Laccophilus mutatus Omer-Cooper, 1970

Bistroem, Olof, Nilsson, Anders N. & Bergsten, Johannes, 2015, Taxonomic revision of Afrotropical Laccophilus Leach, 1815 (Coleoptera, Dytiscidae), ZooKeys 542, pp. 1-379 : 169-170

Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera Dytiscidae

Laccophilus mutatus Omer-Cooper, 1970 Figs 137-138, 323-325, 468-469, 564

Laccophilus mutatus Omer-Cooper 1970: 286, 287 (original description, faunistics); Nilsson and Persson 199a: 79 (status discussion); Nilsson 2001: 247 (catalogue, faunistics); Nilsson 2015: 214 (catalogue, faunistics).

Type locality.

Kenya: Athi River.

Type material studied

(4 exs.). Holotype: male: "Athi River 19.X. 1957 (CAS, not examined). - Paratypes: "Paratype / Laccophilus mutatus O-C. / Kenya Athi River 1530 m X-19-1957 / E.S. Ross & R.E. Leech collectors" (2 exs. AMGS); "Paratype / Laccophilus mutatus O-C. / Kenya 17 mi. SW of Nairobi, 1800 m, XI-24-1957 / E.S. Ross & R.E. Leech collectors" (2 exs. AMGS).

Additional material studied

(30 exs.). Kenya: "Ol Toroto Athi Riv., 5.7. 1970 E.S. Brown leg." (2 exs. BMNH; habitus in Figs 468-469); "Nairobi 7.10. 1967 / Reichart leg." (3 exs. USNM); same data, except "16.10. 1967" (2 exs. USNM); same data except "3.11. 1967" (7 exs. USNM, 4 exs. MZH); same data except "Oct. 1968 / Conway leg." (1 ex. USNM); "Kiserian 26.10.1967 / Reichart leg." (3 exs. USNM); "Langata Rd. 4.11. 1967 / Reichart leg."(1 ex. USNM); "10 km N Nyeri Kinganjo 3.11. 1995 Wewalka" (4 exs. CGW, 1 ex. MZH). - Tanzania: "Kilimandj. Sjöstedt / Kibonto 1-1200 m / Laccophilus grammicus Shp" (1 ex. NHRS).

Diagnosis.

Laccophilus mutatus externally resembles of Laccophilus cyclopis . Peculiar features of penis apex (extreme apex provided with two distinct processes in Laccophilus mutatus ) distinguish Laccophilus mutatus from Laccophilus cyclopis as well as does appearance of elytral colour pattern in general. Beware of Laccophilus cyclopis specimens with reduced elytral colour pattern.

Description.

Body length 4.2-4.7 mm, width 2.4-2.6 mm. Elytra with, in part, reduced dark longitudinal lines; habitus, as in Figs 468-469.

Head: Pale ferrugineous. Slightly mat, finely microsculptured. Reticulation double, coarser meshes contain 2-5 smaller meshes. At eyes with some very fine, irregularly distributed punctures.

Pronotum: Pale ferrugineous, anteriorly in middle with a bilobed, slightly darker spot. Submat, distinctly microsculpturd. Large meshes contain 3-6 fine meshes. Scattered, irregular fine punctures present.

Elytra: Pale ferrugineous, with dark, in part reduced, longitudinal markings (Figs 468-469). Punctation indistinct, posteriorly with sparse and fine punctation. Very finely microsculptured and reticulation almost simple, of one kind.

Ventral aspect: Pale ferrugineous to pale brown, no distinct colour pattern discernible. Rather shiny, although extensively with fine but in part inditinct microsculpture. Metacoxal plates with some shallow, vague and transverse furrows. Abdomen with some inwards curved striae. Almost impunctate. Apex of prosternal process slender and pointed. Apical ventrite asymmetric, with a small, lateral knob (Fig. 137).

Legs: Pro- and mesotarsus rather slender, provided with distinct suckers.

Male genitalia: Penis, apical portion, with two distinct processes (Fig. 324). In lateral aspect penis curved from base to apex; apically, on external outline, provided with a narrow membranous area (Fig. 323).

Female: Apical ventrite apically not incised (Fig. 138). Pro- and mesotarsus slender.

Distribution.

Kenya, Tanzania (Fig. 564).

Collecting circumstances.

Unknown, not documented.