Laccophilus bilardoi Pederzani & Rocchi, 1982

Bistroem, Olof, Nilsson, Anders N. & Bergsten, Johannes, 2015, Taxonomic revision of Afrotropical Laccophilus Leach, 1815 (Coleoptera, Dytiscidae), ZooKeys 542, pp. 1-379 : 158-159

Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera Dytiscidae

Laccophilus bilardoi Pederzani & Rocchi, 1982 Figs 126-127, 316, 461, 561

Laccophilus bilardoi Pederzani and Rocchi 1982: 71, 77 (original description, faunistics); Bartolozzi et al. 1984: 75 (list of types in MZUF); Nilsson 2001: 241 (catalogue, faunistics); Bilardo and Rocchi 2004: 286 (discussion); Bilardo and Rocchi 2006: 129 (faunistics); Bilardo and Rocchi 2008: 210, 230, 231, 234 (faunistics, biology); Bilardo and Rocchi 2013: 141 (faunistics, biology); Nilsson 2015: 209 (catalogue, faunistics).

Type locality.

Congo (Brazzaville): Impfondo.

Type material studied

(1 ex.). Holotype: male: "Congo Rep. Pop., Reg. Nord-Est, Impfondo, à la lumiére 7.6. 80 Onore / Laccophilus bilardoi sp. n. Holotype / Laccophilus bilardoi Pederzani & Rocchi, Rocchi S. det. 1982 / "La Specola" Firenze 6869" (MZUF).

Additional material studied

(7 exs.). Gabon: "Plateaux Batéké Village Léwou, 30.8. 2008 Bilardo / Laccophilus bilardoi Ped. & Roc. det. Rocchi 2009" (3 exs. CSR; habitus in Fig. 461); "Parc Nat. Plateaux Batéké CP 40 17.6. 2012 Bilardo / Bosquet en savane alt. 575 m S02.19,256, E014.10,547 / Laccophilus bilardoi Ped. & Roc. det. Rocchi 2013" (4 exs. CSR).

Diagnosis.

Externally Laccophilus bilardoi resembles much of Laccophilus deceptor but body-size distinctly smaller in Laccophilus bilardoi (length of Laccophilus deceptor is about 4.5 mm). Pale colour patches and irrorations are also distinctly more extensive in Laccophilus deceptor . Both species with quite similarly shaped penis. Useful features for identification are differences in details of penis-apex-outline when penis viewed laterally. See also illustrations of Laccophilus decorosus (Fig. 317).

Description.

Body length 3.6-3.8 mm, width 2.0-2.1 mm. Dorsal colour extensively dark with limited paler markings on pronotum and elytra (Fig. 461).

Head: Pale ferrugineous, posteriorly slightly darker; ferrugineous to pale brownish; change in colour is gradual. Submat, finely microsculptred; reticulation double, although size categories in part difficult to distinguish. Frontally double reticulation disappears. Almost impunctate, except at eyes with fine, scattered punctures.

Pronotum: Dark ferrugineous to dark brown. Frontally, posterior to eyes, pronotum with a small pale brown to yellowish marking (Fig. 461). Rather shiny, finely microsculptured; reticulation double but size-categories difficult to distinguish. Large meshes include 2-5 small meshes. Almost impunctate; at frontal margin with scattered fine punctures.

Elytra: Dark ferrugineous to dark brown, with distinctly delimited pale spots arranged transversely over the elytra at base (Fig. 461). Colour pattern exhibits slight variation but same ground plan discernible. Rather shiny, although finely microsculptured. Reticulation indistinctly double. Large meshes contain 2-5 small meshes. Double reticulation extensively (laterally and posteriorly) indistinct or absent. Discal, dorsolateral and lateral rows of punctures indistinct; consist of sparse and scattered, very fine (hardly discernible) punctures.

Ventral aspect: Pale ferrugineous to ferrugineous, in part slightly darker. Rather shiny, with fine, partially somewhat indistinct microsculpture. Metacoxal plates in frontal half with some fine and indistinct, almost transversely located shallow furrows. Basal ventrites with fine, curved striae. Almost impunctate. Prosternal process slender, apex pointed. Apical ventrite provided with an asymmetric small knob (Fig. 126). Apex of apical ventrite pointed.

Legs: Pale ferruginous, metatarsus a little darker, ferrugineous to dark ferrugineous. Pro-and mesotarsus with suckers.

Male genitalia: Penis in lateral aspect with external outline quite strongly undulate; distinctly curved but from middle of penis to apex, outline almost straight. Extreme apex formed as a broad hook; penis basally provided with a soft flap (Fig. 316).

Female: Apex of apical ventrite rounded; ventrite lacks asymmetric knob (Fig. 127). Body submat to mat, dorsal aspect of body strongly microsculptured.

Distribution.

Gabon, Congo (Brazzaville) (Fig. 561).

Collecting circumstances.

Almost unknown. Regarding collecting localities, see Bilardo and Rocchi (2008, 2013): The species has been collected in both savannah and forest sites; no detailed information related directly Laccophilus bilardoi is given. Label-data of holotype indicate that it was collected at light.