Graptodytes laeticulus ( SHARP , 1882)

Fery, Hans & Bouzid, Slimane, 2016, Notes on Graptodytes SEIDLITZ, 1887, re-instatement of G. laeticulus (SHARP, 1882) as valid species and description of Tassilodytes nov. gen. from Algeria (Coleoptera, Dytiscidae, Hydroporinae, Siettitiina), Linzer biologische Beiträge 48 (1), pp. 451-481 : 453-457

Graptodytes laeticulus ( SHARP, 1882) (rank re-instated)

Hydroporus laeticulus SHARP, 1882: 453 ; MARSEUL 1882: 75; SEIDLITZ 1887: 62; SEVERIN 1892: 473; RÉGIMBART 1895: 23.

Hydroporus varius var. laeticulus SHARP ; BEDEL 1900: 59, 1925: 364; JACOBSON 1908: 423.

Graptodytes varius ( AUBÉ, 1838) ; ZIMMERMANN 1920: 117 (n. comb.); RIBERA & FAILLE 2010: 4, 11, 12 (phylogeny).

Graptodytes varius ab. laeticulus ( SHARP, 1882) ; ZIMMERMANN 1932: 82; GUIGNOT 1932: 400, 1947: 119, 1959: 400; NORMAND 1938: 344; KOCHER 1958: 21.

Graptodytes varius ab. pauper O. SCHNEIDER; NORMAND, 1933: 296 (misidentification; corrected in NORMAND 1938: 344).

Graptodytes varius form. laeticulus ( SHARP, 1882) ; FRANCISCOLO 1979: 405.

T y p e l o c a l i t y: Algeria.

T y p e m a t e r i a l: L e c t o t y p e (present designation): 3, glue card with handwritten male gender symbol ( Fig. 1 ), " Type, H. T." [round label, red margin, printed; most probably mounted by J. Balfour-Browne], " Algeria " [hw Sharp; blue oval label], "Sharp Coll., 1905-313",

"Type 316., H. laeticulus , Algeria n. sp. " [hw Sharp], " Lectotype, Hydroporus laeticulus Sharp,

1882, Fery & Bouzid des. 2016" [red, printed] (BMNH); scans of the labels are given in Fig. 2.

N o t e s: SEVERIN (1892: 473) mentioned that type (s) of G. laeticulus exist in the IRSN and

BEDEL (1925: 363) wrote that two types should be stored in this institute. We have not been able to find these " types ". The records are somewhat mysterious because SHARP (1882: 454) reported only two types and one of them is stored in the BMNH.

A d d i t i o n a l m a t e r i a l s t u d i e d: A l g e r i a: 1 ex., small square blue label, " Algeria, Reitter ", "Grapt. varius Aubé, Coll. Reitter " ( HNHM). 2 exs, " Algeria, Bou Berak " [ca. 36.88N 3.83E], "Grapt. varius var. laeticulus Shrp., Coll. Reitter " ( HNHM). 1 ex., "Bou Berak, près Dellys [= Delles], Algérie", "laeticulus Sharp " [hw?], "Grapt. varius var. laeticulus Shrp., Coll. Reitter " ( HNHM). 2 exs, " Constantine ", " J. Sahlb. ", "Grapt. varius var. laeticulus Shrp., Coll. Reitter " ( HNHM). 1 ex., "Aïn Hamra [hw?], Algerie, coll. Théry [printed]", male gender symbol, "reg." [hw Régimbart], "varius var. laeticulus shp., Regimbart det." [hw Régimbart], in coll. Guignot ( MNHN) (correct locality not found because several ones exist with this or a similar name). 26 exs, "Berrouaghia" [ca. 70 km SSW Algiers, ca. 36.2N 2.9E] [printed], " Algier, Ancey" ( SDEI). 1 ex., "Dra el Mizan" [possibly = Dra Lmizan, ca. 75 km ESE Algier, ca. 36.5N 3.8E], "Ancey" ( SDEI). 1 ex., " Algier, 7138" ( ZSM) ; 1 ex., " Alg Qu. Medean " [possibly = Medeah], "v. Schönfeldt" ( ZSM) .

The following collecting sites are all situated in NE Algeria, environs of Annaba: 16 exs, 14.7.2005, El K'haïla, Medjez Sfa (Guelma), 36.488N 7.852E, 560 m ( Fig. 49 ) ; 3 exs, 22.8.2007, El M'Kaimen, Medjez Sfa (Guelma), 36.477N 7.828E, 400 m ; 11 exs, 28.7.2009, Oued El Maza, Medjez Sfa (Guelma), 36.433N 7.856E, 250 m ; 5 exs, 9.7.2005, Aïn El-Aoudiet, Medjez Sfa (Guelma), 36.429N 7.821E, 240 m ; 12 exs, 28.3.2006, Melha Tabbet M'louka, Medjez Sfa (Guelma), 36.429N 7.844E, 360 m ; 3 exs, 19.5.2005, Ghobn Chaabat Errich, Medjez Sfa (Guelma), 36.427N 7.839E, 320 m (see Fig. 42 ) ; 4 exs, 9.7.2005, idem ; 1 ex., 18.5.2005, Chaabat Feid El-Bagrat, Medjez Sfa (Guelma), 36.427N 7.857E, 400 m ; 1 ex., 23.7.2005, idem ; 2 exs, 28.3.2006, Bir Bentaryaga, Medjez Sfa (Guelma), 36.424N 7.844E, 410 m ; 12 exs, 24.8.2006, Aïn Damous, Medjez Sfa (Guelma), 36.423N 7.856E, 520 m (see Fig. 45 ) ; 1 ex., 19.5.2005, Bir Slaymate, Medjez Sfa (Guelma), 36.420N 7.857E, 480 m ; 3 exs, 19.5.2005, Chaabat Settara, Medjez Sfa (Guelma), 36.419 N 7.835E, 300 m (see Fig. 46 ) ; 9 exs, 23.7.2005, Mouilha Ben Haouech, Medjez Sfa (Guelma), 36.419N 7.840E, 380 m (see Fig. 48 ) ; 1 ex., 18.5.2005, Chaabat Sangot, Medjez Sfa (Guelma), 36.419N 7.842E, 400 m (see Fig. 47 ) ; 16 exs, 23.7.2005, idem ; 25 exs, 27.7.2009, idem ; 1 ex., 27.7.2005, Aïn Chef, Medjez Sfa (Guelma), 36.417N 7.847E, 490 m (see Fig. 43 ) ; 8 exs, 26.11.2006, Mouilha Zizlag, Medjez Sfa (Guelma), 36.414N 7.843E, 450 m (see Fig. 44 ) ; 2 exs, 29.3.2006, Aïn Hallouf, Mechroha (Souk Ahras), 36.400N 7.860E, 850 m ; all specimens Bouzid leg. (CHF, CSB).

T u n i s i a: 2 exs, " Tunis, Coll. O. Leonhard ", "Hydr. laeticulis [misspelling] Sharp." ( SDEI). 2 exs, " Tunis ", " Coll. Stierlin ", " H. laeticulus Licora [? almost illegible] Sharp" ( SDEI). 1 ex., Teboursouk , ca. 36.4N 9.3E ( CHF). 1 ex., " Tunis Mern. [?]", " Sammlung Cl. Müller " ( ZSM). 2 exs, 30.10.2005, Oued Mrij, 36.75N 8.69E, 580 m ; 7 exs, 28.7.2005, Oued Bransia , 36.78N 8.75E, 590 m ; 1 ex., 30.11.2005, Oued Lebgaâ, 36.75N 8.70E, 560 m; all specimens Touaylia, Bejaoui & Boumaiza leg. ( CHF) .

M o r o c c o: 1 ex. " Marokko " (ZSM). The exact collecting site of the single specimen of G. laeticulus , which – according to the label text – originates from Morocco, is unknown. All Moroccan specimens of the species complex collected by the senior author proved to belong either to G. varius or to G. ignotus . They were collected in north-western Morocco (env. Tangier, High and Middle Atlas). It might be possible that the Moroccan G. laeticulus was collected in the north-eastern part of Morocco, close to the Algerian border.

D o u b t f u l l o c a l i t y: 1ex.," Algeria,ElFeidja","Grapt.variusvar.laeticulusShrp.,Coll. Reitter" (HNHM). 1 ex., " El Feidja g [?]" [hw?], " Algeria, El Feidja", " Graptodytes varius var. laeticulus Shrp. ", "Coll. Reitter" (HNHM). We are not sure about these label data. Usually, the name "El Feidja" is associated with a locality in Tunisia, the "El Feidja [or Feija] National Park", ca. 70 km SW Aïn Draham, ca. 36.75N 8.64E (not far from the border to Algeria and in part very close to the collecting sites of the junior author). Possibly, the country name " Algeria " was mistakenly used for " Tunisia ".

W i t h o u t l o c a l i t y d a t a: 1 ex., only one label " Samml. A. Zimmermann " ( ZSM) ; 1 aedeagus glued onto a point, label text "Penis G. laeticul." [hw Zimmermann] ( ZSM). 1 ex., "laeticulus , (Desbroch. [= Desbrochers des Loges ])" [hw?], "42, Db " [small yellow label, printed] ( SDEI) .

SHARP (1882: 453) described G. laeticulus as a valid species in the genus Hydroporus . He distinguished his new species from G. varius by the reduced black pattern of the elytra, the larger size and the strongly prolonged protarsal claws of the male. The status of the taxon was kept only for a short period until RÉGIMBART (1895: 23) mentioned "... me semble devoir être rapporté à cette espèce [ = varius ] comme variété, ..." (... it seems to me that it must be attributed to that species [ = varius ] as a variety ...) and afterwards it was BEDEL (1900: 59; not JACOBSON 1908: 423 as given in NILSSON 2001: 152 and 2016: 158) who treated the taxon definitely as a variety of G. varius for the first time.

We refrain from giving a complete redescription of the species, because the descriptive notes below together with the illustrations in Figs 3-4 , 7-9 , 12-16 and 19-21 are fully sufficient for reliable identification. Some remarks on important characters for identification are given, nevertheless.

Figures

Figs 1-2: Graptodytes laeticulus (SHARP, 1882) (1) lectotype, habitus, glue-card with Sharp's male gender symbol; (2) lectotype labels.

Figs 42-49: Collecting sites: (42) Chaabat Errich; (43) Aïn Chef; (44) Mouilha Zizlag; (45) Aïn Damous; (46) Chaabat Settara; (47) Chaabat Sangot; (48) Mouilha Ben Haouech; (49) El K'haïla; all localities situated in Medjez Sfa region (Guelma province).

Figs 3-6: Habitus of (3) Graptodytes laeticulus (SHARP, 1882), male from Aïn Damous, Algeria; (4) G. laeticulus, female from same locality; (5) G. varius (AUBÉ, 1838), male from Riunogues, southern France; (6) G. varius var. pauper (O. SCHMIDT, 1903), male from Zonza, Corsica, France (scale bar 2.0 mm).

Figs 7-11: Male tarsomeres and claws of (7) Graptodytes laeticulus (SHARP, 1882) (photo); (8) same (drawing); (9) same, mid-leg; (10) G. varius (AUBÉ, 1838) fore-leg; (11) same, mid-leg.

Figs 12-14: Graptodytes laeticulus (SHARP, 1882), details of ventral surface (12) arrows pointing to abruptly narrowed epipleuron and row of ridges; (13) row of ridges, enlarged; (14) deeply incised hind margin of metacoxal processes with broadly rounded lobes.

Figs 15-24: Figs 15-16, 19-21. Aedeagus of Graptodytes laeticulus (SHARP, 1882) (15) median lobe in lateral view; (16) same in ventral view; (19) left paramere, outer surface; arrow pointing to row of teeth and direction of frontal view; (20) same, inner surface; (21) same, frontal view; arrow pointing to lobe being turned up to inner surface. Figs 17- 18, 22-24. Aedeagus of G. varius (AUBÉ, 1838); text same as under G. laeticulus (scale bar 0.3 mm).