Lucanus liupengyui Huang & Chen, 2017

Zhan, Zhihong & Young, Daniel K., 2023, A taxonomic assessment and redefinition of the Lucanus fortunei species group in China (Coleoptera: Lucanidae: Lucaninae), Zoological Systematics 48 (4), pp. 279-360 : 337-339

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11865/zs.2023401
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:46AA3E9C-C065-415D-946B-0813AF169B14
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/A51987E0-7F6E-FFA0-FF02-A9F9FB92FA97
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Lucanus liupengyui Huang & Chen, 2017
status

Treatment

Lucanus liupengyui Huang & Chen, 2017 View in CoL ( Figs 209–216 View Figures 209–216 , 272 View Figures 260–275 , 304 View Figures 276–307 , 332 View Figures 324–335 , 360 View Figures 336–363 , 445–447 View Figures 436–456 )

Lucanus liupengyui Huang & Chen, 2017: 1–4 View in CoL . Material examined. [5♂]: CHINA: Xizang, Linzhi Pref., Motuo County // Chen-Tang // [aeḇ县, Ľḏ]; Alt. 2200m;

25 July. 2022 // Yangyang Chen leg.; [2nd label]: 29.3254°N; 95.3321°E Adult // Light-trap collected //; [2nd label]: Lucanus View in CoL // liupengyui View in CoL // Huang and Chen ♂ // det. Z. Zhan; [1♀]: CHINA: Xizang, Linzhi Pref., Motuo County // Chen-Tang // [ae ḇ县, Ľḏ]; Alt. 2200m; 25 July. 2022 // Yangyang Chen leg.; [2nd label]: 29.3254°N; 95.3321°E Adult // Light-trap collected //; [2nd label]: Lucanus View in CoL // liupengyui View in CoL // Huang and Chen ♀ // det. Z. Zhan.

Body length 28.4–45.1 mm (♂); 30.8 mm (♀).

Description. Major male. Body brownish with metallic luster; body surface covered with vestiture of short, yellowish setae. Head, including widest region of mandibular bases, 1.35× width of pronotum and elytra. Head brownish, metallic and setose; mandibles incurved distally and anteriorly; each major inner mandibular tooth located approximately at middle of mandible, stout and triangular; <4 small inner mandibular teeth located above and below major mandibular tooth. Apical mandibular forks weakly developed, upper branches of apical fork 1.3× length of lower apical fork branches; anterolateral ridges of head flat, posterolateral margin of head subparallel with anterolateral ridges; clypeolabrum stout, trapezoidal; labrum triangular, protruding along midlength. Thorax brownish, concolorous with head, surface metallic and setose; convex at apex and base, significantly protruding at middle; 0.74× length of head mandibles; prothoracic tibiae reddish, each bearing approximately four slender spines from apex to midlength; mesothoracic tibiae reddish, each bearing two spines along midlength; metathoracic tibiae reddish, each bearing two poorly developed spines distally. Elytra brownish, usually somewhat brighter than head and pronotum, setose and shinning along suture; each elytral slender, widest at apical 1/3, strongly narrow at basal 1/3. Median male as major male except: head with Mandible straight along distal and anterior; major inner mandibular tooth weakly developed. Minor male as major and median males except: head with mandibles only incurved anteriorly; major inner mandibular tooth single-pointed, 1–2 small inner mandibular teeth located above major mandibular tooth; apical mandible forks poorly developed. Genitalia. Basal piece wide and short, 0.45× length of entire aedeagus; apical flagellum weakly enlarged, flagellum subequal in length to that of entire aedeagus; aedeagus stout, incurved at basal 1/3, triangular distally.

Female: body black, surface less setose than that of male, metallic along elytral suture; body stout, always smaller than major and median males, sometimes larger than or subequal in length to that of minor male. Head: black; surface punctate and metallic; mandibles straight along midlength and apical 1/3; mandibular tooth well developed, asymmetrical; right mandibular tooth triangular, left sharply convex along midlength; preocular and postocular margins strongly developed, forming acute angles, and protruding anteriorly; clypeolabrum single-pointed. Thorax: pronotum always concolorous with head, surface shinning and setose, densely punctate; anterior pronotum well enlarged, subequal in width to that of posterolateral pronotum; prothoracic tibiae slender and black, each bearing four spines from anterior to midlength; distal two spines sharp, well developed; prothoracic tibiae 1.2× width of mesothoracic and metathoracic tibiae; mesothoracic tibiae black, each bearing two spines along midlength; metathoracic tibiae black, each bearing a single spine at basal 1/3. Elytra: black, with metallic luster, concolorous with head and pronotum; oval, widest at apical 1/3, strongly narrow at basal 1/3.

Distribution. China (Xizang).

Phenology. Adults of L. liupengyui were collected during late July.

Natural history. Typical plants for this species are still unknown. Adult longevity is around 30 days.

Collecting methods. Light-trap collected.

Remarks. Huang and Chen (2017) treated L. liupengyui as the fourth species of the Lucanus fortunei species group, distributed in the Himalayas. They stated that, males of L. liupengyui exhibited a short clypeolabrum and a flat inner edge of the right mandible in the female.

Although L. liupengyui agrees with parts of the newly defined Lucanus fortunei species group, (e.g., the stout clypeolabrum in males), other characters such as the stout male genitalia and mandibular shape of females provide significant differences with the L. fortunei species group. After examining both external and genetalic characters, I propose this species closely related to L. kraatzi and should be considered part of the L. kraatzi species group.