Lacconotus LeConte

Pollock, Darren & Majka, Christopher G., 2012, Review of the Nearctic genus Lacconotus LeConte (Coleoptera, Mycteridae, Eurypinae), ZooKeys 162, pp. 1-24 : 4-8

Lacconotus LeConte

Lacconotus LeConte 1862: 255. - Gemminger and Harold 1870: 2179; Horn 1879: 338; Austin 1880: 41; LeConte and Horn 1883: 401; Fall 1901: 177; Dury 1902: 174; Blatchley 1910: 1302; Seidlitz 1917: 99; Leng 1920: 240; Leng and Mutchler 1933: 25, 36; Blair 1928: 33; Spilman 1951: 48; Spilman 1952: 10-11; Spilman 1954: 89; Arnett 1963: 717; Hatch 1965: 88; Campbell 1991: 267; Lawrence and Newton 1995: 896; Poole and Gentili 1996: 315; Arnett 2000: 473; Pollock 2002: 532; Bouchard et al. 2011: 443. Type species: Lacconotus punctatus LeConte, by monotypy.

Description.

[note: " Lacconotus " indicates the character states for subgenus Lacconotus , while " Alcconotus " refers to the corresponding states in subgenus Alcconotus (see below)].

Body elongate oval (TL/GEW 2.8-3.4), parallel-sided to widened posterior of middle, slightly ( Alcconotus ) to moderately ( Lacconotus ) flattened dorsally. TL 4.6-7.5 mm.

Head relatively short, narrowed slightly posterior of eyes; eyes moderately large, distinctly convex, inner margins convergent anteriorly; facets moderately coarse, with intrafacetal setae (especially noticeable in Alcconotus ); frontoclypeal suture indistinct, indicated by slight furrow only; antennal insertions slightly concealed dorsally by raised lateral margins of frons; labrum transverse, anterior margin straight to shallowly sinuate.

Antennae relatively short (Fig. 1) ( Lacconotus ) to moderately elongate (Figs 2-3) ( Alcconotus ), not exhibiting distinct sexual dimorphism; scape and pedicel moniliform ( Lacconotus ) to slightly elongate ( Alcconotus ); antennomere 3 elongate, antennomeres 4-10 wider than long, submoniliform ( Lacconotus ) to elongate, triangular to subserrate ( Alcconotus ); antennomere 11 narrowed distally; sensilla present on distal surface of antennomeres 5-10.

Mandibles relatively short, stout, slightly asymmetrical, apically bidentate; terebral teeth absent, or represented by several minute crenulae; molae approximately equal in size, subquadrate, with slightly developed surface texture; both mandibles with abrupt incision distal of mola; ventral row of microtrichia absent; prostheca distinct, about half length of mandible, inserted near distal edge of mola; maxilla with galea slightly longer than lacinia; galea bluntly rounded distally, relatively densely pubescent; maxillary palpi elongate, apical palpomere securiform ( Lacconotus ) to slightly cultriform ( Alcconotus ); inner margins of palpomeres 1 and 2 straight ( Lacconotus ) to slightly sinuate ( Alcconotus ); mentum short, about 2 × wider than long, posterior suture straight ( Alcconotus ) or distinctly arcuate ( Lacconotus ).

Thorax. Prothorax subquadrate (Figs 1-3), slightly wider than long (GPW/PL = 0.90-1.29); pronotal margins straight and convergent anteriorly, to slightly arcuate and widest near midlength; pronotal disc flat to slightly convex, with variously developed shallow, paired depressions; lateral pronotal carinae absent, margin smooth; posterior margin with pair of small, deep, punctiform pits; prosternum anterior of procoxae short ( Lacconotus ) to moderately elongate ( Alcconotus ), surface flat to slightly sunken medially; intercoxal process short, knife-like, extended to about half length of procoxae; procoxae rounded ( Lacconotus ) to elongate ( Alcconotus ); procoxal cavities open externally and internally; protrochantin concealed.

Elytra elongate, subovate, disc flat ( Lacconotus ) to slightly convex ( Alcconotus ), upper surface uniformly and moderately coarsely punctate and setose (slightly more coarse in Lacconotus ), setae closely appressed to elytral surface; apical elytral patch present, but not conspicuous dorsally, not contrasting in color with respect to remainder of elytron; epipleuron narrow, traceable only to abdominal ventrite 3 or 4; mesosternum with posterior intercoxal process parallel-sided, extended posteriorly to near posterior extent of mesocoxae; mesocoxae narrowly but completely separated, trochantins exposed; coxal cavities partly closed laterally by mesepimera; metasternum large, convex, anterior margin with indistinct ( Lacconotus ) to distinct ( Alcconotus ) process, in contact with posterior mesosternal process; median impressed line distinct to at least half distance to anterior margin of metasternum; metendosternite with long, relatively wide stalk; anterior tendons inserted on anterior margin of metendosternite body; laminae large, produced and somewhat angulate laterally.

Wing (Figs 7-8) fully developed, membrane beyond distinct radial cell moderately short (esp. in Lacconotus ); venation similar in both species, but wing membrane and veins relatively darkly pigmented in Alcconotus (Fig. 8), very pale in Lacconotus (Fig. 7); wedge cell present; 3 MP veins reaching wing margin, proximal to CuA+AA; pigmented patches (flecks) present near junction of RP and MP, and near radial cell ( Alcconotus ), indistinct in Lacconotus .

Legs well developed, similar in relative shape and size on all thoracic segments; middle and hind femora slightly more expanded than front femora; femora relatively slender, but distinctly widened toward midlength; tibiae straight, about same length as femora, tibial spurs very short, equal in length; tarsomeres slender, 5-5-4; all tarsomeres simple ventrally, except for penultimate tarsomere with large ventral lobe; basal tarsomere on hind tarsus subequal in length to other tarsomeres combined; tarsal claws with large blunt tooth.

Abdomen with all ventrites freely articulated, uniformly punctate and setose, except for male sex patch; sex patch of two forms: small, longitudinally oval, setose patch on ventrite 2, not contrasting in color with ventrite (Fig. 6) ( Alcconotus ); or large, somewhat bulbous, glabrous area occupying and somewhat distorting the shape of ventrite 2, distinctly contrasting in color to dark ventrite surface (Fig. 5) ( Lacconotus ).

Male genitalia with median lobe dorsal to tegmen; sternite 9 forming ring-like sclerite, U-shaped in Alcconotus (Fig. 11), Y-shaped in Lacconotus (Fig. 9); tegmen relatively short, stout; basale broader than long, proximal margin deeply emarginate; length of apicale subequal to that of basale (along lateral margins); parameres of apicale short (Fig. 11) ( Alcconotus ) to slightly elongated (Fig. 9) ( Lacconotus ), with distal, inwardly-directed hook; median lobe (Figs 10, 12) stout, longer than tegmen; ventral side deeply emarginate, dorsal side proximally subquadrate, laterally produced, explanate; apex of median lobe triangular, relatively blunt.

Female genitalia with elongate, flexible, and only slightly sclerotized ovipositor; coxites 4-segmented, sparsely setose; distal segment short, distinctly more sclerotized than remainder of coxite; styli short, setose, with several very long distal setae; dorsal and ventral baculi well developed, extended to base of coxites; spiculum long, far exceeding length of segment 8; bursa copulatrix small (Fig. 13) ( Lacconotus ) to very large (Fig. 14) ( Alcconotus ), separated from vagina by narrow constriction, without conspicuous surface texture; spermatheca present, inserted near or at base of bursa, with elongate spermathecal gland.