Lacconectus ishae, Ghosh, 2023

Ghosh, Sujit Kumar, 2023, A new species of genus Lacconectus Motschulsky, 1855 from Mizoram, India (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae: Copelatinae), Records of the Zoological Survey of India 123 (1), pp. 9-11 : 9-11

Lacconectus ishae sp. nov. ( Figures 1-3 )

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:18419599-FA1C-42EE-8834-F7E08BFEF721

Type Material: Holotype, male: India, Mizoram, district Lunglei, Sairep , 17.iv.1995, collected, T. P. Bhattacharya ( NZSI) . Paratype: 1 male, locality and label data same as holotype ( NZSI) .

Type Locality: India, Mizoram, district Lunglei, Sairep .

Type Depository : The type specimens were deposited in the national zoological collections of the Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata ( NZSI). The specimens of the newly described species are provided with one red printed label, “ Lacconectus ishae sp. nov., HOLOTYPE or PARATYPE ” det. Sujit Kumar Ghosh.

Description (holotype, male): Length: 6.0 mm, width: 3.6 mm.

Colouration and Shape: Body large, oval, semi-matt to slightly shining, dark brown to brownish-black, head and pronotum ferrugineous, lateral sides of pronotum dark testaceous, elytra semi-matt, brownish-black with testaceous spots, 3 subbasal spots (inner one lighter) and a subapical spot on each elytron, epipleura blackish-brown, except at slightly testaceous base.

Head: Head ferrugineous, dark at mid, slightly darker alongside eyes, semi-matt, clypeus slightly paler, surface sculpture small with well impressed polygonal and almost rounded meshes and sparse but deep minute punctures distributed anterior and posterior part, punctures at part slightly large, dense and deep, clypeal grooves, a row of punctures alongside eyes and a transverse depression beside eyes deeply impressed, antennae testaceous, segments slender, 5 th segment twice as long as broad.

Venter: Ventral surface ferrugineous-brown, prosternal process short, 1.4 times as long as broad/long, 1.6 times, strongly bordered at side and broadly rounded at apex, metacoxal lines represented only by deep and short striae by a few punctures at their mid-length, sternites 3, 4 and 5 each with a few sparse medium-sized punctures, anal sternite microreticulate with a small depression on each side of the middle, microreticulation weak anteriorly and strong posteriorly with an oblique depression formed by four coalescent punctures on each side meidally, posterior margin distinctly bordered and broadly rounded.

Aedeagus: Aedeagus in lateral view weakly curved, evenly tapered in apical part, pointed at apex ( Figure 2 ). In dorsal view, also evenly tapered in apical part, pointed at apex. Parameres elongate ( Figure 3 ).

Pronotum: Pronotum ferrugineous, lateral sides of pronotum dark testaceous, semi-matt, micro-sculptures similar to head, surface with dense and deeply impressed moderate punctures, punctures sparse and fine along median line, longitudinal median suture long and deeply impressed, anterior and lateral rows of punctures coarse, moderately large, and irregularly distributed, punctures at middle of each latero-basal quarter spaced, lateral margins completely bordered but furrow obsolescent anteriorly and disappearing before anterior edge.

Elytra: Elytra semi-matt, brownish-black with testaceous spots, 3 subbasal spots (inner one lighter) and a subapical spot on each elytron, epipleura blackish-brown, except at slightly testaceous base, microreticulation with small, polygonal, rounded well-impressed meshes, distinctly visible at basal 2/3, turning into small and transverse at apical 1/3, punctures deep and dense, covering entire surface, punctures surrounding in anterior portion with a petal-like mesh, sutural row of punctures incomplete, consisting of large and well-spaced punctures, particularly before middle, discal and sub-lateral rows reaching almost to base, punctures large and irregularly distributed in apical third, close together and in a straight line anteriorly, second interspace with sparse punctures on apical half.

Female. Unknown.

Distribution: So far known from the type locality only.

Etymology: The species is named after Ms Isha Ghosh, daughter of the author.

Differential Diagnosis

Lacconectus ishae sp. nov. is closely related to L. scholzi Gschwendtner, 1922 (Tamil Nadu), L. regimbarti Brancucci, 1986 (Kerala and Tamil Nadu), and L. satoi Brancucci, 2003 (Kerala and Tamil Nadu) by its larger size, oval body, smooth and fine microretulation, and elytral stria not deep. Lacconectus ishae sp. nov. is unique in not having a median spot/band on sides of elytra in comparison to the other three species. Further, Lacconectus ishae sp. nov. can be distinguished by having three subbasal spots, rather than one spot in L. satoi and References subbasal band in L. scholzi and L. regimbarti . In lateral view, the apex of the aedeagus is not hooked in L. ishae sp. nov., whereas the apex of the aedeagus is hooked in L. regimbarti .

Figures

Figures 1-3. Lacconectus ishae sp. nov. (holotype, male). (1) Habitus, (2) Lateral View of Aedeagus, (3) Right Parameres.