Laccophilus proximus Say, 1823

Scheers, Kevin, Thomaes, Arno, Hájek, Zimmerman, Michat & Reynoso-Velasco, 2017, The Laccophilinae Gistel, 1848 of Belize (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae), Belgian Journal of Entomology 65, pp. 1-18 : 1-18

Laccophilus proximus Say, 1823

( Figs 1H , 2G , 3G , 4H )

= Laccophilus americanus Aubé, 1838

= Laccophilus confusus Sharp, 1882

MATERIAL STUDIED. BELIZE DISTRICT: La Democracia, ditch next to road, 17°21'38,7"N, 88°32'42,1"W, 08.V.2015, Leg. K. Scheers & A. Thomaes (18ex); La Democracia, ditch next to road, 17°21'38,7"N, 88°32'42,1"W, 09.V.2015, Leg. K. Scheers & A. Thomaes (14ex); La Democracia, shallow exposed pool, 17°21'23,5"N, 88°33'1,8"W, 08.V.2015, Leg. K. Scheers & A. Thomaes (3ex); La Democracia, shallow exposed pool, 17°21'23,5"N, 88°33'1,8"W, 09.V.2015, Leg. K. Scheers & A. Thomaes (13ex) CAYO: Nochuch, small pool on parking lot, 17°12'28,2"N, 88°39'1"W, 09.V.2015, Leg. K. Scheers & A. Thomaes (4ex) TOLEDO: Punta Gorda, fishpond, 16°06'24,6"N, 88°48'25,5"W, 13.IV.2015, Leg. K. Scheers & A. Thomaes (9ex); Punta Gorda, fishpond, 16°06'24,6"N, 88°48'25,5"W, 23.IV.2015, Leg. K. Scheers & A. Thomaes (7ex); Punta Gorda, fishpond, 16°06'24,6"N, 88°48'25,5"W, 04.V.2015, Leg. K. Scheers & A. Thomaes (1ex); Deep River FR, pond savannah, 16°31'11,7"N, 88°42'3,8"W, 19.IV.2015, Leg. K. Scheers & A. Thomaes (18ex); Deep River FR, pond savannah, 16°31'14,2"N, 88°42'5,6"W, 19.IV.2015, Leg. K. Scheers & A. Thomaes (23 ex); Deep River FR, pond savannah, 16°31'35,5"N, 88°42'23,6"W, 20.IV.2015, Leg. K. Scheers & A. Thomaes (30ex); Deep River FR, pond savannah, 16°31'41,5"N, 88°42'30"W, 20.IV.2015, Leg. K. Scheers & A. Thomaes (8ex); Deep River FR, pond savannah, 16°31'42,7"N, 88°42'31,6"W, 20.IV.2015, Leg. K. Scheers & A. Thomaes (21ex); Bladen NR, pond transition savannah-forest, 16°32'26,3"N, 88°42'57,1"W, 20.IV.2015, Leg K. Scheers & A. Thomaes (1ex); Punta Gorda, temp. stream in forest, 16°06'37,6"N, 88°49'18,8"W, 25.IV.2015, Leg. K. Scheers & A. Thomaes (1ex); Indian Creek , Lake of former Lodge, 16°18'45,1"N, 88°49'31,4"W, 29.IV.2015, Leg. K. Scheers & A. Thomaes (9ex); Punta Gorda, temp. pool next to road, 16°06'35"N, 88°48'41"W, 03.V.2015, Leg. K. Scheers & A. Thomaes (1ex); Punta Gorda, puddle on road, 16°06'20,3"N, 88°48'29,5"W, 04.V.2015, Leg. K. Scheers & A. Thomaes (1ex) .

PUBLISHED RECORDS. SITES & REYNOSO-VELASCO, 2015

DIAGNOSIS. TL: 3.8–4.6 mm; MW: 2.1–2.4 mm. Head and pronotum testaceous. Elytra testaceous and densely irrorated with dark brown to black, the base, lateral margins and apex with well-defined pale markings originating out of the absence of irrorations ( Fig. 1H ). Ventral parts completely testaceous-rufous ( Fig. 2G ). Median lobe of male genitalia evenly curved and gently narrowed towards the apex ( Fig. 3G ).

SIMILAR SPECIES. This species is very similar to Laccophilus maculosus but in that species the irrorations are much denser and confluent along the pale markings on the elytra while in L. proximus they are evenly distributed.

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15 DISTRIBUTION. Bahama Islands , Belize, Costa Rica, Cuba, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Mexico (Campeche, Chiapas, Coahuila, Oaxaca, San Luis Potosi, Tabasco, Tamaulipas, Veracruz, Yucatan) , Puerto Rico, USA (Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Wyoming) , Virgin Islands.

ECOLOGY. Laccophilus proximus is one of the most widespread species of the genus in North America and is very common throughout Central America and the Antilles. The species can be found in nearly all kinds of lentic habitats but is nearly absent in heavily shaded habitats with a thick layer of decaying leafs. This species is particularly common in temporary situations and sunlit exposed pools with mineral substrate. YOUNG (1954) characterized L. proximus as one of the principal pioneer species of newly formed ponds, puddles and ditches with fresh water. He has found adults in rain barrels, tin cans with rain water, flooded furrows in recently plowed fields and even in water in old car tires. It is the most common Laccophilus species in temporary pools and puddles throughout Florida and may appear in large numbers in recently filled basins ( ZIMMERMAN, 1970). In Cuba, adults and larvae were collected in water bodies with some degree of pollution ( MEGNA et al., 2011). Also in Belize it is one of the most common species of the genus and was found in puddles recently filled by rain, in recently dug out ditches and in vegetation free ponds with exposed mineral substrate. It was very common in sun-exposed ponds with very high temperature in the savannah ( Fig. 6 ) and was often present in high numbers. This species was not found in springs, streams, rivers or other lotic habitats, nor in heavily shaded lentic habitats.

Figures

Fig. 1. Dorsal view of Laccophilinae species in Belize. A, Laccomimus pumilio (LeConte, 1878); B, Laccophilus duplex Sharp, 1882; C-D, Female of L. fasciatus fasciatus Aubé, 1838, C, with distinct elytral flange, D, without elytral flange; E, L. gentilis suavis Sharp, 1882; F, L. oscillator laevipennis Sharp, 1882; G, L. ovatus zapotecus Zimmerman, 1970; H, L. proximus Say, 1823; I, L. spangleri Zimmerman, 1970 (Photograph: F. Trus).

Fig. 2. Ventral view of Laccophilinae species in Belize. A, Laccomimus pumilio (LeConte, 1878); B, Laccophilus duplex Sharp, 1882 (pale specimen); C, L. fasciatus fasciatus Aubé, 1838; D, L. gentilis suavis Sharp, 1882; E, L. oscillator laevipennis Sharp, 1882; F, L. ovatus zapotecus Zimmerman, 1970; G, L. proximus Say, 1823; H, L. spangleri Zimmerman, 1970 (Photograph: F. Trus).

Fig. 3. Median lobe, left lateral view. A, Laccomimus pumilio (LeConte, 1878); B, Laccophilus duplex Sharp, 1882; C, L. fasciatus fasciatus Aubé, 1838; D, L. gentilis suavis Sharp, 1882; E, L. oscillator laevipennis Sharp, 1882; F, L. ovatus zapotecus Zimmerman, 1970; G, L. proximus Say, 1823; H, L. spangleri Zimmerman, 1970.

Fig. 4. Known distribution of Laccophilinae species in Belize. A, sampled sites; B, Laccomimus pumilio (LeConte, 1878); C, Laccophilus duplex Sharp, 1882; D, L. fasciatus fasciatus Aubé, 1838; E, L. gentilis suavis Sharp, 1882; F, L. oscillator laevipennis Sharp, 1882; G, L. ovatus zapotecus Zimmerman, 1970; H, L. proximus Say, 1823; I, L. spangleri Zimmerman, 1970 (white dots indicate sampled sites and black dots indicate sites where the species is recorded, elevation map as background in which dark shading increases with height).

Fig. 6. Warm, sun-exposed, vegetation free pond in the savannah with a loamy substrate in the Deep River Forest Reserve, the habitat of L. fasciatus fasciatus Aubé, 1838, L. proximus Say, 1823 and L. spangleri Zimmerman, 1970 (Photograph: K. Scheers).