Laccophilus enigmaticus, 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 : 128-129

Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera Dytiscidae

Laccophilus enigmaticus sp. n. Figs 94-95, 285, 439, 555

Type locality.

Nigeria: Zaria province, Zaria.

Type material

(9 exs.): Holotype, male: "Nigeria Zaria Prov., Zaria 5-6.III. 1949 B. Malkin / B. Malkin Coll. BMNH(E) 1956-234" (BMNH). - Paratypes: Same data as holotype (3 exs. BMNH, 1 ex. MZH; habitus in Fig. 439); "Sudan Bahr el Ghazal Wau 19.2. 1963 Linnavuori" (1 ex. MZH); "Sudan (Equatoria) Nzara 22.4. 1986 leg. Wewalka (Z11-13)" (2 exs. CGW, 1 ex. MZH).

Diagnosis.

Laccophilus enigmaticus is especially characterized by comparatively big sized body, peculiar, uniform elytral colour pattern in combination with the penis, which is different in comparison to all other recognized species in Africa; inner outline curvature medially somewhat enlarged, forming a distinct but smooth expansion of penis. Apex of penis broadly but rather indistinctly hooked.

Description.

Body length 4.3-4.6 mm, width 2.3-2.5 mm. Dorsal, colour pattern of body almost uniform, exhibits only minor variation (Fig. 439).

Head: Pale ferrugineous. Slightly mat, microsculptured. Reticulation double; large meshes distinctly more strongly developed than small meshes. Large meshes may contain 2-5 small meshes. Impunctate, except at eyes; with fine, irregular punctures, the area of which extends a short distance towards middle of head-disc.

Pronotum: Pale ferrugineous, frontally and basally in middle with narrow, often indistinct, ferrugineous to dark ferrugineous marking. Slightly mat, microsculptured. Reticulation double. Large meshes clearly, more strongly developed than small meshes. Large meshes may contain 2-5 small meshes. Almost impunctate, except frontally and discally; with fine, sparse and irregular punctures.

Elytra: Pale ferrugineous, with dense, almost uniform, dark brown to dark ferrugineous irrorations (Fig. 439). Rather shiny, although microsculptured. Reticulation double. Large meshes in part quite indistinct. When discernible large meshes may contain 2-5 small meshes. Discally with fine, irregular row of punctures. Scattered, sparse punctures may also be discerned outside discal row-area. Pre-apical, lateral row of punctures fine, provided with some hairs.

Ventral aspect: Pale ferrugineous. Almost impunctate; apical ventrite with some scattered, rather fine punctures. Apical ventrite asymmetric having a small, sharp knob on one side (Fig. 92). Rather shiny, very finely and in part indistinctly microsculptured. Ventrites with very fine, slightly curved striae. Metacoxal plates with shallow, especially in posterior half, reduced and indistinct, furrows, which are almost transversely located. Prosternal process quite slender, posteriorly slightly extended, apically pointed.

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

Male genitalia: Penis in lateral aspect peculiar, being quite slender and curved, provided with a broad extension on inner outline of penis. Extreme apex broadly but moderately hooked (Fig. 285).

Female: Pro- and mesotarsus slender. Apical ventrite as in Fig. 93.

Etymology.

The species name enigmaticus is a Latin adjective meaning “enigmatic” and refers to the situation that, externally, Laccophilus enigmaticus resembles of some other African species but regarding male genitalia, it deviates strongly from the corresponding features in those species.

Distribution.

Nigeria, Sudan (Fig. 555).

Collecting circumstances.

Unknown, no information available.