Laccophilus epinephes Guignot, 1955

Bistroem, Olof, Nilsson, Anders N. & Bergsten, Johannes, 2015, Taxonomic revision of Afrotropical Laccophilus Leach, 1815 (Coleoptera, Dytiscidae), ZooKeys 542, pp. 1-379 : 125-126

Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera Dytiscidae

Laccophilus epinephes Guignot, 1955 Figs 91-92, 280-282, 436, 553

Laccophilus epinephes Guignot 1955e: 2 (original description, faunistics); Bertrand and Legros 1975: 681 (faunistics, list); Medler 1980: 155 (faunistics, list.); Pederzani and Rocchi 1982: 72 (faunistics); Bilardo and Rocchi 1990:162, 177 (faunistics, biology); Nilsson 2001: 243 (catalogue, faunistics); Bilardo and Rocchi 2002: 174 (list, faunistics); Pederzani and Reintjes 2002: 38 (faunistics); Reintjes 2004: 67 (faunistics); Bilardo and Rocchi 2008: 211, 235 (faunistics, biology); Bilardo and Rocchi 2013: 141 (faunistics, biology); Nilsson 2015: 211 (catalogue, faunistics).

Laccophilus castaneus Guignot 1956b: 220, 221 (original description, faunistics); Nilsson 2001: 241 (catalogue, faunistics); Nilsson 2015: 210 (catalogue, faunistics). New synonym.

Type localities.

Laccophilus epinephes : Zaire: Parc National de la Garamba.

Laccophilus castaneus : Senegal: Niokolo Koba, Badi.

Type material studied

(15 exs.). Laccophilus epinephes : Holotype: male: "Holotypus / Congo belge P.N.G. Miss. H. De Saeger I/a/2, 21-IV-1950 Réc. G. Demoulin / Coll. Mus. Congo (ex. coll. I.P.N.C.B.) / F. Guignot det., 1955 Laccophilus epinephes sp. n. Type male symbol" (MRAC). - Paratypes: Same as holotype but "I/b/2, 27.9. 1950, 847 / Paratype" (1 ex. MNHN); "Congo Belge P.N.G. Miss. H. De Saeger II/gd/14s, 25-VIII-52 H. De Saeger. 3984 / Paratype / F. Guignot det., 1958 Laccophilus epinephes sp. n." (5 exs. IRSNB, 1 ex. MNHN); same data but "I/c/2, 17.3. 1950/Paratype" (1 ex. MNHN); same data but "I/a/2-3, 10.7. 1950 Paratype" (1 ex. MNHN); same data but "II/hd/14s, 17-X-1951, 2644" (1 ex. NHMB); same data, but "Utukuru/14, 22-VII-52, 3812" (1 ex. IRSNB, 1 ex. NHMB).

Laccophilus castaneus : Holotype: male: "Mission IFAN au Parc National du Niokolo Koba Badi ( Sénégal) 15.VIII-25.IX -1955 / Type / F. Guignot det. 1956 Laccophilus castaneus sp. n. Type" (MNHN). - Paratypes: females: "Mission IFAN au Parc National du Niokolo Koba/Badi ( Sénégal) 15.VIII-25.IX -1955 / female symbol / Paratype" (1 ex. MNHN); "Ouassadou 12.VIII. 55 / Mission IFAN au Parc National du Niokolo Koba / female symbol / Paratype" (1 ex. MNHN).

Additional material studied

(47 exs.). Ivory Coast: "Nord C. d’I. Ferkessédougou 10-20.5. 1964 Decelle" (1 ex. MRAC; habitus in Fig. 436); “Comoé NP, N8,5° - W3,5° Reintjes 1.5. 1999 / Laccophilus epinephes Guignot det. Pederzani" (1 ex. CSR). - Nigeria: "River Crossing Erugo rd 80 mi. From Makurdi 24.4. 1963" (1 ex. AMGS); "Stream Kaduna-Zaria rd. 4.IV. 1963 JO-C." (1 ex. AMGS); "River about 79 mi from Makurdi on Erugo road 24.4. 1963" (1 ex. AMGS); "Pools in dry stream bed, Kontagora 5.IV. 1963 J.O-C." (6 exs. AMGS); "Niger Prov., Zunguru 18.3. 1949 Malkin / pond, much detritus, reeds" (11 exs. BMNH, 3 exs. MZH); "Ilorin Prov., Ilorin 15-18.2. 1949 Malkin / small clean pond" (1 ex. BMNH). - Cameroon: "Tokombere (dint. Maroua) 12.7. 1979 leg. Onore / Laccophilus epinephus Guignot det. Rocchi 1981" (5 exs. CSR); "Kamerun int. Satsche 10-14.5. 1909 Riggenbach" (1 ex. ZMHB); "Mokolo pr. Maroua 8-10.7. 1979 Onore / zona pre-Saheliana, pozzangera residuo di ruscello ambiente soleggiato" (1 ex. NHMB). - Gabon: "Res. Lopé-Okanda, milieu de savane 1.2.1986 Bilardo / Laccophilus epinephes Guig. det. Bilardo" (1 ex. CSR, 2 exs. MSNM). - Congo: "Ewo 12.5. 1979 Onore" (1 ex. NHMB); "Parco Nazion. Mbomo 16.5. 1979 Onore" (1 ex. NHMB); "P. K. Rouge 4-1979 Onore / Laccophilus epinephes Guign. det. Rocchi 1981" (1 ex. NHMB). - Zaire: "Lualaba, Kolwezi riv. Dilolo 1953 Allard" (1 ex. MRAC, 1 ex. MZH); "PNG Mabanga 14, 31.8. 1952 H. De Saeger, 3870" (1 ex. MRAC, 1 ex. MZH); "PNG Ndelele/14s, 1.8.1952 H. De Saeger, 3871" (1 ex. MRAC); "PNG PpK.14/g/14s, 4.4. 1952 H. De Saeger, 3290" (1 ex. MRAC); "PNG II/fd/12, 10.3. 1952 H. De Saeger, 3180" (1 ex. MRAC); "PNG II/gd/14, 30.7. 1952 H. De Saeger, 3857" (1 ex. MRAC).

Comments on synonymy.

The male holotypes of Laccophilus epinephes and Laccophilus castaneus have been studied and compared. No diagnostically decisive features in external appearance of the body or in the male genitalia were detected. Accordingly the two species are considered conspecific. Laccophilus epinephes , being the older available name is the valid name of the species.

Diagnosis.

Laccophilus epinephes is characterized by big sized body and peculiar shape of penis. Penis in lateral aspect quite broad, robust, medially distinctly curved and extreme apex protruding forwards, not distinctly hooked.

Description.

Body length 4.2-4.8 mm, width 2.3-2.5 mm. Elytral colour pattern somewhat vague; ferrugineous with dense but somewhat diffuse, dark ferrugineous irrorations, which sometimes can be rather indistinct. Habitus and dorsal colour pattern as in Fig. 436.

Head: Pale ferrugineous; no distinct colour pattern. Rather shiny to slightly mat, although finely reticulated. Reticulation double; large meshes contain 2-5 small meshes. Large meshes only slightly more strongly developed that fine meshes. At eyes and on disc, with fine, irregular punctures.

Pronotum: Pale ferrugineous to ferrugineous; no distinct colour pattern. Rather shiny to slightly mat although finely microsculptured; reticulation double. Large meshes contain 2-6 small meshes (sometimes meshes rather indistinct and weakly developed). At margins, very fine, irregular punctures may be discerned.

Elytra: Pale ferrugineous, with dense and somewhat vague, ferrugineous to dark ferrugineous irrorations (Fig. 436). Rather shiny to slightly mat, finely reticulated. Reticulation double but feature rather weakly developed. Large meshes contain 2-6 smaller meshes. Laterally and posteriorly double reticulation indistinct and mesh-size-classes cannot be distinguished. Discal row of punctures formed by very fine, slightly irregular punctures. Other rows simply indicated by a few, irregular punctures. Lateral, pre-apical furrow shallow, pubescent.

Ventral aspect: Pale ferrugineous to ferrugineous, abdomen generally slightly darker. Rather shiny to submat, finely microsculptured. Almost impunctate. Basal ventrites with fine, in part reduced, curved striae. Apical ventrite lacks distinct knob but surface on one side uneven (knob-rudiment?) (Fig. 91). Apex of prosternal process slender, somewhat extended and pointed. About 10 transversely located, shallow furrows of metacoxal plates clearly discernible in anterior half; in posterior half indistinct, almost absent.

Legs: Pro- and mesotarsus slightly enlarged; provided with suckers.

Male genitalia: Penis in lateral aspect quite broad, robust, medially distinctly curved and tip of penis protruding forwards, not distinctly hooked (Figs 280-282).

Female: Apical ventrite as in Fig. 92. Pro- and mesotarsus quite slender.

Distribution.

Senegal, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, Congo, Zaire (Fig. 553).

Collecting circumstances.

According to label-data the species has been collected from pools in dry stream bed, in a pond, with much detritus and reeds. Some additional information is available in Bilardo and Rocchi (1990 and 2013) where general descriptions are given for collecting localities. The species is listed as a preferring savannah-habitats in Bilardo and Rocchi (2008).