Lucanus brivioi Zilioli 2003
Creators: name: Zhan, Zhihong
name: Young, Daniel K.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Lucanidae
Lucanus
Lucanus brivioi

description: Lucanus brivioi Zilioli, 2003 (Figs 86–93, 256, 288, 318, 346, 397–399, 467)   
 Lucanus brivioi Zilioli, 2003: 266, figs 1–4; Huang & Chen, 2010: 82–83, plate 63, fig. 3; Huang & Chen, 2017: 16–17.   
 Material examined. [5♂]: CHINA: Fujian Province, Sanming City, De-Hua County // Jiu-Xian-Shan Mt., // [三fi市, 德化县, 九仙山]; Alt. 1000m; 15 July. 2019 // Zhihong Zhan leg.; [2nd label]: 25.6977°N; 118.1152°E Adult // collected on host plant// Cyclobalanopsis glauca // (Thunberg) Oersted; [3rd label]: Lucanus // brivioi // Zilioli ♂ // det. Z. Zhan; [5♂]: CHINA: Fujian Province, Sanming City, Dehua County // Jiu-Xian-Shan Mt., // [德化县, 九仙山]; Alt. 1000m; 15 July. 2020 // Zhihong Zhan leg.; [2nd label]: 25.6977°N; 118.1152°E Adult // collected on crown of host plant// Cyclobalanopsis glauca // (Thunberg) Oersted; [3rd label]: Lucanus // brivioi // Zilioli ♂ // det. Z. Zhan; [5♂]: CHINA: Fujian Province, Sanming City, Dehua County // Jiu-Xian-Shan Mt., // [三fi市, 德化县, 九仙山]; Alt. 1000m; 13 June. 2021 // Zhihong Zhan leg.; [2nd label]: 25.6977°N; 118.1152°E Adult // collected on crown of host plant// Cyclobalanopsis glauca // (Thunberg) Oersted; [3rd label]: Lucanus // brivioi // Zilioli ♂ // det. Z. Zhan; [5♂]: CHINA: Fujian Province, Sanming City, Dehua County // Lian-Hua-Feng Mt., // [三fi市, 德化县, KAE 峰]; Alt. 1200m; 18 June. 2021 // Zhihong Zhan leg.; [2nd label]: 28.0946°N; 118.5218°E Adult // collected on crown of host plant// Cyclobalanopsis glauca // (Thunberg) Oersted; [3rd label]: Lucanus // brivioi // Zilioli ♂ // det. Z. Zhan; [5♀]: CHINA: Fujian Province, Sanming City, De-Hua County // Jiu-Xian-Shan Mt., // [三fi市, 德化县, 九仙山]; Alt. 1000m; 10 July. 2019 // Zhihong Zhan leg.; [2nd label]: 25.6977°N; 118.1152°E Adult // collected on host plant// Cyclobalanopsis glauca // (Thunberg) Oersted; [3rd label]: Lucanus // brivioi // Zilioli ♀ // det. Z. Zhan.   
Body length 35.2–65.1 mm (♂); 28.4–33.5 mm (♀).  
Description. Major male. Body brownish to reddish, surface with metallicluster, head, including widest region of mandibular bases, 2× width of pronotum and elytra. Head brownish to somewhat reddish, metallic, surface covered with vestiture of scarsely visible, short yellowish setae; mandibles incurved at basal, straight at midlength and apex;major inner mandibular tooth located halfway to apex, sharply triangular protruding forward and not inflated on either side,>6 small inner mandibular teeth located below and above major inner mandibular tooth; apical mandibular fork strongly developed, sharply open from front, upper branches of apical fork 1.4× length of lower apical fork branches; anterolateral ridges of head well developed, posterolateral margin of head evenly convex, but slightly wider than anterolateral ridges; clypeolabrum well developed, trapezoidal, labrum triangular, protruding along midlength and labral margins. Pronotum brownish to reddish, metallic; surface covered with vestiture of scarsely visible but dense, short setae; convex at apex and base, significantly protruding along midlength; 0.5× width of head and mandibles; prothoracic tibiae bright reddish, each bearing>5 spines from apex to basal 1/3; mesothoracic tibiae bright reddish, each bearing 2–3 spines at midlength; metathoracic tibiae bright reddish, each bearing two minor spines along basal 1/3. Elytra reddish, surface smooth and metallic; slender, widest at apical 1/3, strongly narrow at basal 1/3. Median male as major male except: head with mandibles strongly incurved at basal 1/3; major inner mandibular tooth weakly triangular pointing forward;>5 small inner mandibular teeth located below major tooth. Minor male as major and median males except: head with mandible straight at basal 1/3 and midlength, incurved at front; major inner mandibular tooth weakly developed to absent, single-point and not triangular; <4 small inner mandibular teeth located below and above major tooth. Genitalia. Ventral plate of 9th abdominal segment constricted before caudal expansion; basal piece usually clearly defined, 0.5–0.7× length of entire aedeagus; apical flagellum enlarged, flagellum 0.75× length of entire aedeagus; aedeagus stout, incurved at basal 1/3, triangular distally.  
Female. Body black, surface shinning, oval, usually smaller than major and median males, subequal in length to or larger than minor male. Head black, surface clearly punctate; mandibles incurved at basal 1/3 and apical 1/3; mandibular tooth well developed, asymmetrical; right mandibular tooth triangular; left mandibular tooth smooth; preocular and postocular margins strongly developed, forming acute angle, protruding apically; clypeolabrum weakly developed, triangular, single-pointed at middle. Pronotum black, surface shinning; obscurely but densely punctate; anterior pronotum significant enlarged and incurved, equal to or 1.2× width of posterolateral pronotum; prothoracic tibiae black, each bearing four spines from apex to midlength; distal two spines strongly developed; prothoracic tibiae 1.2× width of mesothoracic and metathoracic tibiae; mesothoracic tibiae black, each bearing two spines at midlength; metathoracic tibiae black, each bearing a single spine at basal 1/3. Elytra black, surface shinning and somewhat metallic, concolorous with head and pronotum; oval, widest at apical 1/3, strongly narrow at basal 1/3.  
Distribution. China (Fujian (Sanming City)).  
 Phenology. Adults of L. brivioi were collected from mid-June (FUJ).   
 Natural history. Typical host plants of L. brivioi are Cyclobalanopsis glauca, height around 5–9 m with diameter less than 20 cm. Adult longevity is 10–15 days. There is no published association of larvae and adults. Current rearing records have, however, been recorded by stag beetle amateurs. According to their descriptions, larvae of L. brivioi require low temperature (stable 19°C) for their first and second instars. The final larval instar requires stable temperatures around 20– 21°C. The entire larval development is usually 1.2–1.4 years.   
Collecting methods. Hand and net-trap collected.  
 Remarks. Lucanus brivioi has been recorded only from Central of Fujian Province in three mountains: Dai-Yun-Shan Mt., Jiu-Xian-Shan Mt., and Lian-Hua-Feng Mt. During summers between 2017 and 2021, three field trips were carried out to find and collect L. brivioi. It should be noted that the number of adults observed in the field has been dramatically decreasing starting in 2019. The decline of adults might be accounted for by two reasons. The first relates to human activities. The primary site for L. brivioi is in the Jiu-Xian-Shan Mt., a famous National Forest Park in Fujian. From 2019 to 2021, the use of AC (agricultural chemicals) in Jiu-Xian-Shan sharply increased, killing the host plant of L. brivioi. A secong reason relates to unlimited collecting. The body size of L. brivioi can reach around 55 mm, some ♂ may even reach more than 60 mm. Such huge body size and slender mandibles attractes the attention of many stag beetle amateurs, including specimen sellers. Thus, the number of L. brivioi has dramatically declined during the past four years. As a critically important conservation goal for the future, study of the natural history of the larvae along with rearing will become necessary and important.
description: Published as part of Zhan, Zhihong & Young, Daniel K., 2023, A taxonomic assessment and redefinition of the Lucanus fortunei species group in China (Coleoptera: Lucanidae: Lucaninae), pp. 279-360 in Zoological Systematics 48 (4) on pages 309-311, DOI: 10.11865/zs.2023401, http://zenodo.org/record/10941626