holotype), a) median lobe, b) magnification of apex of median lobe, c) left paramere, d) right paramere; 106) L. bolivari (Suriname), a) median lobe, b) magnification of apex of median lobe.

FIGURES 38 – 43. SEMs of Laccomimus species, ventral view. 38 – 41) metacoxal processes: 38) L. amazonas (male); 39) L. alvarengi (female); 40) L. bordoni (female); 41) L. bolivari (female); 42 – 43) abdomen on L. bordoni, showing sexual difference in last ventrite: 42) male (arrow indicates slightly sinuate caudal margins); 43) female.

FIGURES 67 – 83. Prosternal process and claws in Laccomimus species. 67 – 69) P rosternal process: 67) L. pumilio (Florida, USA); 68) L. pumilio (Cuba); 69) L. alvarengi (Perú). 70 – 83) M ale left protarsal claws: 70) L. bordoni (Paraguay); 71) L. malkini (Madre de Dios, Perú); 72) L. spangleri (holotype); 73) L. distinctus (holotype); 74) L. bolivari (Trinidad); 75) L. amazonas (holotype); 76) L. variegatus (Colonia Calleria, Perú); 77) L. alvarengi (holotype); 78) L. alvarengi (Loreto, Perú); 79) L. alvarengi (Guayaramerin, Bolivia); 80) L. alvarengi (Esmeraldas, Ecuador); 81) L. alvarengi (Albrook, Panamá); 82) L. pumilio (Cayo District, Belize); 83) L. pumilio (Cayamas, Cuba).

FIGURES 107 – 115. Median lobe of aedeagus in Laccomimus species, dorsal view: 107) L. distinctus; 108) L. malkini; 109) L. variegatus; 110) L. amazonas; 111) L. alvarengi; 112) L. improvidus; 113) L. bordoni; 114) L. spangleri; 115) L. bolivari.

FIGURES 126 – 129. Distribution maps of Laccomimus species: 126) L. bordoni in South America; 127) L. bolivari (full circles), L. youngi (single open square in Brazil); 128) L. pumilio (open circles), L. alvarengi in Central America (single triangle in Panamá), L. spangleri (stars), L. bordoni in Central America (asterisks); 129) L. improvidus.

FIGURES 132 – 133. Habitats of Laccomimus species: 132) L. distinctus, ditch at El Cachapé refuge, Chaco Province, Argentina (photo M. C. Michat); 133) L. improvidus and L. bolivari, large lagoon with vegetation ca. 65 km S Las Mercedes, Guarico State, Venezuela (photo A. E. Z. Short).