Lacon cyprius, Németh & Brůha & Kundrata, 2020

Németh, Tamás, Brůha, Petr & Kundrata, Robin, 2020, Discovery of a new species of Lacon Laporte (Coleoptera: Elateridae: Agrypninae) endemic to Cyprus, with a modified tarsal morphology, Zootaxa 4780 (3), pp. 554-562 : 555-558

Lacon cyprius sp. nov.

( Figs 1 , 2 )

Type material. Holotype, male, „ Cyprus, Paphos prov.,Akamas mts.,20.– 21.3.2016, N 35°00’47.3”, E 032°19’01.4”, F. Pavel leg., 96 m ” ( BMNH). 46 paratypes (34 males, 12 females): 2 males, same data as holotype ( PCRK, PCPB); 10 males and 1 female, same data as holotype but 21.– 22.3.2016 (3 males: PCPB; 4 males, 1 female: PCFP; 2 males: HNHM; 1 male: PCRK); 2 males and 2 females, same data as holotype but 28.– 29.3.2016 (males: PCBZ, PCRK; females: PCPB, PCRK); 1 male, 1 female, “ Cyprus, Paphos prov., Akamas Mts., 21.– 22.3.2016, 96 m, lgt. T. Staněk // N 35°00‘47.3“, E 032°19‘01.4“ ( PCTS); 3 males, „ Cyprus, Paphos prov., Akamas Mts., 28.3. 2016, 402 m, lgt. T. Staněk // N 34°59‘41.6“, E 032°21‘02.3“ ( PCTS); 1 male, „ Cyprus, Larnaca prov., Lafkara [Lefkara] Dam env., 390 m, N 34°54’42.2”, E 033°16’31.5”, F. Pavel leg., 25.– 26.3.2016 ” ( PCRK); 1 male, 1 female, “ Cyprus, Limassol [sic!] prov., Lefkara Dam, 25.– 26.3.2016, lgt. T. Staněk, 390 m // N 34°54’42.2”, E 033°16’31.5” ( PCTS); 5 males, 2 females, „ Cyprus, Paphos prov., Akamas Mts., 21.3.2019, N 35°00‘47,3‘‘, E 032°19‘01,4‘‘, Filip Pavel lgt.“ ( PCJM); 2 males, “ Cyprus - Paphos prov., Akamas Mts., 21.3.2019, Jiří Plecháč lgt.“ ( PCJM); 1 male, „CY - Lemessos, Souni 300m 25-3-2001, Under bark Pinus brutia , leg. C. Makris “ ( PCGP); 2 males, „Cyprus-Lemesos, m 300, Souni, 25.III.2001 C. Makris, under bark of Pinus brutia “ ( PCGP); 1 female, „CY – Lemessos, Souni 300m 25-3-2001, Under bark Pinus brutia , leg. C. Makris, Lacon punctatus (Hbst.) , det. Platia 2003“ ( PCGP); 1 male, „CY-Pafos, Eledio 350m 15-5-2007, On Quercus coccifera , Leg. C. Makris ” ( PCCM); 1 male, “CY - Pafos (Pafos Forest ), Kokkinokremmoi 700m, 15-8-2003, at light, Leg. C. Makris ” ( PCCM); 1 male, “CY-Lefkosia, Filani 500m 10-2-2001, Pinus brutia rotten wood, leg. C. Makris ” ( PCCM); 3 females, “CY-Pafos, Akamas 0m 23-11-2005, Rotten wood Pinus brutia , Leg. C. Makris ” ( PCCM); 1 male, “CY – Prov. Limassol, Kellaki 15.V.2007, leg. H. Schmid ” ( PCPC); 1 female, “Mont. Armen. [= Sourp Magar, an Armenian monastery in the Pentadaktylos range (Kyrenia mountains) in northern Cyprus; C. Makris, pers. comm.], Cypern, coll. Splichal ” ( NHMW).

Diagnosis. Lacon cyprius sp. nov. ( Figs 1 , 2 ) is morphologically close to L. punctatus ( Figs 3 , 4 ) with which it occurs sympatrically in Cyprus. Both species share the similar body shape, size and coloration, type of pubescence, relatively short antennae, and the shape of genitalia. Lacon punctatus has a relatively more matt body surface ( Fig. 3 A–D), relatively more serrated median antennomeres with inner side slightly concave or straight and apex sharper in males ( Fig. 3E ) (inner side widely rounded and apex rounded in L. cyprius sp. nov.; Fig. 1E ), and with inner side (serration) widely and less distinctly rounded in females ( Figs 1F , 3F ), more convex and uneven surface of the pronotal disc (almost flat in L. cyprius sp. nov.; Fig. 1C ), pro- and mesotarsomere III in males simple, just slightly widened apically ( Fig. 3G ) (with a long distinct projection ventrally in L. cyprius sp. nov.; Fig. 1K ), apical metatarsomere in males densely covered with long stout setae ( Fig. 3H ) (only sparsely covered with fine setae in L. cyprius sp. nov.; Fig. 1M ), elytra together 2.10–2.15 times as long as pronotum ( Fig. 3A, B ) (about twice as long as pronotum in L. cyprius sp. nov.; ( Fig. 1 A–D), and male genitalia more robust, with median lobe with relatively wider base and then distinctly narrowed toward apex ( Fig. 4A, B ) (base of the median lobe less wide, then only gradually slightly narrowed toward apex in L. cyprius sp. nov.; Fig. 2A, B ), and with a paramere relatively wider and more robust ( Figs 2A, B ; 4A, B ).

The only other Lacon from Cyprus, L. gillerforsi , is easily recognizable and differs from L. cyprius sp. nov. in having the reddish dark brown body, pronotum and elytra distinctly shiny, body pubescence thin, hair-like, and uniformly greyish-pale brown (see Figs 22–28 in Kundrata et al. 2019a).

Description. Male ( Figs 1 A–C, E, G, I, K, M; 2A–E). Body 12.4–16.5 mm long and 3.4–4.7 mm wide (holotype: 13.2 mm long, 3.9 mm wide), elongate, very slightly convex, moderately shiny, blackish; palpi, articulations of legs, and tarsi reddish brown to dark brown. Body densely covered with relatively wide, scale-like, greyish-black setae with several white setae, setae strongly curved with apices oriented towards body surface.

Head including eyes wider than long, about half as wide as pronotum; frons with moderately deep and wide median depression. Punctures coarse, deep and dense, almost contiguous; surface between punctures smooth. Labrum transverse, slightly convex, with rugose surface, moderately densely and roughly punctate, covered with combination of shorter greyish black (mainly basal part) and long yellowish (mainly median and apical parts), semi-erect to erect setae. Mandible robust, relatively short, bidentate, basally with large rough punctures and moderately long, decumbent to semi-erect setae. Maxillary palp relatively short, palpomeres II and III elongate, slightly widened apically, shorter than apical palpomere, apical palpomere securiform, almost twice as long as wide, apically widened, flattened, obliquely truncate. Antenna ( Fig. 1E ) short, reaching between half and two thirds of pronotal length, distinctly serrate from antennomere III. Scape long, robust, notably thicker than others; antennomere II minute, very short, slightly wider than long; antennomere III elongate, about twice as long as antennomere II, subequal in length to each of antennomeres IV–VI, less serrate than following ones; antennomeres IV–X about equal in shape, subtriangular, slightly longer than wide, with inner side slightly rounded and apex of serration rounded; last antennomere almost obovate. Antennae covered with moderately dense, decumbent, blackish hair-like setae, inner sides of antennomeres II–XI covered with additional erect yellowish to light brown hair-like setae.

Pronotum ( Fig. 1G ) 1.15–1.20 times as long as wide (holotype: length 4.0 mm; width 3.6 mm), widest at posterior angles; sides subparallel in anterior half, then widened, slightly sinuate before posterior angles; anterior angles short, sharp, reaching about half length of each eye; posterior angles rather short, flattened, slightly divergent. Pronotal disc simply convex, only with median depression which is narrow and shallow anteriorly and wider and deeper posteriorly. Punctation of pronotum similar to punctation on head. Pronotosternal sutures deeply grooved almost over entire length. Prosternum elongate, three times as long as wide including prosternal process, about twice as long without prosternal process, punctate similarly as pronotum; prosternal lobe short, with equally rounded anterior margin; surface rough, wrinkled. Hypomeron with slightly denser and smaller punctures than punctures on prosternum; basally with smooth depression. Prosternal process elongate, about 3.5 times as long as diameter of procoxal cavity, with sides subparallel for most of its length but slightly narrowed at one third, apically gradually narrowed. Mesoventrite transverse; mesoventral cavity with well-defined walls; mesoventral process wide, apically truncate. Metaventrite robust, with large punctures; discrimen long, almost reaching anterior margin. Metacoxal plate narrowed at about half; wider part with posterior margin shallowly but distinctly emarginate. Scutellar shield ( Fig. 1I ) about 1.20–1.30 times as long as wide, distinctly declined, even more steeply after half, flat, tongueshaped, anterior margin weakly emarginate medially, sides subparallel, posteriorly weakly rounded, punctures and pubescence same as on elytra. Elytra together slightly wider than pronotum, widest between one third and half, about 2.10–2.20 times as long as wide (holotype: length 8.1 mm; width 3.9 mm), about twice as long as pronotum, abruptly declined anteriorly near scutellar shield, subparallel-sided from humeri to two thirds of their length, then gradually narrowed toward apex. Disc of elytra almost flattened after humeri, without striae, densely covered with large punctures subequal in size and shape, usually separated by slightly less than diameter of puncture. Epipleura complete, distinctly narrowed after metacoxae; its broader part covered with scale-like setae, narrower part covered with hair-like setae. Hind wings completely developed, reaching apex of elytra. Leg moderately long; pro- and mesotarsomere I ( Fig. 1K ) elongate but shorter than combined lengths of pro- and mesotarsomeres II and III; pro- and mesotarsomeres II–IV longer than wide but relatively short, each one slightly shorter than preceding one; pro- and mesotarsomere III ventro-apically with long, sharp, more or less flattened, slightly curved, sclerotized projection with narrowly rounded apex, apical pro- and mesotarsomere longest, slender. Metatarsomere I longest, metatarsomeres II and III elongate, II longer than III, IV shortest, longer than wide, apical metatarsomere elongate, slender. All tarsomeres I–IV ( Fig. 1K, M ) ventrally with combination of thick thorn-like setae and fine hair-like setae, apical tarsomere only sparsely covered with fine hair-like setae; all pretarsal claws simple, slightly curved, each basally with long seta.

Abdominal ventrites moderately densely covered with deep punctures; punctures larger and denser on ventrite 1; ventrite 5 rounded apically. Tergite VIII ( Fig. 2D ) well sclerotized, about as wide as long, sides rounded, apically narrowly rounded, sparsely covered with long setae. Sternite VIII ( Fig. 2E ) transverse, medially membranous, sides sclerotized, widely rounded, apically densely covered with long setae. Tergite IX ( Fig. 2C ) transverse, wider than long, medially gradually emarginate. Tergite X ( Fig. 2C ) longer than wide, apically gradually rounded, finely punctate and covered with sparse setae. Sternite IX ( Fig. 2C ) elongate, about 2.8 times as long as wide, basally somewhat truncate, sides subparallel in basal half, then widened and gradually narrowed toward apex, apically equally rounded, covered with short setae, mainly at apex. Aedeagus ( Fig. 2A, B ) elongate, about 3.5 times as long as wide. Median lobe elongate, slightly shorter than parameres, with short basal struts, basally widened, then slightly narrowed toward apex, apically narrowly rounded. Paramere elongate, basally wider, medially subparallel-sided, slightly narrowed before apical lobe; apical lobe elongate, rounded apically, with outer margin slightly emarginate, with short, stout, distinct lateral subapical hook, with several long setae. Phallobase short, slightly wider than long, U-shaped.

Female ( Figs 1D, F, H, J, L ; 2 F–I). Similar in body size and shape to male (body 14.7–18.0 mm long; 4.0–5.0 mm wide). Antenna ( Fig. 1F ) slightly shorter, antennomere III less than twice as long as antennomere II, subequal in length to antennomere IV, longer than each of antennomeres V and VI, serrated antennomeres of different shape than in male, with inner sides (serrations) distinctly rounded; erect setae on inner sides of antennomeres less numerous. Pronotum ( Fig. 1H ) usually relatively shorter, about 1.10–1.15 times as long as wide. Scutellar shield ( Fig. 1J ) usually relatively longer, 1.20–1.35 times longer than wide. Tergite VIII ( Fig. 2F ) subtriangular, wider than long, sparsely covered with fine punctures and setae, which are short medially, and short and long apico-laterally. Sternite VIII ( Fig. 2G ) widely triangular, apically rounded, medially less sclerotized, relatively densely covered with fine punctures and long setae; spiculum ventrale about 2.6 times sternite length. Ovipositor ( Fig. 2H ) relatively long; paraprocts about 4.5 times as long as gonocoxites; styli present, short, subapically attached to gonocoxites. Bursa copulatrix ( Fig. 2I ) membranous, sac-like, with large sclerite distinctly curved, with narrow body and very long spines.

Immature stages. Unknown.

Etymology. The specific epithet refers to Cyprus.

Distribution. Endemic to Cyprus.

Collecting circumstances. The specimens were usually collected under the bark or inside the dead trunks or stumps of Pinus brutia Ten. , one specimen was found on an oak tree ( Quercus coccifera L.), and one was collected at light. In Akamas ( Fig. 5 ) and Filani, specimens of L. cyprius sp. nov. were found sympatrically with L. punctatus .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Habitus images and body parts of Lacon cyprius sp. nov. A–C. Male holotype in dorsal, ventral and lateral view, respectively. D. Female paratype in dorsal view. E–F. Basal and medial antennomeres, male holotype and female paratype, respectively. G–H. Pronotum, male holotype and female paratype, respectively. I–J. Scutellar shield, male holotype and female paratype, respectively. K–L. Fore tarsomeres, male holotype and female paratype, respectively. M. Hind leg, male holotype. Scale bars = 0.5 mm (Figs I–M), 1 mm (Figs E–F), 2 mm (Figs G–H), 3 mm (Figs A–D).

FIGURE 2. Abdominal terminal segments and genitalia of Lacon cyprius sp. nov. A–E. Holotype, male. A. Aedeagus, dorsal view. B. Aedeagus, ventral view. C. Abdominal terminal segments. D. Abdominal tergite VIII. E. Abdominal sternite VIII. F–I. Paratype, female. F. Abdominal tergite VIII. G. Abdominal sternite VIII. H. Ovipositor. I. Bursa copulatrix with inner sclerites. Scale bars = 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 3. Habitus images and body parts of Lacon punctatus from Cyprus. A–B. Dorsal view of male and female, respectively. C–D. Pronotum of male and female, respectively. E–F. Basal and medial antennomeres of male and female, respectively. G. Fore tarsomeres of male. H. Hind tarsomeres of male. Scale bars = 0.5 mm (Figs G–H), 1 mm (Figs E–F), 2 mm (Figs C–D), 3 mm (Figs A–B).

FIGURE 4. Abdominal terminal segments and genitalia of Lacon punctatus from Cyprus.A–F. Male.A. Aedeagus, dorsal view. B. Aedeagus, ventral view. C. Abdominal tergites IX–X. D.Abdominal sternites IX–X. E.Abdominal tergite VIII. F.Abdominal sternite VIII. G–J Female. G. Abdominal tergite VIII. H. Abdominal sternite VIII. I. Ovipositor. J. Bursa copulatrix with inner sclerites. Scale bars = 0.5 mm (Figs A–I), 1 mm (Fig. J).

FIGURE 5. A–B. Type locality of Lacon cyprius sp. nov.