Cryptalaus Ôhira

Parekar, Harshad, Danani, Drashti & Patwardhan, Amol, 2024, Rediscovery and Redescription of Cryptalaus cardoni (Candèze, 1890) comb. nov (Coleoptera: Elateridae) after a century with notes on other Cryptalaus Ôhira species in India, Zootaxa 5399 (1), pp. 52-64 : 62-63

# Key to valid Indian species of Cryptalaus Ôhira (after Parekar & Patwardhan, 2021)

1. Pronotum with transverse median carina near base........................................................... 2

–. Pronotum without transverse median carina near base........................................................ 7

2. Anterior edge of pronotum simple or slightly emarginate medially without any medioanterior projections; elytral apex truncate............................................................................................ 3

–. Anterior edge of pronotum sinuous with two teeth-like projections medioanteriorly; elytral apex emarginate or round...... 4

3. Anterior edge of pronotum simple, pronotal posterior angle broad with carina straight, directed towards centre of pronotal disc and just reaching base of posterior angle; elytral interstriae flat; apical lobe of paramere 3.3 times as long as wide..................................................................................... C. sordidus ( Westwood, 1848)

–. Anterior edge of pronotum slightly emarginate medially, pronotal posterior angle narrow with carina curved along lateral edge of pronotum, reaching slightly beyond base of posterior angle; elytral interstriae convex; apical lobe of paramere 1.5 times as long as wide....................................... C. furunculus ( Sarkar, Saha & Raychaudhuri, 2016) comb. nov.

4. Sides of pronotum evenly convex, anterior angles of pronotum acute in dorsal view................................. 5

–. Sides of pronotum irregularly convex to subparallel, anterior angles of pronotum broad in dorsal view.................. 6

5. Apex of elytra round..................................... C. tamargrahensis Akhter, Drumont, Rizvi & Ahmed, 2012

–. Apex of elytra slightly emarginate with sutural spine....................................... C. eryx (Candèze, 1874)

6. Two teeth-like projections on anterior edge of pronotum not raised, two eye-like spots on pronotal disc of black pubescence oval, deviated towards central axis, posterior angles distinctly divergent; apex of elytra emarginate with slightly produced sutural and lateroapical spine.................................................... C. assamensis (Schwarz, 1902)

–. Two teeth-like projections on anterior edge of pronotum strongly raised and pointed, two eye-like spots of black pubescence round; apex of elytra emarginate with distinct lateroapical spine...................... C. nodulosus ( Waterhouse, 1877)

7. Scutellar shield strongly declivous and folded in two planes, anterior vertical and posterior horizontal; elytral apex truncate or emarginate.......................................................................................... 8

–. Scutellar shield declivous in single slanting plane; elytral apex conjointly rounded.................................. 9

8. Pronotum with sides sinuate to narrowly convex, with distinct longitudinal median ridge, median basal tubercle raised and rounded, posterior angles elongate; elytral apex emarginate with sutural and lateroapical spine........................................................................................... C. alveolatus Parekar & Patwardhan, 2021

–. Pronotum with sides strongly convex, disc with irregular surface and without longitudinal median ridge, median basal tubercle raised in transverse ridge, posterior angles broad; elytra with apex truncate to slightly emarginate due to produced sutural region....................................................................... C. sculptus ( Westwood, 1848)

9. Anterior edge of pronotum simple without any medioanterior projections, sides of pronotum subparallel, posterior angles of pronotum very slightly divergent.......................................... C. cardoni ( Candèze, 1890) comb. nov.

–. Anterior edge of pronotum with two teeth-like projections medioanteriorly, sides of pronotum evenly convex, posterior angles of pronotum distinctly divergent.................................................... C. lynceus (Candèze, 1874)