Laccophilus quadrilineatus quadrilineatus Horn 1871

Laccophilus quadrilineatus quadrilineatus Horn Laccophilus quadrilineatus Horn, 1871, p. 330. Lectotype: female, Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, no. 2962, Texas; Crotch, 1873, p. 400; Sharp, 1882a, p. 294; Leng, 1920, p. 77; Zimmermann, 1920, p. 25; Leech and Chandler, 1956; Young, 1963, p. 1.
DIAGNOSIS. — Size, shape, and elytral pattern make this one of the most distinctive members of Laccophilus. The same statement applies to other races of quadrilineatus. In the United States and northern Mexico where this race occurs, this and L. sonorensis are the only large, non-irrorated species without a coxal file in the male and without a sawlike ovipositor in the female. Figures 306 and 307 will permit easy separation of the race from other races and similar species.
NOMENCLATURAL NOTES. — No individual specimen was selected by Horn from those he examined for his description of the species. A female lectotype was designated. In this species the markings and other anatomical features, especially the female epipleura, make it as reliable for a type as the male. Texas was given as the locality, which does not seem to include more than one race and no intergrade zones. The type locality is here restricted to Bexar County, Texas.
VARIA TION . — The degree to which the pattern covers the elytra varies greatly. The blotch of dark pigment may be extensive, covering almost half the surface of the elytra or may be reduced to a restricted area without connection with the anterior extensions. The latter condition is restricted to specimens from southern New Mexico and Arizona. It may represent a racial difference, but specimens from California are extremely similar to those from south and central Texas. At this time it seems better not to describe the variation as new until the limits and nature of it is better understood.
Females are larger than males (fig. 20). The average length for females is 5.99 mm and for males 5.72 mm. The largest female is about 6.4 mm long as compared to the largest male, which is 6.25 mm. The shortest male is about 4.9 mm and the shortest female is 5.4 mm (Table 16).
There is no general geographical trend in size, but the populations from south and central Texas appear to be somewhat smaller than those from the rest of the range. The two samples from southwestern New Mexico and Pima County, Arizona, which overlap the range of L. sonorensis, give mean values for all four measurements that are as large as any sample of q. quadrilineatus. Hence there is no evidence of intergradation between these two, based upon quantitative characters. — L. q. quadrilineatus ranges throughout the Plains from northeastern Kansas and east central Colorado south to northern Mexico in Nuevo Leon. Coahuila, and Chihuahua, and west to Los Angeles, California (fig. 19). It appears to be limited by woodland on the east, and by mountains in the south and southwest. It is sympatric with L. sonorensis from southcentral New Mexico to Blythe, California. The large gaps in north Texas and southwestern Arizona are probably due to lack of collecting, since all Laccophilus species from those areas are poorly represented in collections.
The species prefers temporary aquatic situations that frequently have alkaline or salty water with mud bottoms and little or no vegetation. In some seasons probably, it is the most common Laccophilus in stock ponds in the Southwest. While usually not found in the mountains, it has been taken as high as 8000 feet in Lincoln County, New Mexico. One of the best localities to collect this species, and L. sonorensis, is in the heavily alkaline playa near Interstate 10 in Hidalgo County, New Mexico. Obviously, the species can tolerate high temperatures and can fly long distances from one drying puddle to another. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. — ARIZONA. Cochise County. Chiracahua Mtns., Cave Ck. Can., 1 9, ix.13-14.52, B. Malkin (FM). Tombstone, 5m.N,4(5, 1 9, ix.6.61; Huachucha City, 2 9, ix.6.61; Rodeo (N.M.), 2 m. NW„ 5,5,2 9, ix.5.61, JRZ (NMSU). CALIFORNIA. Imperial County. Brawley, 1, viii.8.14, J. C. Bradley (CNL). Calexico, 3, viii.24.37; El Centro, 1, —.—.37, H. B. Leech (CAS). County, 1 <$ , viii.27.— , Blaisdell (CAS). Los Angeles County. Los Angeles, 1 9,vi.l6.25 (BERK). Riverside County. Blythe, 8, vii. 10.47, J. W. MacSwain (CAS); 1, viii.6.47, J. W. MacSwain (BERK). San Bernardino County. Colton, 1, Chittenden (USNM). COLORADO. Kiowa County. Eads, 8 m. S., 2 9, ix.11.63, K. L. McWilliams (NMSU). Lincoln County. Hugo, 8 m. SE., 2 5,19, ix.11.63, K. L. McWilliams (NMSU). KANSAS. Harvey County. County, 1, Popenoe (USNM). Newton, 5 m. E., 1 9, vii.6.60; near Sedgwick, 1 9, vii. 13.60, JRZ (NMSU). McPherson County. McPherson, 8, viii.29. — (USNM); 3 $ , 5 9 , vi.20. — , W. Knaus; 3 «$ , 5 9, viii.29.—, W. Knaus (AMNH); 1 6, vi.4.— (MCZ). Marion County. Marion, 2.5 m. NW., 1 9, viii.9.60, JRZ (NMSU). Pottawatomie County. Onaga, 1 (USNM). Reno County. County, 2, ix.21.11, Blaisdell (CAS). Haven, 8 m. E., 4 $, 1 9, vii. 13.60, JRZ (NMSU). Sedgwick County. Wichita, 1 9, JRZ (NMSU). Stafford County. Salt Flats Area, 2, vii. 11.57, H. & M. Evans (CNL); 1 9, same data (CAS). NEW MEXICO. Chaves County. Dexter, 5 m. S., 19, vii. 27. 65, A. H. Smith (NMSU). Dona Ana County. Las Cruces, 1 9, vii.5.61; 1 S, vii.6.61; 4 S, 3 9, vii. 10.61, JRZ (NMSU). Jornada Range, Taylor Wells, 19 $, 29 9, vii.28.63, K. L. McWilliams; 14 c?, 12 9, vii.20.63, K. L. McWilliams (NMSU). Mesilla, 1 m. SW., 1 S, viii.1.61, JRZ (NMSU). Guadalupe County. Santa Rosa, 5 m. NE., 1 8, 1 9, ix. 10.63, K. L. McWilliams (NMSU). Hidalgo County. Animas, 1 m. S., 3 $ , 4 9 , vii. 31. 65, H. B. Leech (CAS). Lincoln County. Alto, 1 9, vii.27.61, JRZ (NMSU). Carrizozo, 13 m. NE., 1 S, 3 9, K. L. McWilliams (NMSU). Luna County. Columbus, 1 m. S., 1 9 , vii.17.61, JRZ (NMSU). Deming, 1, —.22.07, Hubbard & Schwarz (USNM). Hurley, 1 9, vii.17.61, JRZ (NMSU). Otero County. Pinon, 40 m. S., 3 $, 3 9, vii. 29.63, R. D. Ohmart (NMSU). Socorro County. Near Bingham, 1 3, vii.21.62, R. D. Ohmart (NMSU). Quay County. San Jon, 13,19, ix.10.63, K. L. McWilliams (NMSU). OKLAHOMA. Kay County. Blackwell, 2 m. NW., 3 $, vi.30.60; Braman, 2 m. NW., 2 3,49, vi.28.60; 8 m. N., 1 3,1 9, vi.20.60; Tonkawa, 4 m. NW., 8 3, vi.30.60, JRZ (NMSU). Logan County. Guthrie, 1, vi. 23.11, Kaeber (USNM). Marshall County. l(USNM). Texas County. Hooker, 7 m. SW., 1 3, ix. 11.63; Guymon, 1 9, ix.11.63, K. L. McWilliams (NMSU). TEXAS. Bexar County. Leon Ck., 3 3,19, x.11.52; 1 3, x.12.52; Fort Sam Houston, 2 9, vi.— .52, B. J. Adelson (CAS). Blanco County. Shovel Mtn., 2 3, 1 9, F. G. Schaupp (AMNH). Brewster County. Marathon, 22 m. S., 1 3 , ix.3.60, L. A. Stange (DAV). Boquillas, BBNP, 13 3, 17 9, viii.2.61, JRZ (NMSU). Burnet County. County, 3, Hubbard & Schwarz (USNM). Cameron County. Brownsville, Esperanza Ranch, 2, viii.14.— (USNM); 1, viii.14.28, L. A. Sayon (USNM); 1, H. S. Barber (USNM); 3, ix.27.42, E. S. Ross (CAS); 1 (CNL). Port Isabel, 14, x.20.49, O. Bryant (CAS). Dimmit County. Caterina, 1, vii.7.48, F. Werner & W. Nutting (ARI). El Paso County. Clint, 1 m. S., 1 9, vii. 19.61, JRZ (NMSU). Hidalgo County. Texas Exp. Sta., light trap, 2 3, 1 9, v. 29.30; 1, v.30.30; 1, v.20.30, J. C. Gaines (TAM). /. Davis County. Davis Mtns., Limpia Canyon, 13,19, vii.2.47, B. Malkin (FM). Ft. Davis, 1 3, vii.8.64, Arnett & Van Tassel (CUA). Kleburg County. Kingsville, 3 (USNM); 7, C. T. Reed (CNL). Riviera, 3.5 m. N., 1 9, vi. 29.61, R. L. Westcott (LACM). Lee County. 2 (USNM); Fedor, 4 3,49 (CNG). Nueces County. Corpus Christi, 3, vi. 10.47, A. Fenyes (CAS). Presidio County. Marfa, 14 m. N., 3 9, viii.1.61, JRZ (NMSU). Starr County. Rio Grande City, 15 m. NE., 13,19, iii.3.54, H. F. Howden (USNM). Uvalde County. Uvalde, 1, v.21.38,S. E.Jones (TAM). Victoria County. Victoria, 1 9 , ix.— .— (USNM). Webb County. Laredo, 1 3, vii.2.47, B. Malkin (FM).
MEXICO. — CHIHUAHUA. Camargo, 1 3, 1 9, viii.8.53, R. & J. Selander (CAS); 1 m. N., 1 3, vii.25.62, JRZ (NMSU). COAHUILA. Villa Acuna, San Lorenzo Rnch., 1 3, vi.16.38, R. H. Baker (TAM). Ramos Arizpe, 1 3, vii. 7.63, JRZ (NMSU). NUEVO LEON. Monterrey, 1 9, x.— .59 (NMSU). Vallecillo, 3 3,3 9, vi.2-5.51, P. Hurd (BERK).