An identification key to the Lacon species from Iran

1. Pronotum with sublateral carina in posterior angles ......................................................................... 2

– Pronotum without sublateral carina in posterior angles ................................................................... 3

2. Pronotum more convex, with equally rounded sides; pronotal sublateral carina close to lateral carina; oblique keel on each elytron near scutellar shield distinct (Fig. 4C); parameral apical lobe short, equally rounded ................................................................................. L. modestus (Boisduval, 1835)

– Pronotum less convex, more elongate, with widely rounded sides; pronotal sublateral carina distinctly far from lateral carina; oblique keel on each elytron near scutellar shield obsolete (Fig. 4D); parameral apical lobe elongate, narrowly rounded ................................ L. mekrani (Candèze, 1889)

3. Pronotum longer than wide when width measured along half ......................................................... 4 – Pronotum about as long as wide or wider when width measured along half ................................... 5

4. Body covered with wide scale-like setae; pronotal punctation dense; pronotal posterior angles short, less sharp; punctures rough, large, often contiguous (Fig. 4B) ............. L. punctatus (Herbst, 1779)

– Body covered with thick hair-like setae; pronotal posterior angles distinct, long, sharp; pronotal punctation less dense; punctures smaller, separated by about 0.5–1 times their diameter (Fig. 4 E– G) ........................................................................................................... L. unicolor (Candèze, 1874)

5. Body covered with hair-like setae; pronotal punctation sparse, punctures small (Fig. 4F) ................ ................................................................................................................... L. funebris (Solsky, 1881)

– Body covered with scale-like setae; pronotal punctation dense, punctures rough, large ................. 6

6. Body black; pubescence black and silver/yellowish with some white setae (Figs 1 A–D, 2K); male pronotal posterior angles only slightly divergent (Fig. 2A); scutellar shield relatively wider, 1.35 times as long as wide in male, 1.15–1.20 in females (Fig. 2 G–H); aedeagal paramere with apical lobe larger, robust (Fig. 3B); large sclerite of bursa copulatrix relatively wider and with shorter spines (Fig. 3G) .................................................................................................... L. mertliki sp. nov.

– Body reddish brown to dark brown; pubescence usually uniformly golden (sometimes yellowish) and black (Figs 1 E–H, 2L, 4A); male pronotal posterior angles more divergent (Fig. 2C); scutellar shield relatively narrower, 1.35–1.45 times as long as wide in males, 1.25–1.30 times in females (Fig. 2 I–J); aedeagal paramere with apical lobe smaller, slender (Fig. 3A); large sclerite of bursa copulatrix relatively narrower and with longer spines (fig. 11 in Prosvirov 2016b) .......................... ............................................................................................................ L. lepidopterus (Panzer, 1801)