Laricobius loebli Jelínek & Háva, 2001

Leschen, Richard A. B., 2011, World review of Laricobius (Coleoptera: Derodontidae), Zootaxa 2908, pp. 1-44 : 16-17

11. Laricobius loebli Jelínek & Háva, 2001

(figs 12, 42, 50)

Diagnosis. Body unicolored. Head dark; ocelli present. Prothorax quadrate without well developed lateral carina, sides not strongly explanate. Pronotum dark; posterior tooth absent. Scutellum dark. Surface of elytra not incurvate; elytral punctures posteriorly confluent. Epipleura dark. Ventrites dark. Meso- and metafemora dark (profemora light). Tibiae light. Aedeagus with median carina on phallobase; medium lobe acute; apices of parameres without an internal ridge.

Description. Length 2.36–2.86 mm (x = 2.56, n= 3). Body unicolored chocolate brown; antenna with AI dark tan, funicle light tan, club dark tan; palpi light tan; legs bicolored with prolegs light brown or tan, with apex of tibiae darker; midleg light to dark brown with femora darker at apical 1/3 or 2/3 darker, tibiae slightly darker and tarsi lighter; hindleg with femora brown, tibiae slightly lighter and tarsi light brown or tan. Head with ocelli; u-shaped furrow absent; interocular distance about 2x the width of the eye; punctures ovate and deeply impressed, present at the center of the frons; micropunctures moderately coarse; setation short, decumbent, length about 1/3 the width of the eye. Antenna with length of A3 shorter than A4, ratios 1.7:1.4:1.0:1.4:1.4:1.2:1.2:1.0:1.3:1.3:1.8; A11 strongly asymmetrical. Prothorax quadrate and convex, widest at middle, sides sinuate; about 0.81 x as long as wide (pronotal length/greatest pronotal width = 0.78–0.84, x = 0.81); depth = 0.30–0.40 mm (x = 0.35); pronotum not laterally explanate, lateral carina without a distinct sharp edge and reduced to a narrow bead; anterior angle acute and deflected, forming a short tooth (the angle formed between the anterior margin and lateral carina, excluding the tooth, is about 90°); posterior angle indistinct and broadly rounded and without a short tooth; anterior foveae visible only in lateral view, posterior foveae visible in dorsal view; macropunctures ovate, deep, and well-separated, micropunctures moderately coarse; setae short, decumbent to suberect, and about 1/3 to 1/2 the width of eye. Elytra about 2.98 x as long as wide (elytral length/greatest elytral width = 2.65–3.23, x = 2.98) and 3.17 x as long as pronotum (elytral length/pronotal length = 2.90–3.33, x = 3.17); surface not incurvate at basal third; macropunctures, especially of striae 1–5, coalescing posteriorly to form grooves, separated by an average of ½ of a puncture diameter; micropunctures fine; microsculpture not visible; setae suberect, short, about 1/3 the length of the eye. Aedeagus with phallobase slightly transverse and rectangular, about 1/2 the length of the median lobe, median carina present; median lobe projecting significantly beyond apices of parameres, relatively narrow with its greatest length narrower than the parameres, apex acute and attenuate, median carina or groove absent, placement of ostium basal; parameres moderately broad and apically blunt, and anvil-shaped with laterally directed tooth, apical setae present and moderately elongate, internal subapical ridge absent. Spiculum gastrale apically broad.

Comments. Among species with coalescent elytral punctuation L. loebli is the only species with the coloration of the prolegs different from the middle and hindlegs. This species was described based on a single female.

Distribution. Nepal.

Type material examined. HOLOTYPE ( MHNG). 1 female (card mounted and dissected), NEPAL: distr. Kathmandu: Phulcoki 2500 m, 28–29.IV.84 Löbl–Smetana/ Laricobius sp. n. (hw) det. Löbl 19/ HOLOTYPE Ƥ Laricobius loebli sp. n. J. Háva & J. Jelínek det. 2000 (red label).

Additional material examined. 1, 525 NEPAL: Solukhumbu Distr. Hinku Dranka Khola Bridge, 2000 m, 18– 19 V.1997 leg. W. SCHAWALLER ( SMNS); 2, 564 NEPAL: Dailekh Distr. Dailekh to Mabuchin Pass, 2300 m, 3.– 4.VI.1998 leg. W. SCHAWALLER ( SMNS).