Prosopocoilus reni Huang & Chen

Huang, Hao & Chen, Chang-Chin, 2011, Notes on Prosopocoilus Hope (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea: Lucanidae) from China, with the description of two new species, Zootaxa 3126, pp. 39-54 : 49-54

Prosopocoilus reni Huang & Chen new species

Type material. Holotype ( Fig. 38 ): CHINA: Hainan: 3, Baisha City, Miao-cun, 4-5.VI.2007, Y.-B. Ba & J.-T. Lang leg., deposited in Entomological Museum of Hebei University, Baoding, China. Paratypes: CHINA: Hainan: 1 3, Ba-wang-ling Nature Reserve, 135m, 14.IV.2010, J.-Q. Zhu leg., deposited in H. Huang’s private collection; 1 3, Ba-wang-ling Nature Reserve, IV. 2009, anonymous student in Guizhou University leg., deposited in Natural History Museum, London; 2 3, Baisha City, 13.V.2007, X.-Y. Zhu leg., deposited in C.-C. Chen’s private collection; 2 3, 5 ƤƤ, Baisha City, 26.IV.2011, W.-X. Lin, W.-X. Bi & Y.-T. Zhong leg., deposited in C.-C. Chen’s private collection; 6 ƤƤ, same data as holotype, deposited in Chang-Chin Chen’s private collection and Entomological Museum of Hebei University, Baoding, China; 1Ƥ, Jian-feng-ling Nature Reserve, 1000m, VI.2010, Y.-X. Wu leg., deposited in Y.-X. Wu’s private collection; 1 Ƥ, no collecting data, deposited in Shanghai Entomological Museum, Chinese Academy of Science, Shanghai.

Holotype description ( Fig. 38 ). Body length measured from apex of mandible to terminal tip of elytra: 59.7 mm.

Color and pubescence: Both dorsal and ventral surfaces of the entire body black, opaque and glabrous.

Head finely microsculptured on dorsal surface, about 1.7 times as wide as long. Vertex hollowed in a triangular area defined by the anterolateral angles of the head and the center of the head, with a pair of triangular processes beside the center of the head. Frontal margin wave shaped, protruding in the middle as an intermandibular projection. Labrum 1/3 times as wide as clypeus, slightly bifurcate at apex. Clypeus with anterolateral corners pointed. Canthus occupying half of the outer margin of the eye. Preocular margin straight. Anterolateral angle of the head a rectangle. Postocular margin slightly convex. Mentum nearly semicircular but flat at apex, densely microsculptured. Submentum clearly defined and more finely microsculptured than mentum. Gula smooth. Maxilla and labium as in P. astacoides blanchardi , with the ligula deeply bifurcate and setose. Mandible about three times as long as the head, rather straight at the basal 1/4, evenly incurved at the apical 3/4, with a triangular subbasal tooth at the basal 1/4 point, and with four small inner teeth at the apical 1/3. Antennal club with three pubescent antennomeres; antennomere 7 with width markedly greater than that of antennomere 6 and sharply pointed at tip, not lamellate as antennomeres 8–10.

Pronotum finely microsculptured as in head, as wide as and slightly shorter than head, oblong as a whole, with lateral margins nearly straight and parallel, and with a distinct posterolateral angle.

Elytra more finely microsculptured than head and pronotum, with no striations or punctures, 1.5 times as long as wide, nearly as wide as head and pronotum.

Legs: Protibia with 6 distinct teeth and some minute denticles along the lateral margin; apex bifurcate. Mesotibia with a distinct lateral spine. Metatibia with an obscure lateral spine.

Male paratypes. Body length measured from apex of mandible to terminal tip of elytra: 44–58mm.

Variation. The subbasal tooth of the mandible is present in all paratypes, shorter and blunter in the smallersized specimens than in the larger-sized specimens. Pair of processes on the vertex of the head obsolete in the smaller-sized males. The lateral margin of the protibia is continuously serrate in the smaller-sized males. The lateral margins of the pronotum can be convex, not straight as in holotype. The metatibia can be toothless, not with an obsolete tooth as in holotype.

Male genitalia ( Figs. 50–52 , 62): Ventral plate of the 9th abdominal segment with the basal part almost even in width, and without a longitudinal membranous stripe along the midline of the terminal expansion. Aedeagus in ventral view ( Figs. 50–52 ) wider than in all subspecies of P. astacoides examined ( Figs. 53–61 ). Basal piece nearly 1.7–1.8 times as long as parameres, with dorsal plates fully developed; caudal ventral plate sclerotized, elongated and rounded at outer margin. Paramere and penis as in all subspecies of P. astacoides examined; flagellum nearly as long as the aedeagus, broad and belt-like at the basal 2/3, trifurcate at the apical 1/3.

Female paratypes ( Figs. 43–44 ). Body length measured from apex of mandible to terminal tip of elytra: 26– 31 mm.

Color and pubescence: Both dorsal and ventral surfaces of the entire body glabrous and generally black. The lateral sides of the elytra are red in two female paratypes.

Head densely punctate and coarsely sculptured on dorsal surface, with the punctures markedly larger than in all subspecies of P. astacoides . Vertex without a pair of bulges. Labrum defined posteriorly by a transverse labral suture, about 3 times as wide as long and flat at tip. Canthus occupying 2/3 of the outer margin of the eye. Preocular margin nearly straight. Anterolateral angle of the head obtuse and poorly defined. Postocular margin short and slightly convex. Mentum densely punctate, nearly twice as wide as long, rounded at apex and anterolateral corners. Submentum clearly defined and punctate. Gula smooth. Maxilla with the tip of the lacinia hooked. Labium with the ligula deeply bifurcate and setose. Mandible 2/3 times as long as head, evenly incurved, and with a median inner tooth. Antennal club with three pubescent antennomeres; antennomere 7 with width slightly greater than that of antennomere 6 and sharply pointed at tip, not lamellate as antennomeres 8–10.

Pronotum densely punctate on the surface; without central depression; about 1.7 times as wide as long, widest at the posterior 1/3 point forming a rounded lateral angle; lateral margin minutely crenulate, evenly convex from the anterior angle to the lateral angle, slightly convex at the posterior 1/3, without a posterior angle.

Elytra with surface micropunctate and shiny, each with a longitudinal line of large punctures adjacent to suture.

Legs: Protibia rather straight, continuously serrate at outer lateral margin, with a broad serrate plate at apex. Mesotibia and metatibia straight, each with a distinct lateral spine.

Female genitalia ( Figs. 63–64 , 72): Last abdominal tergite semicircular, without a membranous area along the midline. Last abdominal ventrite excavated at caudal margin, with a membranous midline. Hemisternite with inner lateral margin less concave than in all Chinese subspecies of P. a s t a c o i d e s examined. Ninth hemisternite markedly broader than in all Chinese subspecies of P. astacoides examined. Spermatheca membranous and gradually widened as in all Chinese subspecies of P. astacoides examined. Spermathecal duct markedly shorter than spermatheca. Spermathecal gland and its duct nearly as long as spermatheca.

Distribution. Hainan (Baisha, Ba-wang-ling, Jian-feng-ling).

Etymology. This species is named in honor of Prof. Guo-Dong Ren, Hebei University, China.

Diagnosis. This new species can be easily distinguished from P. astacoides by the following characters: both sexes mostly black on both dorsal and ventral surfaces; head and pronotum of both sexes more coarsely punctured; dorsal processes of the head in the larger-sized males broader and blunter at apex; aedeagus stouter with the basal piece wider in dorsal or ventral view; 9th hemisternite of the female genitalia markedly broader and plate-like.

Remarks. All the known Chinese subspecies of P. astacoides have been dissected for a comparison in male and female genitalia. The new species from Hainan is constantly different from all the subspecies of P. astacoides in the stouter aedeagus and the broader 9th hemisternite of the female genitalia.

A checklist of all the known subspecies of P. astacoides is presented below; the important references are cited for all the synonyms and the following abbreviation is used: TL= Type locality. Additionally, the distribution of all the known subspecies of P. astacoides is illustrated ( Fig. 81).

Prosopocoilus astacoides astacoides (Hope, 1840) (TL: Assam) (originally described in the genus Lucanus Scopoli ) – northeastern India (Khasi Hills, Naga Hills), west central Myanmar

= Lucanus foveatus Hope, 1840 (TL: Sylhet, Assam) (synonym: Arrow 1950, Benesh 1960) = Lucanus omissus Hope, 1840 (TL: Assam) (synonym: Arrow 1950, Benesh 1960)

= Lucanus fraternus Hope, 1845 (TL: undefined) (synonym: Arrow 1950, Benesh 1960) = Lucanus castaneus Hope, 1845 (TL: India) (synonymy uncertain)

= Cladognathus impressus Waterhouse, 1869 (TL: East India) (synonym: Arrow 1950, Benesh 1960)

Prosopocoilus astacoides pallidipennis (Hope, 1841) (TL: Java) (originally described in the genus Lucanus Scopoli ) – Java, Sumatra

= Lucanus cinnamomeus Guérin-Méneville, 1843 (TL: Java) (synonym: Benesh 1960, Fujita 2010) = Metopodontus elaphus Mollenkamp, 1902 (TL: Sumatra) (synonym: Fujita 2010)

= Metopodontus javanus Oberthür & Houlbert, 1913 (TL: Java) (synonym: Benesh 1960) = Metopodontus javanus Didier & Seguy, 1953 (TL: Java) (synonym: Benesh 1960)

= Prosopocoelus diehli Weinreich, 1971 (TL: northern Sumatra) (synonym: Krajcik 2001, Fujita 2010)

Prosopocoilus astacoides blanchardi (Parry, 1873) (TL: Mongolia) (originally described in the genus Metopodontus Westwood ) – Mongolia, China (Inner Mongolia, Hebei, Beijing, Shandong, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Chongqing, Guizhou, Henan, Hubei, Anhui, Zhejiang, Fujian, Jiangxi, Hunan, Taiwan) = Metopodontus blanchardi thibetanus (Planet, 1899) (TL: “Mou-Pin”, western Sichuan) (synonym: Benesh 1960)

Prosopocoilus astacoides dubernardi (Planet, 1899) (TL: “Tsakou”, northwestern Yunnan) (originally described in the genus Metopodontus ) – northwestern Yunnan (Lancang valleys and Yangtse valleys)

Prosopocoilus astacoides poultoni (Boileau, 1911) (TL: “Sakiou, Maria Basti”, western Bhutan) (originally described in the genus Metopodontus ) – Bhutan, Nepal, northern India (Dajeeling), south central Tibet (Zhangmu)

= Metopodontus croceus Didier, 1929 (TL: Bouthan) (synonym: Arrow 1950)

Prosopocoilus astacoides birmanicus ( Gravely, 1915) (TL: Chin Hills, Upper Burma) (originally described in the genus Metopodontus ) – central and southern Myanmar, southwestern and southern Yunnan, northern Vietnam, northern Thailand

Prosopocoilus astacoides kachinensis Bomans & Miyashita, 1997 (TL: Kachin, northern Myanmar) – northern Myanmar, southeastern Tibet (Chayu, Motuo), western Yunnan (Gaoligong Mts.) Prosopocoilus astacoides karubei Nagai, 2000 (TL: southern Vietnam) – southern Vietnam Prosopocoilus astacoides mizunumai Fujita, 2010 (TL: Cameron Highlands, western Malaysia) – Malaysia (Malay Peninsula)

The above list is different from those of Nagai (2000), Krajcik (2001) and Fujita (2010) in the following aspects.

1) Nagai (2000) and Fujita (2010) incorrectly considered P. astacoides kachinensis as a junior synonym of P. astacoides poultoni . They perhaps overlooked Boileau’s original description of P. astacoides poultoni and Gravely’s (1915) important work in which all the male forms of P. astacoides astacoides , P. astacoides poultoni and P. astacoides birmanicus were illustrated and compared. In P. astacoides poultoni , the double basal teeth of the mandible only appear in the medium-sized males but is absent in the larger-sized males; whereas in P. astacoides kachinensis the double basal teeth of the mandible appear in the larger-sized males. These two subspecies are geographically separated by P. astacoides astacoides .

2) Fujita (2010) incorrectly identified the specimens from Darjeeling and Nepal as P. astacoides astacoides . Actually P. astacoides poultoni was described from an area in western Bhutan close to Darjeeling, and all the populations from the Himalayas on west of Bhutan should belong to P. astacoides poultoni . According to Gravely’s (1915) work, the larger-sized males of P. astacoides poultoni have only a single basal tooth on the mandible, and all specimens from Darjeeling and Nepal illustrated by Fujita (2010) match with Boileau’s original description and Gravely’s redescription of P. astacoides poultoni . The type locality of P. astacoides astacoides is Assam.

3) Krajcik (2001) listed P. astacoides poultoni and P. astacoides birmanicus as the junior synonyms of P. a s t a - coides astacoides . According to Gravely (1915), these two subspecies are separable from P. astacoides astacoides in both morphology and distribution. We tentatively agree to Gravely’s opinion before a thorough revision is made.

4) Fujita (2010) put all the populations from “E. India (Assam, Nagaland), SW. Myanmar, N. Thailand, N. Vietnam ” into P. astacoides castaneus , however Assam is the type locality of P. astacoides astacoides and specimens from northern Thailand and northern Vietnam are slightly different from those from Assam and southwestern Myanmar. The correct name for populations from northern Thailand and northern Vietnam should be P. astacoides birmanicus , which was originally described from “Upper Burma ” and “Lower Burma ”. Prosopocoilus astacoides birmanicus is slightly different from P. astacoides astacoides in the more basal inner tooth in the larger-sized males and generally redder appearance of the entire body.

5) Nagai (2000) raised P. astacoides poultoni to the species level, but studied and illustrated specimens of P. astacoides kachinensis to make this conclusion. However, a comparison of the male and female genitalia between P. astacoides kachinensis and other subspecies does not support such a specific separation. Moreover, there is no sympatric record of P. astacoides kachinensis and any other subspecies.

The major taxonomic problems are found in the following two taxa: Lucanus fraternus Hope, 1845 with type locality unknown and Lucanus castaneus Hope, 1845 from “ India ”. Both taxa were described based on smallersized male specimens, with no exact type locality. It may be impossible to determine the true status of these two names, as the subspecies in the areas around eastern India are not clearly separable using the smaller-sized specimens.

Figures

FIGURES 38 – 49. Habitus of Prosopocoilus in dorsal view. 38 — P. re n i, male holotype; 39 — P. astacoides blanchardi, male (Taiwan); 40 — P. astacoides dubernardi, male (Cizhong, northwestern Yunnan); 41 — P. astacoides kachinensis, male (Pianma, western Yunnan); 42 — P. astacoides birmanicus, male (Yingjiang, southwestern Yunnan); 43 – 44 — P. re n i, female paratypes; 45 — P. astacoides blanchardi, female (Tianmushan, Zhejiang); 46 — P. astacoides dubernardi, female (Cizhong, northwestern Yunnan); 47 — P. astacoides kachinensis, female (Pianma, western Yunnan); 48 — P. astacoides birmanicus, female (Yingjiang, southwestern Yunnan); 49 — P. astacoides poultoni, female (Zhangmu, SC. Tibet). Scale bars = 1 cm.

FIGURES 50 – 61. Aedeagus in ventral view. 50 – 52 — P. re n i, paratypes; 53 — P. astacoides blanchardi (Taiwan); 54 — P. astacoides blanchardi (Zhejiang); 55 — P. astacoides blanchardi (Guizhou); 56 — P. astacoides dubernardi (Cizhong, NW. Yunnan); 57 — P. astacoides kachinensis (Pianma, western Yunnan); 58 — P. astacoides kachinensis (Chayu, southeastern Tibet); 59 — P. astacoides kachinensis (Motuo, southeastern Tibet); 60 — P. astacoides birmanicus (Yingjiang, southwestern Yunnan); 61 — P. astacoides poultoni (western Nepal). Scale bars = 1 mm.

FIGURES 63 – 71. Sclerotized female genitalia in ventral view. 63 – 64 — P. re n i, paratypes; 65 — P. astacoides blanchardi (Zhejiang); 66 — P. astacoides dubernardi (Cizhong, northwestern Yunnan); 67 — P. astacoides kachinensis (Pianma, western Yunnan); 68 — P. astacoides kachinensis (Chayu, southeastern Tibet); 69 — P. astacoides birmanicus (Yingjiang, southwestern Yunnan); 70 — P. astacoides poultoni (Zhangmu, south-central Tibet); 71 — P. astacoides poultoni (western Nepal). Scale bars = 1 mm.