Leptinopterus affinis Parry, 1872

Grossi, Paschoal Coelho, 2009, Description of two new species of Leptinopterus Hope (Coleoptera: Lucanidae: Lucaninae) with notes on the taxonomy and natural history of the genus, Zootaxa 2172, pp. 32-44 : 35

Leptinopterus affinis Parry, 1872

Leptinopterus affinis Parry, 1872: 80 , plate 1 (description and illustration); Heyne & Taschenberg 1908: 54; Lüderwaldt 1935: 475, plate 2; Blackwelder 1944: 196; Didier & Séguy 1953: 128 (462); Benesh 1960: 51; Maes 1992: 62; Mizunuma & Nagai 1994: 278, (116); Krajcik 2001: 27; Krajcik 2003: 93; Baba 2003: 20 ( Figs. 1–4 ).

nomen nudum: Leptinopterus pulchellus Parry 1864: 85 .

nomen nudum: Leptinopterus pulchellus Klug (ined.) Nonfried 1891: 281.

nomen nudum: Leptinopterus nitidus ab. lepidus Lüderwaldt 1930: 124.

Leptinopterus affinis Parry and L. nitidus Lüderwaldt are very similar except for the femoral coloration, which is the main character that can be used to distinguish these two species. The femora in L. affinis are entirely dark yellow, while in specimens of L. nitidus they are totally black. After examining the types of Lüderwaldt at MZSP, I concluded that “ L. nitidus ab. lepidus Lüderwaldt, 1930 ” is actually L. affinis , and not L. nitidus as previously concluded by Benesh (1960) and Krajcik (2001). In addition, some specimens identified by Lüderwaldt (1935) as L. v-niger (Westwood) from Santa Catarina State were also L. affinis and L. nitidus specimens. Leptinopterus v-niger has its distribution restricted to eastern Brazil, not extending as far south, and is also not morphologically similar to the other species cited here. The elytral pattern is variable within these species and is not a good character for the identification of Leptinopterus species.

Leptinopterus affinis and L. nitidus are sympatric, found in the southern states of Brazil.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 4. Dorsal habitus of Leptinopterus species: 1 and 3) L. asketus, male and female; 2 and 4) L. assimilis, male and female.