Leipaspis Wollaston, 1862

Kolibac, Jiri, 2013, Trogossitidae: A review of the beetle family, with a catalogue and keys, ZooKeys 366, pp. 1-194 : 50-51

Genus Leipaspis Wollaston, 1862 Figs 1 , 7 ; Map 5

Leipaspis Wollaston, T. V. 1862: 140.

Type species.

Leipaspis lauricola Wollaston, 1862 [designated by Kolibáč 2005]

Léveillé, A. 1910: 14 ( Lipaspis ). Kolibáč, J. 2005: 63 (redescription). Kolibáč, J. 2006: 111 (phylogeny). Kolibáč, J. 2007a: 364. Reitter, E. 1876: 27 ( Lipaspis )

Description.

Body size: about 8.5-9.5 mm. Body shape elongate. Gular sutures wide, convergent at apex. Frontoclypeal suture absent. Frons: longitudinal groove or depression absent. Cranium ventrally: tufts of long setae at sides absent. Submentum: ctenidium absent. Antennal groove present. Eyes: size flat. Eyes number: two. Epicranial acumination moderate. Lacinial hooks absent. Galea: shape elongate. Galea: ciliate setae present. Mediostipes-Lacinia not fused. Palpifer: outer edge denticulate. Mandibular apical teeth number: two, horizontally situated. Mola absent. Penicillus (at base) present (fine, often membranous). Pubescence above mola or cutting edge absent. Ventral furrow present. Basal notch shallow or absent. Labrum-Cranium not fused. Epipharyngial sclerite present. Lateral tormal process: projection curved downwards, processes not connected ( Airora ). Ligula: ciliate setae present. Ligula rigid, not retroflexed, deeply emarginate. Hypopharyngeal sclerite sickle shaped. Antenna 11-segmented. Antennal club asymmetrical, sensorial fields present. Front coxal cavities externally closed, internally open. Pronotum elongate. Prepectus absent. Middle coxal cavities open. Elytra: long hairs absent. Epipleuron moderate. Elytral interlocking mechanism present, carinae reduced. Elytral punctation regular, scales absent. Front tibiae: spines along side reduced. Hooked spur absent, apical spurs not hooked or weakly hooked. Claws: denticle absent. Parasternites number along ventrites III-VII: one. Spiculum gastrale absent. Coxitae divided.

Biology.

Predatory. The species was collected on the stems of various plants, such as Euphorbia sp., Pinus sp., Suadea vermiculata , Arthrocnemum fruticosum , Laurus nobilis , and Nicotiana glauca , probably preying on anobiids ( Xestobium ) or other xylophagous insects.

Distribution.

Canary Islands.

Species:

Leipaspis caulicola Wollaston, 1862;

Léveillé, A. 1910: 14 ( Lipaspis ). Plata-Negrache, P. & Prendes-Ayala, C. 1981: 227. Reitter, E. 1876: 27 ( Lipaspis )

Leipaspis caulicola caulicola Wollaston, 1862; Canary Islands (varA)

Kolibáč, J. 2007a: 364

Leipaspis caulicola oceanica Wollaston, 1865; Madeira: Selvagens (varA)

Erber, D. & Wheater, C. P. 1987: 166 ( Leipaspis caulicola var. oceanica Wollaston, 1865). Kolibáč, J. 2007a: 364 (subspecies)

Leipaspis lauricola Wollaston, 1862; Canary Islands (varA)

Léveillé, A. 1910: 14 ( Lipaspis ). Kolibáč, J. 2005: 63. Reitter, E. 1876: 27 ( Lipaspis )

Leipaspis lauricola lauricola Wollaston, 1862; Canary Isl: La Palma, Tenerife (varA)

Plata-Negrache, P. & C. Prendes-Ayala 1981: 229. Kolibáč, J. 2007a: 364

Leipaspis lauricola gomerensis Plata & Prendes, 1981 Canary Isl.: La Gomera, El Hierro (varA)

Kolibáč, J. 2007a: 364. Machado, A. & Oromí, P. 2000: ii. Plata-Negrache, P. & Prendes-Ayala, C. 1981: 229

Leipaspis pinicola Wollaston, 1862; Canary Islands (varA)

Léveillé, A. 1910: 14 ( Lipaspis ). Kolibáč, J. 2007a: 364. Plata-Negrache, P. & Prendes-Ayala, C. 1981: 229. Reitter, E. 1876: 27

Figures

Figure 1. Adult morphology: A Alindria sp. from Laos, ventral surface B Leipaspis lauricola, labium C Airora cylindrica, antennal club D Corticotomus cylindricus, mandible dorsally E Airora cylindrica, mandible ventrally F Acalanthis quadrisignata, labium G Acalanthis quadrisignata, maxilla H Acalanthis quadrisignata, wing I Peltonyxa deyrollei, tegmen composed of 3 parts J Airora cylindrica, tegmen composed of 2 parts.

Map 5. A distribution of the tribe Trogossitini.

Figure 7. A Eupycnus lentus B Melambia crenicollis C Melambia striata D Leipaspis lauricola E Nemozoma cornutum F Nemozoma elongatum G Nemozoma caucasicum H Parallelodera quadraticollis I Temnoscheila pini.