Anthocomus Erichson, 1840

Tshernyshev, Sergei E., 2021, A review of the genus Anthocomus Erichson, 1840 (Coleoptera, Cleroidea Malachiidae) species of Inner Asia, Zootaxa 4969 (3), pp. 511-525 : 522-523

Key to species of the genus Anthocomus Erichson in Inner Asia and adjacent territories

1. Posterior tibiae in male with distinct flexure in middle ( Anthocomus (Celidus) ); head and pronotum black with weak green metallic luster, palpi yellow-brown,antennae black, 1 st to 3 rd antennomeres yellow beneath; elytra orange-red with black triangular mark at the base, narrow stripes on humeri and wide inverted V or W-shape spot in posterior half; in male impressions in elytral apices orange-red and inner appendages red-brown, impressions oblique near suture with small bead-shaped appendage at the tip, inner appendages located near suture, flattened, leaf-shaped and with a hair tuft curved above; anterior and intermediate legs yellow, bases of anterior and basal half of intermediate femora, posterior legs black, sometimes intermediate tibiae and tarsi darkened; underside black lacking metallic luster; 2.8 mm ................. A. (Celidus) equestris ( Fabricius, 1781)

- Posterior tibiae in male simple, lacking flexure in middle ( Anthocomus (Anthocomus) ).............................. 2

2. Pronotum monochromously dark, head black, labrum sometimes yellow or light brown, antennae dark brown, 1 st to 4 th antennomeres yellow beneath........................................................................... 3

- Pronotum with contrasting colours of disc dark with yellow or yellow-red lateral margins, head black in basal portion and yellow distally up to level of eyes, antennae yellow or dark-brown.............................................. 8

3. Elytra monochromously black, sometimes with small red markings at the apices................................... 4

- Elytra red or pale yellow, sometimes with wide black colouration remaining yellow stripes on sides, near suture and on apices ................................................................................................... 7

4. Elytra with metallic luster.............................................................................. 5

- Elytra lacking metallic luster............................................................................ 6

5. Legs dark brown to black with yellow tibiae and tarsi and comissure of femora and tibiae in anterior legs; abdomen black; head and pronotum lacking metallic luster, elytra black with violet metallic luster, palpi yellow with black apical palpomere; 3mm ....................................................................... A. (A.) cyaneipennis Wittmer, 1940

- Legs uniformly black; abdomen red; head, pronotum and elytra with strong blue metallic luster so that the beetle looks blackblue; palpi dark brown; in male elytral apices with W-shape impression red coloured inside; 4–5 mm .............................................................................................. A. (A.) abdominalis Pic, 1903

6. Head and pronotum with dark blue metallic luster, elytra uniformly black; in male elytral apices are obliquely impressed near suture, two appendages are located in the impression, one appendage, curved and yellow, and possessing hair tuft apically, is located inside, and the other one, wide, sclerotised and black, is on outer margin 3.3 mm ................................................................................................. A. (A.) testaceoterminalis Wittmer, 1995

- Head and pronotum with weak pale blue metallic luster, elytra black with yellow edges of apices; in male elytral apices are straightly impressed, two strong wide and short appendages are located in the impression, one slightly emarginate near suture, and the other one not emarginate near to apical lobe of the lower plate of the impression; 3 mm ................................................................................................ A. (A.) similicornis Wittmer, 1999

7. Head and pronotum lacking metallic luster, palpi, antennae, except for yellow 1 st to 4 th antennomeres beneath, and legs, except for yellow commissure parts, black; elytra uniformly dark orange; in male impressions and appendages in elytral apices orangered, inner side of the impressions yellow; impressions oblique near suture, with lamellate protruding lower margin, outer appendage oval with curved tuft of hairs distally, inner appendage thin and invisible behind it; underside of the body black with a weak green luster, comissure membranes in ventrites yellow; 3 mm .................. A. (A.) kovali Tshernyshev , sp.n.

- Head and pronotum with blue metallic luster, palpi, antennae and legs black; elytra pale yellow with black spot at base and longitudinal stripes on sides and near suture, or elytra almost completely black with yellow stripes on sides and near suture and yellow apices; in male impressions in elytral apices straight, orange-red, appendages and lower margin of the impression black, with a row of hairs, outer appendage narrow with hair tuft long curved towards the thin flat inner appendage; underside of body black lacking metallic luster; 3.5 mm ......................................... A. (A.) lineatipennis Wittmer, 1995

8. Elytra yellowish with rose apices and dark suture, head and pronotum with weak bronze luster; palpi yellow, pronotum with wide yellow or rose-yellow lateral sides; antennae yellow, short, reaching humeri, intermediate antennomeres weakly triangular; legs yellow except for brown claws or apical tarsomeres; 3 mm ..................... A. (A.) mongolicus Wittmer, 1969

- Elytra and pronotum black with yellow lateral edges, elytral apices simple, lacking impressions or appendages, with red markings near suture; antennae long, expanded over the basal quarter of the elytra, strong, with elongate wide triangular intermediate antennomeres............................................................................. 9

9. Antennae except for basal antennomeres beneath, and legs almost completely dark; pronotum and elytra lead-black lacking metallic luster, palpi dark with yellow spots at bases of palpomeres; underside of body uniformly dark lacking metallic luster; 3 mm ......................................................................... A. (A.) coreanus Pic, 1911

- Antennae, except for darkened uppersides in 1 st and 2 nd antennomeres, anterior and intermediate legs yellow, except for darkened tarsi, posterior legs black with yellow coxae and trochanters; pronotum and elytra black with weak green metallic luster, palpi yellow with darkened apices; underside of body dark with weak green metallic luster, abdomen with yellow lateral edges of ventrites; 4 mm ............................................................ A. (A.) limbellus ( Wittmer, 1953)