Laccophilus quindecimvittatus Regimbart , 1895

Bistroem, Olof, Nilsson, Anders N. & Bergsten, Johannes, 2015, Taxonomic revision of Afrotropical Laccophilus Leach, 1815 (Coleoptera, Dytiscidae), ZooKeys 542, pp. 1-379 : 170-171

Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera Dytiscidae

Laccophilus quindecimvittatus Regimbart, 1895 Figs 139-140, 326, 470-471, 564

Laccophilus quindecimvittatus Régimbart 1895: 142 (original description, faunistics); Zimmermann 1920a: 25 (catalogue, faunistics); Omer-Cooper 1931: 758 (description, biology, faunistics); Guignot 1946c: 263 (discussion, description, faunistics); Guignot 1948: 14 (faunistics, discussion); Balfour-Browne 1950: 360 (description, discussion, faunistics); Omer-Cooper 1957: 10 (discussion); Guignot 1959a: 551, 552 (description, faunistics); Nilsson and Persson 1993: 58, 80, 88, 94 (faunistics, discussion, biology); Nilsson 2001: 250 (catalogue, faunistics); Nilsson 2015: 217 (catalogue, faunistics). [Comment: records and information of the species from outside Ethiopia are regarded incorrect.]

Type locality.

Ethiopia: Abyssinia.

Type material studied

(1 ex.). Holotype: female: "Abyss. Raffray / Type / 15- vittatus Rég. Type unique" (MNHN).

Additional material studied

(43 exs.). Ethiopia: "Abyssinia Wouramboulchi 9000 ft. 2-7.X. 1926 JOC." (18 exs. AMGS, 4 exs. MNHN); "Abyssinia Stream W of Zaguala 6000 ft. 27.X. 1926 JOC." (3 exs. AMGS); "Abyssinia 7900ft Pond Djem Djem forest 10.X. 1926 JOC." (1 ex. AMGS); "Abyssinia Katterere Riv. Lake Zwai 6000 ft., 5.IX. 1926" (1 ex. AMGS); "Arsi, Assella Life Stock Farm 28.10. 1988, 2350 m, flooded oat field, Persson leg. / Laccophilus quindecimvittatus Régimbart det. Nilsson" (1 ex. TMSA); "Arsi, 10 km S Sagure, Ashebaka Riv., 19.6. 1988 leg. Persson / Laccophilus quindecimvittatus Régimbart det. Nilsson" (4 exs. TMSA; habitus in Fig. 470); "Arsi, 10 km S Sagure, two streams, 12.6. 1988 leg. Persson / Laccophilus quindecimvittatus Régimbart det. Nilsson" (5 exs. TMSA; habitus in Fig. 471); "Kaffa Jimma 7-8.2. 1974 Silfverberg leg. / Laccophilus quindecimvittatus Régb. det. Nilsson" (3 exs. MZH); same data but "8.2. 1974" (1 ex. MZH); "Kaffa Shebe 11-12.2. 1974 Silfverberg leg." (1 ex. MZH); “Süd Aethiopien Neumann / Gimivra"(?) (1 ex. ZMHB).

Diagnosis.

Laccophilus quindecimvittatus belongs to a group of species within this species group, characterized by separate, dark, longitudinal elytral markings (only weekly undulate), which anteriorly can be reduced, forming a transversely located series of dark spots at base of elytra. Additionally, penis of Laccophilus quindecimvittatus , has distinct, hooked apex. It seems to be closely related to Laccophilus incrassatus and the two species are externally separated by difference in size of body, Laccophilus incrassatus being distinctly larger (length 4.6-5.0 mm). Clear differences are also discernible in shape of penis apex, being narrower in Laccophilus quindecimvittatus .

Description.

Body length 3.8-4.2 mm, width 2.1-2.4 mm. Habitus with dark colour pattern (Figs 470-471).

Head: Pale ferrugineous, close to pronotum narrowly blackish ferrugineous to dark ferrugineous. Submat, finely microsculptured; reticulation double. Large meshes contain 3-5 small meshes. Almost impunctate, except at eyes; with rather fine, somewhat irregular punctures.

Pronotum: Pale ferrugineous. Frontally with broad dark ferrugineous area; basally in middle with quite narrow, somewhat vague, dark ferrugineous marking. Submat, finely microsculptured; reticulation double. Large meshes only slightly more pronounced than small meshes. Large meshes contain 3-5 small meshes. Frontally and laterally with very fine, hardly discernible, scattered punctures.

Elytra: Pale ferrugineous with blackish to dark ferrugineous, longitudinal markings (Figs 470-471). Colour pattern slightly variable; dark longitudinal lines sometimes enlarged so that pale ferrugineous lines narrow. Sometimes dark longitudinal markings strongly reduced frontally so that a pale transverse area is formed (pale transverse area located a little posterior to suture between elytra and pronotum). Submat, finely microsculptured. Reticulation double, but large meshes strongly reduced and almost absent. Minor traces of large meshes may be discerned. Discal, dorsolateral and lateral rows indicated by fine, irregularly located, sparse punctures. Laterally with fine, pre-apical, finely pubescent furrow.

Ventral aspect: Black to blackish ferrugineous. Prothorax pale ferrugineous to ferrugineous. Slightly mat, finely microsculptured. Abdomen with fine, slightly curved striae. Almost impunctate. Prosternal process slender, apex somewhat extended, pointed. Metacoxal plate with about 10 almost transversely located, fine and shallow furrows. Apical ventrite asymmetric; with lateral knob (Fig. 139).

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

Male genitalia: Penis in lateral aspect at base curved, anteriorly quite straight; extreme apex angular, rather narrow. External outline provided apically with a rather narrow membranous area (Fig. 326).

Female: Pro- and mesotarsus slender, extended. Apical ventrite symmetric (Fig. 140).

Distribution.

Considered as an Ethiopian endemic species (Fig. 564).

Collecting circumstances.

According to label-data, collected at high altitudes (6000-9000 ft. = appr. 1850-2700 m). The species occurs in both lotic and lentic water bodies; common in densely vegetated locations; collected from high altitudes (1450-2700 m a.s.l.) ( Nilsson and Persson 1993).