Lacon safitensis, Kundrata & Mertlik & Németh, 2019

Kundrata, Robin, Mertlik, Josef & Németh, Tamás, 2019, Unexpected diversity of Lacon Laporte, 1838 (Coleoptera: Elateridae: Agrypninae) in the Levant: revised species concepts, new species, and an identification key, Zootaxa 4679 (3), pp. 401-449 : 428-431

Lacon safitensis sp. nov.

( Figs 126–132 , 194 )

Type material. Holotype, male, „ Syria, MashtalHelu [sic!] E of Safita, 30.4.2008, Stěpánek [sic!] leg.” ( PCJM).

Type locality. Syria: E of Safita , Mashtalhelu.

Etymology. The species name is derived from the type locality, i.e., Safita ( Syria).

Comparative remarks. This species is similar in the body size and shape to L. mucheibensis sp. nov. from Israel ( Figs 119, 120, 126, 127 ). Both species are easily distinguishable from the remaining Levantine Lacon species by the elytra less than twice as long as pronotum (more than twice in other species), and the pronotum almost as wide as elytra (pronotum distinctly narrower in other species). These differences are obvious especially in males. Lacon safitensis sp. nov. differs from L. mucheibensis sp. nov. in having the pitch black body (reddish dark brown to blackish-brown in L. mucheibensis sp. nov.; Figs 119, 126 ), dorsum covered with dark thick setae (mostly reddish brown thin setae in L. mucheibensis sp. nov.; Figs 119, 126 ), median antennomeres more transverse, about 1.5 times as wide as long (1.25–1.35 times in L. mucheibensis sp. nov.; Figs 121, 128 ), much denser pronotal punctures, separated by about 1.0–1.5 times their diameter (about twice their diameter in L. mucheibensis sp. nov.; Figs 122, 129 ), and surface of elytral base distinctly rugose (almost smooth in L. mucheibensis sp. nov.; Figs 124, 131 ). Lacon safitensis sp. nov. resembles L. drusus by the pitch black body coloration, but it is easily distinguishable by the elytra less than twice as long as pronotum and distinctly wider median antennomeres ( Figs 126, 128 ).

Description. Holotype, male ( Figs 126–132 ). Body 7.5 mm long and 2.2 mm wide, dorsally matt, pitch black, with antennae from antennomere II, femur-tibia joints, tarsi dark brown, mouthparts lighter; dorsum densely covered with dark brown to black, decumbent, moderately long, thick setae; ventral parts more shiny, with dark brown to black setae with several white setae.

Head including eyes 0.6 times as wide as pronotum, frons with shallow depression medially; punctures moderately large and dense. Labrum transverse, with surface rugose, convex, sparsely punctate, covered with yellow, long, semi-erect to erect setae. Maxillary palpi with apical palpomere elongate, about twice as long as wide, hatchet-like, apex obliquely cut and flattened.Antenna serrate from antennomere III, moderately long, reaching about 2/3 of pronotal length; length ratio of antennomeres II–V = 1.0: 2.1: 1.9: 1.6; antennomere II short, transverse; antennomere III slightly longer than wide, antennomeres IV–X transverse, median antennomeres about 1.5 times as wide as long, with serrations narrowly rounded; apical antennomere oblong-ovate, about 1.2 times as long as wide, apically narrowly rounded; surface of antennomeres densely covered with relatively short setae.

Pronotum 1.15 times as long as wide, widest medially, moderately convex dorsally; sides almost parallel-sided, anteriorly gradually narrowed; anterior angles short, slightly produced forward; posterior angles short, very slightly divergent; disk sparsely covered with moderately large, deep, setiferous punctures, usually separated by about 1.0– 1.5 times their diameter. Pubescence on pronotal disc moderately long, almost decumbent. Prosternum covered with large deep punctures, with sparse semi-erect setae; prosternal lobe with frontal margin widely rounded; prosternal process more than three times as long as diameter of procoxal cavity. Scutellar shield elongate, about 1.3 times as long as wide, convex, widest basally; anterior margin emarginate, sides widely emarginate, apex rounded; punctation coarse, dense; pubescence sparse, moderately long, semi-erect. Elytra elongate, 2.1 times as long as wide, and 1.95 times as long as pronotum, very slightly convex, widest at about half; striae and interstriae formed by lines of setiferous punctures, punctures on striae large, about twice larger than punctures on interstriae; surface between punctures in basal part more rugose, forming cell-like structures; pubescence moderately dense and long, almost decumbent. Tarsomeres rather robust and short; tarsomere I more than twice as long as tarsomere II; tarsomeres II–IV gradually shorter, tarsomeres II and III only slightly longer than wide; apical tarsomere elongate, narrow, about as long as tarsomere I.

Abdomen with ventrites finely punctate, covered with more or less decumbent pubescence. Aedeagus with median lobe shorter than parameres, slightly surpassing lateral subapical hook of paramere; parameres subparallel-sided along most of their length, apically with inner sides distinctly diverging; apical parameral lobe elongate, narrow, with outer margin sinuate, apically narrowly rounded.

Female unknown. Immature stages unknown.

Distribution. Syria ( Fig. 194 ).

Figures

FIGURE 194. Distribution of Lacon spp. in the mainland Levant. Dots representing L. candezei in Lebanon and Syria are only approximate since there are no exact data for these countries.

FIGURES 119–132. Morphology of Lacon spp. Lacon mucheibensis sp. nov., holotype, male: 119, habitus, dorsal view; 120, habitus, lateral view; 121, antenna; 122, pronotum, dorsal view; 123, scutellar shield; 124, detail of elytral surface; 125, aedeagus. Lacon safitensis sp. nov., holotype, male: 126, habitus, dorsal view; 127, habitus, lateral view; 128, antenna; 129, pronotum, dorsal view; 130, scutellar shield; 131, detail of elytral surface; 132, aedeagus. Scale bars = 2.0 mm (Figs 119, 120, 126, 127), 1.0 mm (Figs 122, 129), 0.5 mm (Figs 121, 125, 128, 132), 0.2 mm (Figs 123, 130); Figs 124 and 131 not to scale.