Taxonomic revision of Afrotropical Laccophilus Leach, 1815 (Coleoptera, Dytiscidae)

Biström, Olof; Nilsson, Anders N.; Bergsten, Johannes

doi:10.3897/zookeys.542.5975

Cited by 12 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…Four hydradephagan species were collected by the current authors during ad hoc collections made in 2008 and 2012 (Table 4 ), of which Cybister natalensis (Wehncke, 1876), Hydaticus servillianus Aubé, 1838 and Rhantaticus congestus (Klug, 1833) were all recorded during 2013–2015 (Table 3 ). Laccophilus lateralis Sharp, 1882, reported from St Lucia by Day et al (1954) and Millard and Broekhuysen (1970) is excluded here since Biström et al (2015) demonstrate that this species is almost certainly restricted to Madagascar, mainland African records representing other, similar species. Similarly Aethionectes oberthueri (Régimbart, 1895), reported by the same authors, is excluded from Table 4 as this species is apparently also a Madagascan endemic.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Records of aquatic Coleoptera previously collected from Lake St Lucia and the fresh waterbodies in its immediate vicinity were obtained from the (ISAM Iziko South African Mu seum , Cape Town), the (DNMNH Ditsong National Museum of Natural History , Pretoria; formerly the Transvaal Museum ) and the (SANC South African National Collection of Insects , Pretoria). Other data on aquatic beetle species collected historically in the St Lucia area were extracted from the works of Biström and Nilsson (2002) , Biström et al (2015) , Day et al (1954) , Millard and Broekhuysen (1970) and Vrdoljak (2004) . Some specimens were also obtained during opportunistic collections undertaken by the authors during 2008 and 2012.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Some specimens were also obtained during opportunistic collections undertaken by the authors during 2008 and 2012. With the exception of species in Biström and Nilsson (2002) and Biström et al (2015) , specimens have not been examined by hydradephagan specialists, meaning that identifications of historical material may be inaccurate in some cases. Apart from species which do not occur in southern Africa (see below), these records are presented here for the sake of completeness, but should be viewed with caution.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Described from South Africa. Now known to be widespread, from Cameroon and Ethiopia through east Africa to the Cape ( Biström et al, 2015 ).…”

Section: Family: Gyrinidaementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Known from a range of habitats including a reservoir, river pools, river swamps, waterholes and dams ( Biström et al, 2015 ).…”

Section: Family: Gyrinidaementioning

confidence: 99%

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Predaceous water beetles (Coleoptera, Hydradephaga) of the Lake St Lucia system, South Africa: biodiversity, community ecology and conservation implications

Perissinotto¹,

Bird²,

Bilton³

2016

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Water beetles are one of the dominant macroinvertebrate groups in inland waters and are excellent ecological indicators, reflecting both the diversity and composition of the wider aquatic community. The predaceous water beetles (Hydradephaga) make up around one-third of known aquatic Coleoptera and, as predators, are a key group in the functioning of many aquatic habitats. Despite being relatively well-known taxonomically, ecological studies of these insects in tropical and subtropical systems remain rare. A dedicated survey of the hydradephagan beetles of the Lake St Lucia wetlands (South Africa) was undertaken between 2013 and 2015, providing the first biodiversity census for this important aquatic group in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site within the Maputaland biodiversity hotspot. A total of 32 sites covering the entire spectrum of waterbody types were sampled over the course of three collecting trips. The Lake St Lucia wetlands support at least 68 species of Hydradephaga, a very high level of diversity comparing favourably with other hotspots on the African continent and elsewhere in the world and a number of taxa are reported for South Africa for the first time. This beetle assemblage is dominated by relatively widespread Afrotropical taxa, with few locally endemic species, supporting earlier observations that hotspots of species richness and centres of endemism are not always coincident. Although there was no significant difference in the number of species supported by the various waterbody types sampled, sites with the highest species richness were mostly temporary depression wetlands. This contrasts markedly with the distribution of other taxa in the same system, such as molluscs and dragonflies, which are most diverse in permanent waters. Our study is the first to highlight the importance of temporary depression wetlands and emphasises the need to maintain a variety of wetland habitats for aquatic conservation in this biodiverse region.

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