Laccophilus pseustes Guignot, 1955

Bistroem, Olof, Nilsson, Anders N. & Bergsten, Johannes, 2015, Taxonomic revision of Afrotropical Laccophilus Leach, 1815 (Coleoptera, Dytiscidae), ZooKeys 542, pp. 1-379 : 38-40

Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera Dytiscidae

Laccophilus pseustes Guignot, 1955 Figs 40, 240-241, 395, 532

Laccophilus pseustes Guignot 1955d: 67 (original description, faunistics); Rocchi 1991: 86 (faunistics, list); Nilsson 2001: 249 (catalogue, faunistics); Pederzani and Rocchi 2009: 95 (faunistics, list); Nilsson 2015: 216 (catalogue, faunistics).

Type locality.

Madagascar: Isalo sur Pandamus.

Type material, studied

(1 ex.). Holotype: male: "Isalo sur Pandamus, Inst. Sci. Madagascar VIII.48 RP / Type / Guignot det. 1955 Laccophilus pseustes Type, male symbol" (MNHN; habitus in Fig. 395).

Additional material studied

(23 exs.): Madagascar: "Fian: Isalo, source of piscine naturelle, waterhole, P41K: N -22.553: E: 45.368: 859 m 12.5. 2006 leg. Bergsten et al / BMNH(E) <794199> DNA voucher / Laccophilus pseustes det. Bergsten" (1 ex. NHRS); same data but "BMNH(E)<745062> DNA voucher " (1 ex. NHRS); "Fian: Isalo, source of piscine naturelle, small water holes at beginning of stream P41K, 12.5. 2006 N-22°33.206, E45°22.089, 859 m, Bergsten et al." (5 exs. NHRS); "Fian: Isalo, Canyon de Makis: River: P41E: N: -22.548: E: 45.408: 780 m, 11.5. 2006 leg. Bergsten et al / BMNH(E) <745068> DNA voucher / Laccophilus pseustes det. Bergsten" (1 ex. NHRS); "Fian: Isalo, Canyon de Makis, sandy bottom of river, with side pools and hygropetric sections at sides, wood in water, P41E 11.5. 2006 N-22°32.922, E45°24.064, 780 m Bergsten et al." (6 exs. NHRS, 2 exs. MZH); "Fian, Isalo, Namaza R.: stagnant waterpool P41I: N: -22.539: E: 45.377: 794 m, 12.5. 2006 leg. Bergsten et al / BMNH(E) <745060> DNA voucher / Laccophilus pseustes Bergsten det." (1 ex. NHRS); "Fian, Isalo: P41O: Trib. to Namaza R.: Waterhole, N: -22.543: E: 45.377, 842. 1624 m, 13.5.2006 leg. Isambert et al / DNA voucher BMNH(H) <831017> MSL 402:E2 / Laccophilus pseustes det. Bergsten" (1 ex. NHRS); same as but "DNA voucher BMNH(E) <831016> MSL402:E1" (1 ex. NHRS); same as but "DNA voucher BMNH(E) <831019> MSL402:E4" (1 ex. NHRS); same as but "DNA voucher BMNH(E) <831020> MSL402:E5" (1 ex. NHRS); "Fian: Isalo Namaza R. stagnant water pool with lots of woody debris and leaves 12.5. 2006, N-22°32.348, E45°22.626, 794 m, Bergsten et al. (2 exs. NHRS).

Diagnosis.

Laccophilus pseustes resembles most Laccophilus alluaudi and Laccophilus comes and also of some other species in this group but its body is generally clearly larger. Additional diagnostic features are found in the shape of the penis: In lateral aspect, penis long and narrow and extreme apex slightly curved upwards; in dorsal aspect, penis quite broad and somewhat sinuate with narrow slightly curved tip.

Description.

Body length 4.1-4.2 mm, width 2.3-2.4 mm. Elytral colour pattern slightly vague (Fig. 395).

Head: Pale ferrugineous. Rather shiny, finely microsculptured. Reticulation indistinctly double. Large meshes only slightly more strongly developed in comparison with small meshes. In part, small meshes reduced and hardly visible. Impunctate, except at eyes; with fine, scattered punctures; closely towards centre of head, there is an additional small group of fine punctures located in a small depression.

Pronotum: Pale ferrugineous. Submat, finely microsculptured. Reticulation double; large meshes contain 3-5 small meshes. Laterally and frontally, with fine, scattered punctures.

Elytra: Pale ferrugineous, with somewhat vague, dark ferrugineous to ferrugineous colour pattern (Fig. 395). Slightly mat, finely microsculptured; reticulation double, but small meshes distinct while large meshes strongly reduced and only in part discernible. Fine, scattered punctures form a somewhat irregular, discal row. Dorsolateral and lateral rows indistinct; simply indicated by few scattered punctures. Postero-laterally, with a pre-apical, pubescent furrow.

Ventral aspect: Pale ferrugineous to ferrugineous, no distinct colour pattern. Submat, very finely and in part indistinctly microsculptured. Abdomen with fine, curved striae. Metacoxal plates with some 8-9 transversely located, shallow furrows. Almost impunctate, except on apical ventrite; with a few scattered punctures. Apical ventrite symmetric and lacks lateral knob (Fig. 40). Prosternal process quite narrow, apex short, only slightly extended, apically pointed.

Legs: Pro- and mesotarsus somewhat enlarged, extended and provided with suckers. Hindlegs quite robust.

Male genitalia: Penis in dorsal aspect comparatively broad with narrow, slightly curved apex; in lateral aspect, penis quite slender and long with tip curved slightly upwards (Figs 240-241).

Female: Pro- and mesotarsus rather slender.

Distribution.

Madagascar (Fig. 532).

Collecting circumstances.

Mainly unknown. Label data simply indicate that the species has been collected in a river with sandy bottom, with side pools and hygropetric sections at sides, wood in water. Additionally, recorded in stagnant water pool with lots of woody debris and leaves.