Abstract:

The African species of the genus Laccophilus Leach, 1815, are revised, on the basis of study of adult specimens. In all, 105 species are now recognized. A phenetic character-analysis was undertaken, which resulted in a split of the genus into 17 species groups. Diagnoses and a description of each species are given together with keys for identification of species groups and species. We also provide habitus photos, illustration of male genitalia and distribution maps for all species. New species are described as follows: L. grossus sp. n. (Angola, Namibia), L. rocchii sp. n. (Tanzania, Namibia, Botswana, Mozambique), L. ferrugo sp. n. (Mozambique), L. furthi sp. n. (Madagascar), L. isamberti sp. n. (Madagascar), L. inobservatus sp. n. (Gambia, Senegal, Mali, Niger, Sudan, Chad, Ethiopia, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Zaire and Asia: Yemen), L. cryptos sp. n. (Zaire, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Botswana, South Africa), L. enigmaticus sp. n. (Nigeria, Sudan), L. bellus sp. n. (Benin, Nigeria), L. guentheri sp. n. (Guinea, Ghana), L. guineensis sp. n. (Guinea), L. decorosus sp. n. (Uganda), L. empheres sp. n. (Kenya), L. inconstans sp. n. (Guinea, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon), L. brancuccii sp. n. (Central African Republic), L. incomptus sp. n. (Cameroon), L. australis sp. n. (Tanzania, South Africa), L. minimus sp. n. (Namibia), L. eboris sp. n. (Ivory Coast), L. insularum sp. n. (Madagascar), L. occidentalis sp. n. (Gambia, Senegal, Mali, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Benin, Nigeria, Central African Republic, Zaire) and L. transversovittatus sp. n. (Madagascar). L. restrictus Sharp, 1882, is restored as good species; not junior synonym of L. pictipennis Sharp, 1882. New synonyms are established as follows: L. continentalis Gschwendtner, 1935 = L. perplexus Omer-Cooper, 1970, syn. n., L. taeniolatus Régimbart, 1889 = L. congener Omer-Cooper, 1957, syn. n., L. adspersus Boheman, 1848 = L. vitshumbii Guignot, 1959, syn. n. = L. adspersus nigeriensis Omer-Cooper, 1970, syn. n. = L. adspersus sudanensis Omer-Cooper, 1970, syn. n., L. modestus Régimbart, 1895 = L. espanyoli Hernando, 1990, syn. n., L. flaveolus Régimbart, 1906 = L. pampinatus Guignot, 1941, syn. n., L. trilineola Régimbart, 1889 = L. simulator Omer-Cooper, 1958, syn. n., L. mediocris Guignot, 1952 = L. meii Rocchi, 2000, syn. n., L. epinephes Guignot, 1955 = L. castaneus Guignot, 1956, syn. n., L. saegeri Guignot, 1958 = L. comoensis Pederzani & Reintjes, 2002, syn. n., L. restrictus Sharp, 1882 = L. evanescens Régimbart, 1895, syn. n., L. incrassatus Gschwendtner, 1933 = L. virgatus Guignot, 1953, syn. n., L. cyclopis Sharp, 1882 = L. shephardi Omer-Cooper, 1965, syn. n., L. burgeoni Gschwendtner, 1930 = L. wittei Guignot, 1952, syn. n., L. secundus Régimbart, 1895 = L. torquatus Guignot, 1956, syn. n., L. desintegratus Régimbart, 1895 = L. sanguinosus Régimbart, 1895, syn. n. and L. flavopictus Régimbart, 1889 = L. bergeri Guignot, 1953, syn. n. = L. segmentatus Omer-Cooper, 1957, syn. n. Lectotypes are designated for the following taxa: L. productus Régimbart, 1906, L. ruficollis Zimmermann, 1919, L. sordidus Sharp, 1882, L. alluaudi Régimbart, 1899, L. pictipennis Sharp, 1882, L. wehnckei Sharp, 1882, L. continentalis Gschwendtner, 1935, L. simplicistriatus Gschwendtner, 1932, L. complicatus Sharp, 1882, L. rivulosus Klug, 1833, L. ampliatus Régimbart, 1895, L. pilitarsis Régimbart, 1906, L. adspersus Boheman, 1848, L. livens Régimbart, 1895, L. modestus Régimbart, 1895, L. nodieri Régimbart, 1895, L. flaveolus Régimbart, 1906, L. pallescens Régimbart, 1903, L. restrictus Sharp, 1882, L. vermiculosus Gerstaecker, 1867, L. mocquerysi Régimbart, 1895, L. bizonatus Régimbart, 1895, L. tschoffeni Régimbart, 1895, L. persimilis Régimbart, 1895, L. poecilus Klug, 1834, L. lateralis Sharp, 1882, L. lateralis var. polygrammus Régimbart, 1903, L. cyclopis Sharp, 1882, L. shephardi Omer-Cooper, 1965, L. conjunctus Guignot, 1950, L. grammicus Sharp, 1882, L. flavoscriptus Régimbart, 1895, L. flavosignatus Régimbart, 1895, L. brevicollis Sharp, 1882, L. secundus Régimbart, L. desintegratus Régimbart, 1895, L. gutticollis Régimbart, 1895, L. luctuosus Sharp, 1882 and L. inornatus Zimmermann, 1926. Laccophilus remex Guignot, 1952, comprises a species complex with uncertain taxonomic delimitation; the complex includes L. concisus Guignot, 1953, L. turneri Omer-Cooper, 1957 and L. praeteritus Omer-Cooper, 1957, as tentative synonyms of L. remex Guignot, 1952.

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