Laccophilus minimus, Bistroem, Olof, Nilsson, Anders N. & Bergsten, Johannes, 2015

Bistroem, Olof, Nilsson, Anders N. & Bergsten, Johannes, 2015, Taxonomic revision of Afrotropical Laccophilus Leach, 1815 (Coleoptera, Dytiscidae), ZooKeys 542, pp. 1-379 : 231-232

Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera Dytiscidae

Laccophilus minimus sp. n. Figs 186-187, 363, 514, 576

Type locality.

Namibia: East Caprivi, Mudumu NP, Buffalo Trails Camp.

Type material

(5 exs.). Holotype: male: "Namibia-Exp. ZMB 1992, East Caprivi: Mudumu NP: Buffalo Trails Camp, lux ca. 18°10'S / 23°26'E, 12.3. 1992 leg. M. Uhlig" (ZMHB). - Paratypes: Same as holotype (1 ex. ZMHB); "Namibia-Exp. ZMB 1992, Kavango: Popa Falls 18°07'S, 21°35'E, lux, 26.2.-3.3. 1993 leg. M. Uhlig" (2 exx. ZMHB, 1 ex. MZH; habitus in Fig. 514).

Diagnosis.

Laccophilus minimus is probably most closely related to Laccophilus canthydroides and Laccophilus inornatus . The three species can be separated by comparison of the body size and differences in the shape of male genitalia. Laccophilus canthydroides is larger than Laccophilus minimus . Difference in the shape of penis apex is a useful feature for the separation of Laccophilus minimus from Laccophilus inornatus ; interior frontal process of penis apex is blunt in Laccophilus minimus , while corresponding feature in Laccophilus canthydroides and Laccophilus inornatus is angled and sharp.

Description.

Body length 2.8-3.1 mm, width 1.5-1.6 mm. Elytra uniformly ferrugineous; generally with two pale spots on base of each elytron (Fig. 514).

Head: Pale ferrugineous. Impunctate, except at eyes; with very fine, irregular punctures. Areas with punctures extend towards middle of head-disc, leaving still a broad impunctate area in between. Rather shiny, although very finely microsculptured. Reticulation double but large meshes weakly developed and difficult to discern.

Pronotum: Pale ferrugineous; no distinct colour pattern. Rather shiny, finely to very finely microsculptured; reticulation double. Size categories of meshes, especially in middle, difficult to separate, because of extensive reduction of meshes (especially small meshes rudimentary). Laterally, microsculpture stronger. Frontally and laterally with fine, irregular punctures, which is absent basally in middle and on disc of pronotum.

Elytra: Ferrugineous. Each elytron laterally with vague paler area and basally, generally, with two minute, pale spots (Fig. 514). Rather shiny, although finely to very finely microsculptured. Reticulation double. Size-categories of meshes in part indistinct because of extensive reduction of meshes. Medially small meshes indistinct, in part absent. Laterally and posteriorly meshes stronger and clearly discernible. Very fine, somewhat irregularly distributed punctures form a discal row (narrow area of punctures) of punctures. Dorsolateral row simply indicated by a few fine punctures. Laterally with scattered fine punctures but no clear row (delimited area) of punctures formed. Pre-apical, lateral row of punctures shaped as a shallow pubescent furrow.

Ventral aspect: Pale ferrugineous to ferrugineous, without distinct colour pattern. Slightly mat, finely microsculptured. Sternal microsculpture in part indistinct. Ventrites with fine, slightly curved striae. Apical ventrite with an asymmetric, sharp knob on one side (Fig. 186). Stridulatory file ridges broad; strongest at midline - laterally ridges become gradually weaker and less pronounced. Metacoxal plates in anterior half with some fine, shallow, transverse furrows. Impunctate except apical ventrite, provided with some scattered, irregular punctures. Prosternal process slender, posteriorly somewhat extended, apically pointed.

Legs: Pale ferrugineous to ferrugineous. Pro- and mesotarsus slightly enlarged; with distinct suckers.

Male genitalia: Internal part of penis apex is large and rounded; not angled and sharp (Fig. 363).

Female: Apical ventrite lacks asymmetric knob (Fig. 187). Pro- and mesotarsus slender.

Etymology.

The name minimus is a Latin comparative adjective meaning "the smallest". It here refers to the small body-size of the new species.

Distribution.

Namibia (Fig. 576).

Collecting circumstances.

Almost unknown. Collected at light.