Laccophilus comes Guignot, 1955

Bistroem, Olof, Nilsson, Anders N. & Bergsten, Johannes, 2015, Taxonomic revision of Afrotropical Laccophilus Leach, 1815 (Coleoptera, Dytiscidae), ZooKeys 542, pp. 1-379 : 31-33

Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera Dytiscidae

Laccophilus comes Guignot, 1955 Figs 33-34, 230-232, 391, 530

Laccophilus comes Guignot 1955f: 141 (original description, faunistics); Rocchi 1991: 86 (faunistics, list); Nilsson 2001: 242 (catalogue, faunistics); Nilsson 2015: 210 (catalogue, faunistics).

Type locality.

Madagascar, Tampolo.

Type material, studied

(2 exs.). Holotype: male: "Madagascar Tampolo VIII. 1949 / male symbol / Type" (MNHN). - Allotype (= Paratype), female: "Madagascar Tampolo VIII. 1949 / female symbol / Allotype" (1 ex. MNHN; habitus in Fig. 391).

Additional material studied

(116 exs.): Madagascar: "Andasibe 11.12. 2004 Lat -18.943 Lon 48.4063, Balke & Monaghan / DNA Voucher BMNH <670655> MSL008:B01 / Laccophilus comes Bergsten det." (1 ex. NHRS); same data but “BMNH<670654>” (1 ex. NHRS); "Toam, Ambatondrazaka, Zahamane, Zahamena NP river, P60BI04: N: E: m, 29.12. 2006 leg. Isambert et al / DNA Voucher BMNH <830741> MSL399:F2 / Laccophilus comes Bergsten det." (1 ex. NHRS); same data but "BMNH <830743> MSL399:F4" (1 ex. NHRS); "Toam, Ambatondrazaka, Zahamane, Zahamena NP stream, P60BI15: N: - 17.52 E: 48.721: 1075m / m, 29.12. 2006 leg. Isambert et al / DNA Voucher BMNH <830737> MSL399:E10 / Laccophilus comes Bergsten det." (1 ex. NHRS); same data but "Analamaintsoa 3rd stream before Camp 1, stream of pools almost dry P60BI08, 30.12. 2006 N-17,50500, E48,72450, 1054 m Isambert et al (1 ex. NHRS); same data but "BMNH <830748> MSL399:F)/P60BI12: N: - 17.517 E: 48.72: 1075 m, 31.12. 2006" (1 ex. NHRS); same data but "Zahamena NP 1st stream btw. Camp 1 and 2, stream of pools, 31.12. 2006, N-17,51733, 48,72067, 1075 m" (85 exx. NHRS, 2 exs. MZH); same data but "Analamaintsoa Forest 4th stream btw Camp 1 and 2, P6OBI15, 31.12. 2006, N-17,52050, E48,721337, 1075 m" (14 exx. NHRS); "IF Anadiana: Sahamalaotra Ranomafana NP: small stream P27MD31, N - 21.2359 E: 47.3963, alt. 1123 m, 6.12.2004 leg. Balke et al / BMNH(E) <794196> DNA Voucher" (1 ex. NHRS); same but" BMNH(E) <794198>" (1 ex. NHRS); same but" BMNH(E) <794197>" (1 ex. NHRS); Mahajanga melaky, Tsingy de Bemaraha NP, S19.03419, E044.77499, 41 m.a.o., 15.12. 2009, Water net, field, Bergsten et al. / 000000464 NHRS-JLKB" (1 ex. NHRS); same but " S19.03572, E044.77507, 66 m.a.o., 15.12. 2009 / 000000467 NHRS/JLKB" (1 ex. NHRS); same but " S18.75643, E044.71398, 119 m.a.o., 17.12. 2009 / 000000463 NHRS/JLKB" (1 ex. NHRS); "Ampasimpotsy Moramanga Antsabe 11.12. 2004 N-18,94300, E48,40630, 979 m, Balke et al" (2 exx. NHRS).

Diagnosis.

Laccophilus comes forms together with Laccophilus alluaudi , Laccophilus tigrinus , Laccophilus pseustes and Laccophilus furthi a distinct group characterized by similar colour pattern of body and male genitalia. Laccophilus comes , Laccophilus furthi and Laccophilus alluadi are smaller than the other species in the group. The three species are separated by small differences in shape of penis; see diagnosis of Laccophilus alluaudi on p. 41 and Laccophilus furthi on p. 42.

Description.

Body length 3.3-3.9 mm, width 1.8-2.2 mm. Dorsal, colour pattern distinct and uniform (Fig. 391).

Head: Pale ferrugineous. At eyes with fine, irregularly distributed punctures. Rather shiny, although microsculptured. Reticulation double; coarse meshes only slightly stronger developed than fine meshes. Coarse meshes, when discernible, contain 2-3 fine meshes. In part, mesh categories cannot be distinguished.

Pronotum: Pale ferrugineous. Impunctate, except anteriorly, with scattered, fine punctures. Rather shiny, although finely microsculptured. Reticulation double. Coarse meshes only slightly more strongly developed than fine meshes; contain when discernible 3-4 fine meshes.

Elytra: Pale ferrugineous, with distinct, blackish ferrugineous to dark ferrugineous, longitudinal markings (Fig. 391). In a few specimens dark, longitudinal markings close to humeral region strongly reduced as in Laccophilus alluaudi . Posteriorly with rather fine, scattered punctation. Submat, distinctly and densely microsculptured. In part, reticulation double. Two kinds of reticulation clearly visible at scutellar region; posteriorly and laterally meshes of reticulation approximately one kind.

Ventral aspect: Metathorax and -coxal plates dark ferrugineous to ferrugineous; otherwise pale ferrugineous. Very fine, sparse punctures discernible on metacoxal plates and abdomen. Slightly mat due to very fine and hardly discernible microsculpture. Prosternal process rather slender, apex pointed but not strongly extended backwards. Abdomen with fine, sparse, curved striae. Apical ventrite not distinctly modified (Fig. 33).

Legs: Pro- and mesotarsus slender, somewhat extended; provided with suckers.

Male genitalia: Penis in lateral aspect medially, straight for a long distance, apex slightly bent; in dorsal aspect, penis from middle, strongly bent right (Figs 230-232).

Female: Pro- and mesotarsus slender. Apex of apical ventrite more angular than in male (Fig. 34).

Distribution.

Madagascar (Fig. 530).

Collecting circumstances.

Label data indicate that Laccophilus comes has been sampled in various sized, running waters as streams and rivers.