Lucanus zhuxiangi Wang et Zhan, 2024

Lucanus zhuxiangi Wang et Zhan View in CoL , sp. n.

https://zoobank.org/NomenclaturalActs/ A0912EEB-5EC5-46FF-9A2D-47456120211D

Figs 11A,B,D,E View Fig , 12A–D View Fig , 13A View Fig , 14A–F View Fig , 15A–C,G View Fig , 16A–C View Fig , 17A–D View Fig

Lucanus zhuxiangi Wang & Zhan, 2018: 2 View in CoL View Cited Treatment (nomen nudum).

TYPE MATERIAL. Holotype: ♂, China: Hunan: Chenzhou City, Yizhang County, Mangshan Nature Reserve , VI 2017, Xiang Zhu leg. ( CAU) . Paratypes: 7♂, 7♀, same data as holotype except Xiang Zhu & Bi-Sheng Zhan leg. ( CXZB) ; 6♂, 8♀, same data as holotype except VI 2016 ( CXZB) ; 21♂, 22♀, Guangdong: Nanling Nature Reserve , VI 2014, Xiang Zhu leg. ( CXZB) ; 40♂, 28♀, same data as previous except VI 2015 ( CXZB) ; 46♂, 15♀, same data as previous except VI 2016 ( CXZB) ; 8♂, 8♀, same data as previous except VI 2017, Xiang Zhu & Bi-Sheng Zhan leg. ( CXZB) ; 1♂, same data as previous except 2.VII 2018, Huan Liu leg. ( CCZC) ; 1♀, same data as previous except 11.VII 2018 ( CCZC) .

DIAGNOSIS. Male. All tibiae and femora ( Figs 11A, B View Fig ) with yellowish stripes on dorsal and ventral sides; labrum slenderly subtriangular; head ( Fig. 13A View Fig ) with anterior ridge subroundly elevated and lateral ridges broad, forming widely-rounded lateral corners; major inner tooth ( Fig. 13A View Fig ) preceded by 3–5 smaller teeth and followed by 8–10 smaller teeth that not continued to mandibular base; protibia ( Figs 11A View Fig ; 12A–D View Fig ) with 4–5 large teeth along outer margin, some smaller or indistinct teeth of different sizes among large ones; abdominal tergite VIII ( Fig. 14A View Fig ) with poorly-defined lateral angles; sternite VIII ( Fig. 14B View Fig ) without membranous area; ventral plate of segment IX ( Fig. 14C View Fig ) with linear longitudinal membranous stripe along midline of apical expansion; aedeagus with ventral plate ( Fig. 15A View Fig ) at apical end of basal piece long, well sclerotized, widely emarginate at apical margin; paramere ( Fig. 15C View Fig ) weakly upcurved at apex; penis ( Fig. 15A View Fig ) long and slender, nearly as long as parameres; flagellum ( Figs 15A–C View Fig ) about 1.4 times as long as parameres, apex ( Fig. 15G View Fig ) weakly enlarged.

Female. All femora ( Figs 11D, E View Fig ) with yellowish stripes on ventral sides; pronotum ( Fig. 11D View Fig ) widest at basal 2/5; elytra ( Fig. 11D View Fig ) clothed with fine pubescence; protibia ( Fig. 11D View Fig ) with apical branches relatively broader and blunter; abdominal tergite VIII ( Fig. 14E View Fig ) with poorly-defined lateral angles; sternite VIII ( Fig. 14F View Fig ) distinctly emarginate at median of posterior margin; hemisternite ( Fig. 16A View Fig ) moderately wide and inner lateral margin of sclerotized part long; spermatheca ( Figs 16A, C View Fig ) with proximal part moderately to strongly curved inwards, and weakly turned ventrad ( Fig. 16B View Fig ); spermathecal duct ( Fig. 16A View Fig ) about 2.1 times as long as spermatheca; spermathecal gland ( Fig. 16A View Fig ) vermiform, shorter than spermatheca.

DESCRIPTION. Male (holotype). Large size, body 56.2 mm long. Length (mm) of different body parts: head (7.7), mandible (22.7), pronotum (6.8), elytra (20.9); width (mm): head (16.4), pronotum (11.9), elytra (14.1).

Habitus ( Figs 11A, B View Fig ; 12B View Fig ). Color mainly reddish brown to blackish brown on both dorsal and ventral sides; elytra sheen, reddish brown; all tibiae and femora with large, transverse, yellowish stripes on dorsal and ventral sides. Body clothed with fine, recumbent, yellowish pubescence, not longer and denser on metasternum.

Head ( Fig. 13A View Fig ). Form transverse. Anterior ridge clearly defined and subroundly elevated. Lateral ridges broad, moderately protruded, forming widely-rounded lateral corners. Clypeolabrum fused with frons, not defined by transverse suture, about 1.5 times as long as wide; labrum slenderly subtriangular, with dorsal branch, subrounded at apex. Mandible about 3.0 times as long as head, distinctly incurved at basal 1/3, then straight to apex; apical fork with upper branch markedly longer than lower branch; major inner tooth slender and longer than mandibular width, preceded by 3–5 smaller teeth and followed by 8–10 smaller teeth that not continued to mandibular base. Antennal club with four antennomeres; antennomere 7 slender and sharply pointed apically; antennomeres 8–10 lamellate.

Legs ( Figs 11A View Fig ; 12B View Fig ). Protibia with 4–5 large teeth along outer margin, some smaller or indistinct teeth of different sizes among large ones; apex bifurcate with branches bluntly rounded at tips. Except apical spurs and spines, mesotibia with 4 or 5 small lateral spines (basal one or two tiny) and metatibia with 3 spines (basal one tiny).

Male terminalia and genitalia. Abdominal tergite VIII ( Fig. 14A View Fig ) with poorly-defined lateral angles; sternite VIII ( Fig. 14B View Fig ) without membranous area and weakly protruded in median of posterior margin. Ventral plate of segment IX ( Fig. 14C View Fig ) with linear longitudinal membranous stripe along midline of apical expansion. Aedeagus ( Fig. 15A View Fig ) about 2.6 times as long as wide in dorsal view. Basal piece ( Fig. 15A View Fig ) oblong in dorsal view, nearly 1.6 times as long as parameres, with paired sclerotized dorsal plates ( Fig. 15B View Fig ); ventral plate ( Fig. 15A View Fig ) at apical end of basal piece long, well sclerotized, widely emarginate at apical margin. Paramere with wide basal process; apex ( Fig. 15C View Fig ) weakly upcurved. Penis ( Fig. 15A View Fig ) long and slender, nearly as long as parameres. Flagellum ( Figs 15A–C View Fig ) relatively short, about 1.4 times as long as parameres, apex ( Fig. 15G View Fig ) weakly enlarged.

Male Paratypes. Body 41.0– 63.9 mm long ( Figs 12A, C, D View Fig ).

Variation. In large-sized males, apical fork of mandible more opened, number of inner teeth more, clypeolabrum longer, anterior ridge of head well elevated; while in small-sized males, apical fork of mandible less opened, number of inner teeth fewer, clypeolabrum shorter, anterior ridge of head weakly elevated.

Female Paratype. Body 32.0 mm long. Length (mm) of different body parts: head (4.2), mandible (3.5), pronotum (6.7), elytra (17.7); width (mm): head (8.3), pronotum (10.7), elytra (12.0).

Habitus ( Figs. 11D, E View Fig ). Color mostly black on both dorsal and ventral sides; ventral sides of profemora, dorsal and ventral sides of meso- and metafemora with transverse yellowish stripes. Body clothed with fine, recumbent, yellowish pubescence, not longer and denser on metasternum.

Head ( Fig. 11D View Fig ). Canthus with both anterior and posterior angles clearly defined; anterior angle inside of eye; lateral margin weakly concave. Anterior and lateral ridges absent. Clypeolabrum transverse, weakly emarginate at apex. Right mandible with low dorsal tooth, inner tooth with broad and flat inner ridge; left mandible without dorsal tooth, with 2 widely-separated inner teeth and small gap behind apex, inner margin between teeth long, weakly concave.

Pronotum ( Fig. 11D View Fig ) 1.6 times as wide as long, widest at basal 2/5; anterior angle rounded; lateral angles weakly defined; posterior angle widely subrounded.

Legs ( Fig. 11D View Fig ). Protibia with 3 distinct teeth along outer margin; apex bifurcate, with branches relatively broader, blunter, and basal branch much more expanded.

Female terminalia and genitalia. Abdominal tergite VIII ( Fig. 14E View Fig ) with poorly-defined lateral angles; sternite VIII ( Fig. 14F View Fig ) with membranous area in median and distinctly emarginate in median of posterior margin. Hemisternite ( Fig. 16A View Fig ) moderately wide, broadly rounded apically, with outer apex not produced beyond inner apex; inner lateral margin of sclerotized part long. Spermatheca ( Figs 16A, C View Fig ) sclerotized, J-shaped; proximal part moderately to strongly curved inwards, and weakly turned ventrad ( Fig. 16B View Fig ). Spermathecal duct ( Fig. 16A View Fig ) long, about 2.1 times as long as spermatheca. Spermathecal gland ( Fig. 16A View Fig ) vermiform, shorter than spermatheca. Central conjunction of 9th tergite protruding medially and roundly narrowed at tip.

FIELD OBSERVATIONS. Mating behavior of L. zhuxiangi sp. n. in Mangshan Nature Reserve (Hunan) as shown in Figs 17A–C View Fig .

ETYMOLOGY. The specific epithet is dedicated to Mr. Xiang Zhu (Beijing, China), one of the collectors of this new species and an enthusiastic amateur entomologist. The name is a noun in the genitive case.

DISTRIBUTION. China (Guangdong, Hunan) .

REMARKS. This new species was assigned to the L. brivioi species group (sensu Zhan & Young, 2023). It well resembles L. brivioi Zilioli, 2003 in general appearance (their aedeagi are also similar to each other, however, there are still differences on the curvatures of the outer margins of penis and the sizes of the flagellum apices), but it can be distinguished by the combination of the following characters ( L. brivioi in round brackets). Male: all tibiae and femora with yellowish stripes on dorsal and ventral sides ( Figs 11A, B View Fig ) (with reddish stripes on dorsal and ventral sides ( Fig. 11C View Fig )), labrum more slender (shorter), major inner teeth of mandibles stouter ( Fig. 13A View Fig ) (more slender ( Fig. 13B View Fig )), head with lateral ridges rounded at lateral corners ( Fig. 13A View Fig ) (obtuse at lateral corners ( Fig. 13B View Fig )), ventral plate of segment IX with linear longitudinal membranous stripe along midline of apical expansion ( Fig. 14C View Fig ) (only with small membranous area in median of apical part). Female: all femora with yellowish stripes on ventral sides ( Fig. 11E View Fig ) (almost uniformly black ( Fig. 11F View Fig )), protibiae with apical branches relatively broader and blunter ( Fig. 11D View Fig ) (relatively smaller and sharper ( Fig. 11F View Fig )), abdominal sternite VIII distinctly emarginate in median of posterior margin ( Fig. 14F View Fig ) (weakly emarginate in median of posterior margin), hemisternite moderately wide and inner lateral margin of sclerotized part long ( Fig. 16A View Fig ) (rather wide and inner lateral margin of sclerotized part short ( Fig. 16D View Fig )), spermatheca with proximal part moderately to strongly curved inwards ( Figs 16A, C View Fig ) (straight or weakly curved inwards ( Fig. 16D View Fig )).

L. zhuxiangi View in CoL sp. n. is also somewhat similar to L. deuveianus Boucher, 1998 View in CoL and L. hewenjiae Huang et Chen, 2013 View in CoL from Guangxi Province, but it is not difficult to distinguish it from them by the combination of characters in the above section of diagnosis.