Laccophilus parvulus explained

Laccophilus parvulus, is a species of predaceous diving beetle found in South and South East Asia.^{[1] [2] [3] [4]}

Subspecies

Two subspecies have been identified.^[5] Typical body length is about 3.4 mm.^[6]

• Laccophilus parvulus obtusus Sharp, 1882 - India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Laos, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam
• Laccophilus parvulus parvulus Aubé, 1838 - India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka; China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam^[7]

Biology

The fungus Chitonomyces bakeri has been identified as a parasitic ascomycote from adult beetles.^[8] Adults are voracious predators on mosquito larva of Culex species.^[9]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Catalogue of the diving beetles of India and adjacent countries (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae) . 2021-08-07 . Skörvnöpparn, Umeå Supplement 3, 2012: 1-77.
2. Vazirani . T. G. . 1970-06-01 . Contributions to the study of aquatic beetles (Coleoptera) . 2021-08-11 . Oriental Insects . 4 . 2 . 177–184 . 10.1080/00305316.1970.10433953.
3. Balke . M. . Larson . D. J. . Hendrich . L. . 1997-11-01 . A review of the New Guinea species of Laccophilus Leach 1815 with notes on regional melanism (Coleoptera Dytiscidae) . 2021-08-11 . Tropical Zoology . 10 . 2 . 295–320 . 10.1080/03946975.1997.10539344. 1997TrZoo..10..295B .
4. Vazirani . T. G. . 1967-09-01 . Contribution to the study of aquatic beetles (Coleoptera) . 2021-08-11 . Oriental Insects . 1 . 1–2 . 99–112 . 10.1080/00305316.1967.10433855.
5. Web site: Laccophilus parvulus Aubé, 1838 . 2021-08-11 . www.gbif.org . en.
6. Web site: Laccophilus parvulus . 2021-08-11 . www.kaefer-der-welt.de.
7. Web site: Faunal Diversity of Jabalpur District Madhya Pradesh . 2021-08-08 . Zool. Surv. India Faunal Diversity of Jabalpur District, M.P., 2008 : 1-28 .
8. Rossi . W . 2018 . New species and new records of Laboulbeniales (Ascomycota) from Thailand . 2021-08-11 . Mycosphere . 9 . 6 . 1151–1172 . 10.5943/mycosphere/9/6/6.
9. Web site: Predatory behaviour of the beetles Laccophilus parvulus and Sternolophus rufipes. . 2021-08-11 . www.cabdirect.org.