Laccophilus guignoti Legros, 1954

Bistroem, Olof, Nilsson, Anders N. & Bergsten, Johannes, 2015, Taxonomic revision of Afrotropical Laccophilus Leach, 1815 (Coleoptera, Dytiscidae), ZooKeys 542, pp. 1-379 : 146-147

Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera Dytiscidae

Laccophilus guignoti Legros, 1954 Figs 112-113, 301-302, 452, 554

Laccophilus guignoti Legros 1954: 268 (original description, faunistics); Guignot 1955b: 1096 (faunistics); Nilsson 2001: 244 (catalogue, faunistics); Nilsson 2015: 212 (catalogue, faunistics).

Type locality.

Guinea: Mont Tò, Nimba.

Type material studied

(3 exs.). Holotype: male: "Mont Tò 1600 m, Camp I / Muséum Paris Nimba ( Guinée) M. Lamotte II. VI. 42 / Type / Laccophilus guignoti sp. n. C. Legros det." (MNHN). - Paratypes: "Mt Tò (1600 m) Camp 1 / Muséum Paris Nimba ( Guinée) M. Lamotte II. VI. 42 / Allotype / Laccophilus guignoti Legros" (1 ex. MNHN); same data as preceeding, but labelled as “cotype” (1 ex. MNHN).

Additional material studied

(3 exs.). Guinea: "Exped. Mus. G. Frey Franz. Guinea 1951 W. Afr. leg. Bechyne / Région Kindia Mt. Gangan 600 m 18.5. 51 /male symbol" (1 ex. MNHN; habitus in Fig. 452); "5 km N de Madina-Salambande 11-12.7. 2004 Kudrna" (2 exs. CFP).

Diagnosis.

Laccophilus guignoti is particularly characterized by large sized body, peculiar elytral colour pattern and female, having expanded epipleura posterior to middle (expansions visible from above). Male genitalia is also characteristic and differs from other Laccophilus ; penis strongly curved in lateral view and apex broad, of almost equal width except for basal part which is a little broader. Closest relative may be Laccophilus irroratus . Regarding external colour pattern (e.g. robust irroration) there is some resemblance with species, here placed in Species group 11 ( deceptor ). Final location of Laccophilus guignoti remains an open question, which need further study to be solved.

Description.

Body length 4.3-4.9 mm, width 2.5-2.9 mm. Dorsal colour pattern of body rather distinct; elytra with irrorations; at base and preapically with transverse, pale areas where irrorations in part absent or sparser (Fig. 452).

Head: Pale ferrugineous. At eyes with a few, scattered, fine punctures. Submat, with distinct and dense microsculpture. Reticulation double. Coarse meshes distinct, contain 2-4 fine meshes. In part, fine meshes indistinct or obliterated.

Pronotum: Pale ferrugineous to ferrugineous. Frontally in middle with a dark ferrugineous area; basally in middle, narrowly, dark ferrugineous (basal, dark area sometimes, somewhat enlarged). Anteriorly, very fine, scattered punctures may be discerned. Submat, distinctly microsculptured. Reticulation double; coarse meshes distinct but rather small. Coarse meshes contain, in general, 2-4 fine meshes. Fine meshes in part not discernible at all. Large meshes become “crowded” laterally.

Elytra: Pale ferrugineous to ferrugineous, with undulate, dark ferrugineous markings; colour pattern slightly variable (Fig. 452). Discally, dorsolaterally and laterally with scattered, sparse and fine punctures, which form longitudinally located, indistinct rows. Submat, with dense and distinct microsculpture. Reticulation double. Coarse meshes contain 2-5 fine meshes. Laterally coarse and fine meshes appear almost equal in strength and therefore difficult to distinguish. Epipleuron posterior to middle not enlarged.

Ventral aspect: Pale ferrugineous to ferrugineous, distinct colour pattern absent. Impunctate. Slightly mat, due to very fine microsculpture. Ventrites with curved striae. Prosternal process rather slender, apex extended and pointed. Metacoxa with approximately 10 very shallow, in most cases, transversely located furrows. Metacoxal process-area of usual appearance. Apical ventrite with a sharp keel on each side (Fig. 112).

Legs: Pro- and mesotarsus rather slender, somewhat extended, first to third segment provided with a few, protruding suckers.

Male genitalia: Penis in lateral aspect strongly curved and extreme apex broad, truncate, and almost equally broad in comparison with basal part of penis (Figs 301-302).

Female: Epipleuron posterior to middle for a short distance enlarged. Apical ventrite lacks lateral keels; as in Fig. 113.

Distribution.

Guinea (Fig. 554).

Collecting circumstances.

Unknown.