Laccophilus turbatus Guignot, 1958

Bistroem, Olof, Nilsson, Anders N. & Bergsten, Johannes, 2015, Taxonomic revision of Afrotropical Laccophilus Leach, 1815 (Coleoptera, Dytiscidae), ZooKeys 542, pp. 1-379 : 114-116

Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera Dytiscidae

Laccophilus turbatus Guignot, 1958 Figs 83-84, 275, 430-431, 550

Laccophilus turbatus Guignot 1958: 8 (original description, faunistics); Omer-Cooper 1965: 86 (list, synonymy Laccophilus concisus Guignot?); Nilsson 2001: 242 (catalogue, faunistics, list, synonymy, Laccophilus concisus Guignot); Pederzani and Reintjes 2002: 40 (faunistics, list, synonymy, Laccophilus concisus Guign.); Nilsson 2015: 210 (catalogue, faunistics, list, synonymy, Laccophilus concisus Guignot. Restored species.

Type locality.

Zaire: Parc National Garamba.

Type material studied

(8 exs.): Holotype, male: "Holotypus / Congo belge P.N.G. Miss. H. De Saeger II/hd/17, 13-X-1951 Réc. H. De Saeger. 2595 / Guignot det., 1957 Laccophilus turbatus sp. n. Holotype" (MRAC). - Paratypes: "Congo Belge P.N.G. Miss. H. De Saeger/13-X-1951 Réc. H. De Saeger. 2595 / female / Paratype" (1 ex. IRSNB, 4 exs. MNHN); same data but "II/fc/14, 17.7. 1952, 3608" (1 ex. NHMB); same data but "II/gd/14s, 25.8. 1952, 3984" (1 ex. NHMB).

Additional material studied

(50 exs.): Sudan: "S. Sudan stream from hot springs, Nyangwara 30,5E, 4,39N, 29.1. 1954 JJOC." (2 exs. AMGS). - Liberia: "Suakoko 18.3. 1952 / Blickenstaff Light trap" (1 ex. USNM, 1 ex. MZH); "Suakoko 20.2. 1952 Blickenstaff" (1 ex. USNM). - Nigeria: "R. Kaduna 4.5 mi. from Jos 13.4.1963 JOC." (4 exs. AMGS);"R. Kaduna rd. 13.5 mi. from Jos 13.IV. 1963 JOC." (1 ex. AMGS); "Zaria 1969 Brancucci" (1 ex, CSR); "stream Kaduna-Zaria rd. 4.IV. 1963 JOC." (1 ex. AMGS); "river, rd. to Enugo about 79 mi. from Makurdi 24.4. 1963" (1 ex. AMGS); "stream 64 mi. from Bida on Jebba rd.12.4. 1963 JOC." (2 exs. AMGS); "Kontagora pools in dry stream 3.IV. 1963 JOC." (2 exs. AMGS). - Zaire: Same data as paratype, but not labelled as belonging to type material (1 ex. IRSNB); "PNG Miss. H. De Saeger II/fd/12, 10.3. 1952, 3180" (2 exs. MRAC, 1 ex. MZH); same but "II/fd/13, 5.5. 1952, 3421" (3 exs. MRAC); same but "II/fd/14s, 3.4. 1952, 3278" (6 exs. MRAC, 2 exs. MZH; habitus in Fig. 430); same but "II/fc/14, 27.6. 1952, 3717" (1 ex. MRAC); "Ht Zaire Umg. Doruma 18.4-10.5. 1986 Wewalka" (2 exs. CGW, 1 ex. MZH). - Namibia: "Kavango, Popa Falls 18°07'S- 21°35'E, lux 26.2.-3.3. 1992 Uhlig leg." (10 exs. ZMHB, 2 exx. MZH, 1 ex. NMNW; habitus in Fig. 431); "Kavango, Mahango Game Res., Piknik Site 24.11. 1993 lux 18°13'S- 21°45'E Uhlig leg." (2 exs. ZMHB). - Botswana: "Moremi Res. 6.10. 1982 Bilardo / Laccophilus concisus Guignot Rocchi det. 1985" (1 ex. CSR).

Comments on synonymy: Omer-Cooper (1965) listed Laccophilus turbatus as a possible synonym to Laccophilus concisus , a species, here associated with Laccophilus remex (possible species complex). The latest citation ( Nilsson 2015) maintains the opinion of this synonymy. After comparison of holotypes of the two species we prefer to keep the two species separate and accordingly, Laccophilus turbatus is here raised back to the level of a valid species because of diagnostic differences in shape of penis.

Diagnosis.

Laccophilus turbatus is close to Laccophilus remex , but smaller (length of body less than 4 mm). The shape of penis also resembles that of Laccophilus remex but in Laccophilus turbatus penis is more slender and in lateral view external outline somewhat angled while robust and more evenly curved in Laccophilus remex .

Description.

Body length 3.5-3.9 mm, width 1.8-2.2 mm. Pale ferrugineous, elytra with dense, dark ferrugineous irrorations, which are slightly sparser at base of elytra. Elytral colour pattern exhibits some variation (Figs 430-431).

Head: Pale ferrugineous. Rather shiny. Reticulation fine, double. Larger meshes contain often 4-6 smaller meshes. Almost impunctate, except at eyes; here with a few scattered, fine punctures. Area with punctures extended towards middle of head.

Pronotum: Pale ferrugineous; almost unicoloured pale. Mediobasally with narrow ferrugineous area, delimitation of which is vague. Rather shiny, although finely microsculptured. Reticulation double but rather indistinctly so; in part fine meshes indistinct and hardly visible. At margins with fine punctures; discally almost impunctate.

Elytra: Pale ferrugineous with dense ferrugineous to dark ferrugineous irrorations. Basally irrorations in part sparse, forming irregular slightly larger areas without irrora tion (Figs 430-431). Slightly mat, with fine microsculpture. Reticulation in part double (feature weakly developed). Larger meshes sometimes indistinct and hardly discernible. Extensively impunctate; discally with a very irregular, longitudinal area with fine and sparse punctures discernible. Lateral, pre-apical furrow rather distinct, finely pubescent.

Ventral aspect: Pale ferrugineous to ferrugineous. Almost impunctate. Slightly mat, very finely and in part indistinctly microsculptured. Basal ventrites of abdomen with fine, in part reduced, curved striae. Metacoxal plates with very fine, in part slightly indistinct transversely located, shallow furrows. Prosternal process slender, apex extended, pointed. Apical ventrite (Fig. 83).

Legs: Protarsus rather slender. Pro- and mesotarsus with suckers.

Male genitalia: Penis in lateral aspect quite long, slender; external outline distinctly curved, exhibiting two bends. Extreme apex hooked but outline rounded (Fig. 275).

Female: Apical ventrite (Fig. 84). Pro- and mesotarsus almost as male but lack suckers.

Distribution.

Sudan, Liberia, Nigeria, Zaire, Namibia, Botswana (Fig. 550).

Collecting circumstances.

Hardly any information is available. On the basis of label data the species has in Sudan been collected in a stream from hot springs. In Namibia and Liberia collected with light.