Laccophilus gentilis suavis Sharp 1882

Laccophilus gentilis suavis Sharp
Laccophilus suavis Sharp, 1882b, p. 13. Type: British Museum (Natural History), male, Cordova, Veracruz; Zimmermann, 1920, p. 26; Blackwelder, 1944, p . 74.
Laccophilus championi Sharp, 1882b, p. 14. Type: British Museum (Natural History), male, Paso Antonio, Guatemala; Zimmermann, 1920, p. 17; Blackwelder, 1944, p. 74. (New synonym.)
DIAGNOSIS. — This is the only North American Laccophilus that has a metacoxal file and a long prosternal process. L. ovatus has an equally long process, but no file. The two are also about the same size (average length about 3.5 mm) and have similar reddish-brown elytra with yellow subbasal markings that form a complete band in suavis, but may be interrupted in ovatus. The reddish-brown pigment is more uniformly applied in suavis than in ovatus. L. duplex and L. oscillator have similar patterns, but are larger species (about 4.0 mm or longer), lack files, have shorter prosternal processes, and have untruncated last ventral abdominal segments. The last ventral segments of suavis and ovatus are similarly ornamented with lateral spines, small protuberances, and emarginate apices in the females. L. g. suavis males and females lack the prominent produced apices of ovatus. The aedeagi of the two species are quite different, however.
NOMENCLATURAL NOTES. — The reason for reducing suavis was discussed under gentilis, but it is also necessary to synonymize championi Sharp with suavis. The former was described from Guatemala and the latter from Cordova, Veracruz. I have examined cotypes ( = paratypes ) of both from those localities and find the differences to be individual and not geographical. Page precedence establishes the priority of suavis.
VARIATION. — The extent of the yellow on the subbasal band, the midlateral spot, and the postmedian markings are the most apparent variations in color and pattern. There is always some yellow or reddish-yellow color at all of these positions, but considerable reduction sometimes occurs. Some specimens have darker, more extensive pronotal marks than others, with darkening reaching clear across the
disc. The reddish-brown on the elytra may darken in some to very dark brown. Specimens from the west coast of Mexico are darker reddish-brown than those from Veracruz, with more contrast between light and dark areas.
As in gentilis, the females appear to be larger than the males. There is close agreement also in the populations from Veracruz and those from Nayarit (Table 25). The EL/PW ratio varies from 0.538 to 0.550. This race is larger than gentilis (fig. 24). — This is a tropical lowland Laccophilus. Its range is probably continuous from southern Tamaulipas on the northeast and southern Sonora on the northwest to El Salvador or farther into Central America (fig. 23). The large gap between Colima and the Isthmus of Tehuantepec is undoubtedly due to a lack of collecting. On the east coast, it has a gap between southern Tamaulipas and central Veracruz, but this is also another poorly collected area.
It was mostly collected in still water on the coastal plain. It occurs in grassy-bottomed or mud-bottomed pools that form in roadside excavations, or in duckweed-choked, shaded sloughs, or in pools of stabilized dunes immediately next to the ocean. On a few occasions, it was at several thousand feet, however. There is one record near Zamora, Michoacan (over 5000 feet), and several from the vicinity of Tepic, Nayarit (3000 feet), which indicate it readily migrates over wide areas. I have not yet been able to collect suavis in large numbers, probably because of not finding its preferred habitat. MEXICO. — CAMPECHE. Champoton, 19 m. S., 10 5, 14 9, vii.26.64,
P. J. Spangler (USNM); 11 m. W, H, 1 S, xi.27.63; Cuidad de Carmen, 4 m. E., 1 3, xi.27.63, JRZ (NMSU). CHIAPAS. Cintalapa, 5 m. W., 1 3 , ix.1.63, JRZ (NMSU). COLIMA. Manzanillo, 5. m. S., 5 3, 1 9, vii.29.62, JRZ (NMSU). JALISCO. Barra de Navidad, 2 S , 1 9 , i.22.61, C. O. Morse (CAS);1 <J,5 9,x.25.66;LaHuerta, 1 S , x.25.66, A. Smith & JRZ (NMSU). NAYARIT. Pena, 12 m. N., 1 9, xi.26.48, H. B. Leech (CAS). Tepic, 1 3, 1 9, ix.15-17.53; 1 3, 1 9, ix.21-24.53, B. Malkin; 5 m. SE., 2 9, ix.26.48, H. B. Leech; San Bias, 1 3, ix.28.61, C O. Morse; 2 3,19, xi.7.58, I. Moore (CAS); 5 m. E., 7 3, 10 9, vii.31.62, JRZ (NMSU). MICHOACAN. Zamora, 9 m. W., 1 3, xii.6.48, H. B. Leech (CAS). OAXACA. Tehuantepec, 1 3, 1 9, ix.6.64, JRZ (NMSU). QUINTANA ROO. Cozumel Island, Celarain Point, 1 3, iv.21.60; San Miguel, 2 m. N., 1 3 , 3 9, iv.3.60, J. F. G. Clarke (USNM). SINALOA. Mazatlan, 1 S, viii.14.60, Arnaud, Ross, Rentz (CAS); 7 m. S., IS, xii. 11.62, JRZ (NMSU). Pericos, 26 m. N., IS, viii.13.60, Arnaud, Ross, Rentz (CAS). TABASCO. Villahermosa, 1 6,3 9, vii.25.64; 23 m. N., 1 <$, 4 9, viii.6.64, P. J. Spangler (USNM); 5 m. S., 2 9, xi.26.63, JRZ (NMSU). TAMAULIPAS. Mante, 1 6 , iii.23.63, JRZ (NMSU). VERACRUZ. Acayucan, 20 m. S., 1 6, ix.7.64; Alvarado, 10 m. W, 5 6, 6 9, JRZ (NMSU). Cuitlahuac, 1 6,2 9, viii. 10-12.64, P. J. Spangler (USNM). Jalapa, 10 m. E., 9 S, 4 9, vii.27.62, JRZ (NMSU). J. D. Covarrubia, 1 m. N., 5 6, 6 9, viii.26.62, P. J. Spangler (USNM). Near Garro, 2 6, 6 9, ix.8.64; Santiago Tuxtla, 10 km. S., 1 6 , 1 9 , ix.8.64, JRZ (NMSU). Tres Zapotes, 1 6, iv.11.39, A. Wetmore (USNM). Veracruz, 14 m. SE., 1 6, vi.16.58, J. C. Schaffner (UMMZ). Cordova, 1 6, cotype, B. C. A. Coll. EL SALVADOR. — Acajutla, 19 m. W., 1 6, vii.8.65; La Union, 15 m. SW., 2 6,4 9, vii.31.65; Metalio, 1 6,4 9, viii.4.65; Cd. Arce, 7 m. SE., A 6 , 6 9, viii.3.65, P. J. Spangler (USNM).
CUBA. — Camaguey, Baragua, 1 6 , vi.5.32, Christenson; Cayanas, 1 6 , viii. 5. 08; 1 6, ix.5.— ; 1 9, i.6.— , E. H. Schwarz (USNM).
COSTA RICA. — 1 9, ii.8.28; 1 9, iii.26.36, F. Nevermann; Taboga Agr. Exp. Sta., 2 3,3 9, vi.27.67, P. J. Spangler (USNM).
GUATEMALA. — Paso Antonio, 2 S, B. C. A. Coll. (BM).
PANAMA. — Gamboa, 4 m. W., 1 9, vii.6.67, P. J. Spangler (USNM).