Laccophilus auropictus Régimbart, 1899

Hájek, Jiří & Brancucci, Michel, 2015, A taxonomic review of the Oriental Laccophilus javanicus species group (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae), Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 63, pp. 309-326 : 311-314

Laccophilus auropictus Régimbart, 1899

( Figs. 2 , 19 )

Laccophilus auropictus Régimbart, 1899: 253 (original description); Vazirani, 1969: 241 (description, new records); 1972: 120 (lectotype designation); Brancucci, 1983: 259 (description, new records).

Type locality. Indes orientales: mont Kodeikanel, aux environs de Madras [= India, Tamil Nadu State, Kodaikanal ].

Material examined. 229 specimens. INDIA: Tamil Nadu : 1 ex., Madura: Shembaganur , coll. R. de Buck ( IRSNB) ; 2 males 1 female, Maruthamalai , 23 October 1913, 1600 ft ( ZSMG) ; 2 ex., Shembaganur , 1929–30, coll. R.P. Manuel ( IRSNB) ; 30 exs., Salem Dt., Shevaroy Hills , 3000–4000 ft, September 1934, coll. P.S. Nathan ( IRSNB) ; 2 exs., Coimbatore , January 1938, coll. P.S. Nathan ( IRSNB) ; 13 ex., Anamalai Hills, Cinchona , 3500 ft, May 1968, coll. P.S. Nathan ( NBCL) ; 2 ex., Nilgiri Hills, Road Ootacamud – Masnigudi , 1450 m, 27 December 1994, coll. P. Mazzoldi ( PMCB) ; 51 ex., Road Palni – Kodaikanal , 800–900 m, stream, 30 December 1994, coll. P. Mazzoldi ( PMCB) ; 102 ex., Road Salem – Yercaud, 12 km from Yercaud , 800–900 m, 4 January 1995, coll. P. Mazzoldi ( PMCB) ; 3 ex., Palani Hills, Poolathur Jn, Kodaikanal – Batlagundu rd. , 10°14′N 77°39′E, ca. 900 m, 15 January 1999, coll. D. Boukal ( NHMW) ; 6 ex., Shevaroy Hills, Yercaud, Kiliur Falls env., 11°47′N 78°12′E, 1400 m, 25 January 1999, coll. D. Boukal ( NHMW) ; 2 males 2 females, Nilgiris, 15 km SE Kotagiri, Kunchappanai , 11.22N 76.56E, 900 m, 7–22 May 2000, coll. J. Rolčík ( NMPC); 10 ex., same label data, but coll. D. Hauck ( NHMB, NMPC).

Diagnosis. Large, broadly oval species (body length 4.5–4.7 mm). Elytra with subbasal testaceous band narrow, sinuous, well separated from elytral base; elytra without mediolateral spot ( Fig. 2 ). Apical part of median lobe in lateral view with distinct bulge on dorsal side ( Fig. 19 ).

Distribution. A species occurring in southern India (Karnataka and Tamil Nadu states) ( Fig. 41 ), the single record from southern Myanmar ( Guignot, 1954) most probably belongs to another species, e.g., Laccophilus hendrichi .

Figures

Figs. 1–9. Habitus of Laccophilus: 1, L. aurofasciatus; 2, L. auropictus; 3, L. ceylonicus; 4, L. elegans; 5, L. girardi; 6, L. hendrichi, new species; 7, L. jaechi, new species; 8, L. javanicus; 9, L. komareki, new species. Scale bar = 1 mm.

Figs. 18–35. Median lobe in lateral view: 18, Laccophilus aurofasciatus; 19, L. auropictus; 20, L. ceylonicus; 21, L. elegans; 22, L. girardi; 23, L. hendrichi, new species; 24, L. jaechi, new species; 25, L. javanicus; 26, L. kalimantanensis, new species; 27, L. komareki, new species. 28, L. mahakamensis; 29, L. mazzoldii, new species; 30, L. nusatenggaraensis, new species; 31, L. schillhammeri, new species; 32, L. stastnyi, new species; 33, L. tobaensis; 34, L. tonkinensis; 35, L. wittmeri. Scale bar = 0.5 mm.

Figs. 40–41. Distribution of the species of the Laccophilus javanicus group