Laricobius sahlbergi Reitter, 1883

Leschen, Richard A. B., 2011, World review of Laricobius (Coleoptera: Derodontidae), Zootaxa 2908, pp. 1-44 : 26-27

18. Laricobius sahlbergi Reitter, 1883

(figs 18, 47)

Diagnosis. Body unicolored. Head dark; ocelli present. Prothorax transverse with well-developed lateral carina and sides explanate. Pronotum dark; posterior tooth absent. Scutellum dark. Surface of elytra incurvate; elytral punctures not confluent. Epipleura dark. Ventrites dark. Femora dark. Tibiae light. Aedeagus without median carina on phallobase; medium lobe subapiculate; apices of parameres without an internal ridge.

Description. Length 2.58–2.72 mm (x = 2.63, n = 4). Body unicolored dark brown; palpi, tibiae, and tarsi tan or yellow brown, antennae yellow with A1 darker and club yellow brown. Head with ocelli; u-shaped furrow present; interocular distance about 4x the width of the eye; macropunctures distinct to indistinct, impressed; micropunctures coarse; setae erect, moderately short with an average length as long as 1/2 width of the eye. Antenna with length of A3 about equal to A4, ratios 1.8:1.5:1.3:1.2:1.2:1.0:1.1:1.0:1.3:1.4:2.4; A11 not strongly asymmetrical. Prothorax transverse and rectangular, dorsoventrally flattened, and widest at middle, sides weakly convex, converging anteriorly from widest point and more steeply convergent posteriorly; about 0.73 x as long as wide (pronotal length/greatest pronotal width = 0.71–0.76, x = 0.73); depth = 0.30–0.40 mm (x = 0.35); pronotum laterally broadly explanate, lateral carina with a distinct sharp edge; anterior angle about 60° and acute, not forming a tooth; posterior angle distinct and not marked by a short tooth; foveae visible dorsally; macropunctures on disc distinct, well-impressed, and well-separated; micropunctures coarse; setae erect, moderately long and the average length 2/ 3 width of eye. Elytra about 3.17 x as long as wide (elytral length/greatest elytral width = 3.00–3.30, x = 3.17) and 3.32 x as long as pronotum (elytral length/pronotal length = 3.19–3.47, x = 3.32); surface weakly incurvate at basal third; macropunctures not coalescing to form grooves, separated by an average of 1 puncture diameter; micropunctures fine; microsculpture not visible; setae suberect and erect, short and on average about 1/2 the length of the eye. Aedeagus with phallobase transverse (wider than long), about 2/3 the length of the median lobe, median carina absent; median lobe not projecting beyond apices of parameres, relatively broad with its greatest width subequal to the width of the parameres, gradually tapering apically with apex subapiculate, median carina or groove absent, ostium subapical; parameres broad, apices rounded, short apical and subapical setae present, internal subapical ridge absent. Spiculum gastrale apically narrow or acute.

Comments. Laricobius sahlbergi is the only unicolorous dark brown species with a well-developed explanate pronotal margin. It can be distinguished from unicolorous L. nigrinus by its pale femora and from melanistic L. erichsonii by the absence of posterior pronotal teeth and the acute median lobe of the male.

I obtained four specimens from the HNMH, not all having the same labelling. Reitter (1883) gave a size range, so it is likely he had a series (only one specimen had a label bearing the type locality) and all the HNMH specimens, including one from the E. Frivaldszky collection, are considered part of the syntype series. The locality abbreviated on the lectotype label (Fatjanovsk.) may be the modified German translation of the Russian place name listed as Fatjanowskaja in Andree (1896). This may also be written as Fatianowskaya in older literature, but in modern maps and literature it is written as Fatianowo (or Fatianovo which means the same as Fatianovskaya) in Yaroslavl Oblast in European Russia with the coordinates 57.01’.45.64”N, 38.54’49.77”E (A. Solodovnikov, pers. com.). Nikitsky (1992) listed the species range as middle Siberia in Krusnayerskykry (= Krasnoyarskij of Krasnoyarskij Kraj; A. Solodovnikov, pers. com.).

Distribution. Russia: East Siberia. China: Mongolia.

Type material examined. LECTOTYPE ( HNHM). 1 female (card mounted and dissected), Fatjanovsk./J. Sahlb./ Laricobius sahlbergi m. (hw)/Coll. Reitter/ Holotypus (red) Laricobius sahlbergi 1883 Reitter (name and date hw on white label with red border)/ Laricobius sahlbergi Reitter det. Nikitsky, 1992 (hw)/ Laricobius Ƥ sahlbergi Rtt. Jirí Háva det. 0 3 (hw and printed)/ LECTOTYPE Laricobius sahlbergi Reitter desig, R. Leschen, 2009. PARALECTOTYPES ( HNHM). 1, male (card mounted and dissected, genitalia in glycerin pinned below specimen), Sibir. arct./ Paratypus (red) Laricobius sahlbergi 1883 Reitter (name and date hw on white label with red bor- der)/ Coll. Reitter/ PARALECTOTYPE Laricobius sahlbergi Reitter desig, R. Leschen, 2009. 1, sex unknown (card mounted), Sibir. arct./ J. Sahlb./ Paratypus (red) Laricobius sahlbergi 1883 Reitter (name and date hw on white label with red border)/ Coll. Reitter/ PARALECTOTYPE Laricobius sahlbergi Reitter desig, R. Leschen, 2009. 1, sex unknown (card mounted), Sibir. arct./ J. Sahlb./ L. Sahlbergi (hw) coll. E. Frivaldszky/ 660 b5 (hw on small folded black bordered label)/ Sahlbergi Reitt Sibir. arct. (hw)/ PARALECTOTYPE Laricobius sahlbergi Reitter desig, R. Leschen, 2009

Additional material examined. CHINA. 1, Mongolia, Central aimak Chentej Gebirge 25.IV.1971 leg. Zs. Peregi/ Laricobius sahlbergi Reitt. V. Richter det. 1973 ( HNHM).