Lacon Laporte, 1838

Prosvirov, Alexander S., 2016, New and little-known species of the genus Lacon Laporte, 1838 (Coleoptera: Elateridae) of China, Zootaxa 4132 (3), pp. 373-382 : 380

Key to known species of Lacon Laporte, 1838 of mainland China *

1. Elytra with distinct striae................................................................................ 2

- Elytra without distinct striae............................................................................3

2. Head and pronotum black, elytra reddish brown. Body on average longer (length 22 mm) and broader. Pronotum strongly rounded, coarsely and densely punctate; punctures large, intervals between punctures smaller than diameter of one puncture ( China: Yunnan)................................................................ rubripennis Fleutiaux, 1940

- Head and pronotum dark brown, elytra reddish brown. Body on average smaller (length 18.5 mm) and narrower. Pronotum only slightly rounded, punctation distinctly finer; punctures rather small; intervals between punctures subequal to or greater than diameter of one puncture ( China: Yunnan)........................................... .. bicolor Fleutiaux, 1940

3. Body distinctly flattened. Metathoracic wings absent or reduced................................................ 4

- Body only slightly flattened or convex. Metathoracic wings normally present...................................... 5

4. Body larger (length 13.20 mm; width 4.25 mm). Hind angles of pronotum broadly rounded at apex. Metathoracic wings reduced, reaching about middle of elytra ( China: Yunnan)...................................... diqingensis sp. nov.

- Body smaller (length 9.50 mm; width 2.85 mm.). Hind angles of pronotum narrowly rounded at apex. Metathoracic wings absent ( China: Yunnan).................................................................. lijiangensis sp. nov.

5. Elytra more elongate, usually more than 2.4–2.5 times as long as wide...........................................6

- Elytra less elongate, usually 2.2–2.3 times as long as wide or narrower........................................... 8

6. Body on average smaller (length 15 mm) and strongly elongate ( China: Yunnan)............... yunnanus Fleutiaux, 1940

- Body on average larger (longer than 15 mm), slightly elongate.................................................. 7

7. Body smaller (length 16–21 mm). Prosternal sutures deeply grooved about over their entire length ( China: Yunnan. Laos, Thai- land)........................................................................... .. salvazai (Fleutiaux, 1918)

- Body larger (length 22–25 mm). Prosternal sutures deeply grooved over about half their length, posteriorly furrowed (“Hima- laya”, Laos)...................................................................... robustus (Fleutiaux, 1902)

8. Pronotum without tubercules and large median impression.................................................... 9

- Pronotum with two pairs of tubercules, first one at anterior part and second one behind middle, and large median impression ( China: Xinjiang. Siberia and Far East of Russia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia)..................... altaicus (Candèze, 1882)

9. Pronotum with shallow median impression extended almost over entire length. Body on average larger (length 18.9 mm), red- dish brown ( China: Gansu).................................................... rotundicollis Kishii & Jiang, 1994

- Pronotum only with short impression near base. Body on average smaller (length less than 17 mm), darker............. 10

10. Body larger (length 16 mm), dark brown. Hind angles of pronotum longer, acute ( China: Yunnan).. obscurus Fleutiaux, 1940

- Body smaller (length 14 mm), brownish, with elytra reddish brown. Hind angles of pronotum short, narrowly rounded (“Hima- laya”).......................................................................... monticola (Candèze, 1897)