A New Species of the Genus Laccobius (Coleoptera; Hydrophildae)
from Izeh County, Khuzestan Province, Iran

Heydarnejad MS* and Poor HM

doi:10.23880/jeasc-16000126

Journal of Ethology & Animal Science Research Article 5 min read

A New Species of the Genus Laccobius (Coleoptera; Hydrophildae) from Izeh County, Khuzestan Province, Iran

Heydarnejad MS* and Poor HM^*

^* Corresponding author

ISSN: 2642-1232 10.23880/jeasc-16000126 Received: November 04, 2022 Published: November 21, 2022

— views

16 references

1 figure

PDF

Keywords

Aquatic Coleoptera Laccobius Iran

Abstract

A new species of the genus Laccobius, (L.mosslemi) sp.nov. is described from Izeh county, Khuzestan province, Iran. This species represents the first record in the family Hydrophilidae. The species belongs to the subfamily Hydrophilinae and is similar to two other species, L. simulatrix d.orchymont, 1932 and L. bipunctatus Fabricius, 1775, but it differs from them in certain adult taxonomic characteristics.

Introduction

The largest group of the superfamily Hydrophiloidea is Hydrophilidae (water scavenger beetles). It represents in all parts of the world consisting of more than 2900 known species [1]. While Hydrophilid species can be found in nearly all parts of Iran, they have received scant research attention [2]. Some recent systematic research activities on Iranian aquatic Hydrophilidae include Nasserzadeh and Hosseinie [3, 4]; Nasserzadeh, et al. [5] and the Islamic Azad University team, led by Atamehr, et al. [6]; Vafaei, et al. [7]; Ostovan and Niakan [8, 9]; Vafaei, et al. [10]; Gentili, et al. [2] The genus Laccobius Erichson 1837 is a large cosmopolitan genus with 130 Palaearctic species [11]. There are 19 Iranian reported species mainly pertaining to the subgenus Dimorpholaccobius [12] but no species are recorded from Khuzestan province. The new species will be added to this checklist.

This article describes a new species of the genus Laccobius in Izeh County. The Izeh is a region in the Khuzestan province of Iran, which has mild spring and summer weather but is generally the coldest city in the Khuzestan province in winter. This is the first record of the Hydrophilidae family in this area. The species (L. mosslemi) belongs to the subfamily Hydrophilinae, and is similar to other species L. simulatrix d.orchymont, 1932 and L. bipunctatus Fabricius, 1775, however, but it differs from them in certain adult taxonomic characteristics.

Materials and Methods

Khuzestan province, one of Iran’s 31 provinces, is located in the southwest of Iran. It is in the southwest of the country, bordering Iraq and the Persian Gulf. Its capital is Ahvaz and it covers an area of 63,238 square kilometres. During 2020-2021, samples were collected in Izeh County. The test substance was preserved in 75% alcohol. Identification of specimens was based on morphological characteristics such as external taxonomic and external male genitalia, along with the corresponding entomological references and authors Zaitsev [13], Friday [14], Jack and Balk [15], Foster and Friday [16]. All samples are housed in the Zoological Museum at Shahrekord University (ZMSU).

Figure 1: (a): Aedeagi. Laccobius mosslemi sp.nov dorsal view, (b): ventral view.

Description

Adult. body length 4-5.6mm; Width 1.5-1.7mm. Body oval, moderately convex, brown in color. The head is dark and the eyes are puffy. Dorsum is brownish yellow and slightly dark green. Elytra has dense dots and 12 longitudinal grooves. It is bent on the side edges. Pronotum dark brown and horizontally triangular. Antennae relatively short (except for the Ist antennomer, but longer than maxillary segments (3 segments). Maxillary palps with club tip palpation. The underside is black and has fine hairs. Mentum is almost 1/3 of the width of the head. Femur and tibia brown, metatarsal and metatarsal black, rough with brown setae, but long and very pubescent. The legs are long and slender. Aedeagus (Figure 1) 1.8 mm long; Median lobe cylinder, slightly shorter than parameres; parameres with blunt apex; basal segment short and relatively thin.

Discussion

The new species (Laccobius mosslemi sp.nov) is closely related to two other species, L. simulatrix d.orchymont, 1932 of the Czech Republic and L. bipunctatus Fabricius, 1775, of Ireland and England, but it differs from the former species in that it has a relatively short antennae, long and hairy mesotarsi, blunt apical parameters and that of the latter is coarse meso-and metatarsi, longer antennae and thin basal piece and short of adages.

References

Short AEZ, Fikacek M (2011) World catalogue of the Hydrophiloidea (Coleoptera): Additions and Corrections II (2006–2010). Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 51(1): 83-122.
Gentili E, Ostovan H, Ghahari H, Komarekm A (2018) Annotated checklist of Iranian Hydrophilidae (Coleoptera: Polyphaga: Hydrophiloidea). Aquatic Insects 39(1): 55-88.
Nasserzadeh, H, Hosseinie S (2003) Biosystematics and Phylogenetic Survey on Three Populations of Hydrochara dichroma Fairm. (Coleoptera, Hydrophilidae) in Iran. Proceedings of 11th Biology Conference of Iran, pp: 669.
Nasserzadeh H, Hosseinie S (2005) First Record of Hydrobious fuscipes (Linnaeus) and Limnoxenus niger (Zschach) in Iran (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae). Koleopterologische Rundschau 75: 247-252.
Nasserzadeh H, Hosseinie S, Monsefi M (2005) Morphology of the Reproductive Systems of the Iranian Species of Hydrochara Berthoold (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae). Koleopterologische Rundschau 75: 227- 245.
Atamehr A, Kamali K, Hadi O (2004) Report on Aquatic Beetles of the Family Hydraenidae (Coleoptera) In Tabriz Region. Journal of Agricultural Sciences 10(3): 13-19.
Vafaei R, Ostovan H, Kamali K, Goldasteh S (2004) Faunal Study of Aquatic Coleoptera in Markazi Province. Proceedings of the 1st Symposium of Ecologists of the Republic of Montenegro, Tivat, pp: 65-66.
Ostovan H, Niakan J (2005) Faunistic and Biocenotic Studies on Aquatic Beetles in Southern and Northern Shores of Parishan Lake. Journal of Agricultural Sciences (Islamic Azad University) 10(4): 93-116.
Ostovan H, Niakan J (2006) Faunistic and Biocenotic Studies on Aquatic Beetles in Eastern and Western Shores of Parishan Lake. Journal of Agricultural Sciences (Islamic Azad University) 11(3): 5-18.
Vafaei R, Ostovan H, Incekara U, Pesic V (2007) Faunistic Study of the Aquatic Beetles (Coleoptera: Polyphaga) of Markazi Province (Central Iran) with New Records. Archives of Biological Science, Belgrade 59(3): 239-242.
Gentili, E, Shaverdo H (2016) Review of the Genus Laccobius ERICHSON, 1837 from Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia, with Description of a New Species (Coleoptera, Hydrophilidae), Koleopterologische Rundschau 86: 171-198.
Gentili E, Sadeghi S (2004) A New Laccobius (Hydrophilidae) from Iran: Laccobius (Dimorpholaccobius) elmii, sp. n. Aquatic Insects 26(1): 39-43.
Zaitsev FA (1972) Fauna of the USSR (Fauna SSSR) Coleoptera. Volume 4, The Smithsonian Institution and The national science foundation, Washington DC, USA, pp: 401.
Friday LE (1988) A key to the adults of British water beetles. Field Studies 7: 1-151.
Jach MA, Balke M (2003) Key to adults of Chinese water beetle families (Coleopetra). Wien 3: 21-36.
Foster GN, Friday LE (2011) Keys to the adults of the water beetles of Britain and Ireland (Part 1). Royal Entomological Society. The Mansion House, Bonehill, Chiswell Green Lane, St Albans, AL2 3NS, UK.

← Previous Article The Long and Winding Road in the Cross-Process among Authors and Editors must not Fall into Pandora's Box: The Role of Reviewers Next Article → The Workers of the Ant Myrmica sabuleti can Learn and Use a Sequence of Four Odors to Navigate between Nest and Food Site