Ceruchus minor Tanikado & Okuda 1994
Creators: name: Huang, Hao
name: Imura, Yûki
name: Chen, Chang-Chin
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2011
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Lucanidae
Ceruchus
Ceruchus minor

description: 1. Ceruchus minor Tanikado & Okuda, 1994
(Figs. 1–9, 20–23, 25, 40–44, 48, 56–59, 66, 84–123, 220 –222, 226, 249–252, 255, 256, 258, 269–271, 288–292)
Specimens examined. CHINA: Shaanxi Province: 13 (CYI), Ningshan County, Pass between Ningshan and Xunyangba, Pingheliangding, 2450-2500m, 1.XI.2005, Y. Imura & Y. Nagahata leg.; Sichuan Province: 13 & 1Ƥ (CYI), Nanjiang County, Micangshan Mountains, 2km west of Daba, 1350-1450m, 2.XI.2004, Y. Imura & Y. Nagahata leg.; Chongqing: 23 & 1Ƥ (CCCC), Chengkou County, Huang-an Village, 1795m, 28.XI.2007, H.-L. Deng leg.; 23 (CHH), Chengkou County, Xinzong (Bashan), Gaonan, Guodidang valley, 1500m, 25.IV.2008, H. Huang leg.; Gansu Province: 73 & 5ƤƤ (CCCC), Diebu County, 3100m, 7.VII.2009, X.-Y. Zhu leg.; 93 & 7ƤƤ (CCCC), Zhouqu County, Shatanlinchang, 2340m, 18.X.2009. X.-D. Yang leg. (93 & 4ƤƤ from different localities dissected).
Identification. In the original description (Tanikado & Okuda 1994), the following male characters were used: 1) depressed longitudinal striations on the elytra deeper than in Ceruchus sinensis; 2) central split on caudal margin of the basal piece of the aedeagus in ventral view narrow and shallow, forming a small Y-shaped gap, with two sides flat and not protruding; 3) penis in ventral view markedly wide and not swollen in middle; 4) dorsal surface of the penis in lateral view strongly incurved at cephalic half, with marked wings along the margins. The following female characters were used: 5) anterior angle of the pronotum not protruding at an acute angle; 6) flattened marginal area of the pronotum relatively wider; 7) stylus of female genitalia moderately long, no more than twice as long as wide. In Boucher & Kral’s (1994) revision, in which one male and one female paratypes were examined, the following characters were used: 8) dorsal tooth of the male mandible in lateral view (for large and medium-sized males only) with anterior margin more concave than posterior margin, causing tip of the tooth to point somewhat forwards; 9) ventral tooth of the male mandible in lateral view (for large and medium-sized males only) more or less present; 10) anterior margin of the male mentum not protruding medially; 11) yellow setae on posterior half of the male mesofemur in ventral view sparse and moderately long; 12) yellow setae on inner apex of the male mesotibia narrowly distributed, dense and short, forming a thin brush of short setae; 13) pronotum of female without a pair of the isolated protuberances outside of the transversal carina. All of these characters can be regarded as the basis of identification for Ceruchus minor, among which the character that the penis is strongly incurved at dorsal surface with marked wings along the margin is peculiarly useful. The specimens examined by the authors from Shaanxi, Sichuan, Chongqing and Gansu match with all of these characters.
Taxonomic notes. This species was considered as being “closely allied” to Ceruchus niger “in both external and genital features” by Imura & Araya (2006). However the two species differ from each other in 11 male characters (Table 1) and 5 female characters (Table 2). In fact, Ceruchus minor has more characters in common with Ceruchus lignarius from Japan than to any other Chinese species (Tables 1 & 2).
Distribution (Fig. 293). This species was originally described from Qinling, Shaanxi and subsequently recorded from Sichuan (Imura & Araya 2006) and Chongqing (Imura & Araya 2006). It was also recorded by the authors from Diebu and Zhouqu, southern Gansu province.
2. Ceruchus katerinae Kral 1995
(Figs. 24, 28, 45, 46, 124–131, 224, 228, 253, 273, 279–283)
Specimens examined. CHINA: Sichuan Province: 13 (CHH), Luding County, Gonggashan Mountains, Hailuogou, 3100 m, 30.VII.2006, L. Tang leg.; 1Ƥ (CWXB), Luding County, Hailuogou, 1940m, 27.VII.2007, W.- X. Bi leg. (13 & 1Ƥ dissected).
Identification. The following male characters were used in Boucher & Kral’s (1997) revision: 1) dorsal tooth of the mandible in lateral view (for large and medium-sized males only) with anterior margin more concave than posterior margin, causing tip of the tooth to point a little forwards; 2) ventral tooth of the mandible in lateral view (for large and medium-sized males only) present; 3) anterior margin of the mentum not protruding medially; 4) yellow setae on posterior half of the mesofemur in ventral view dense and markedly long; 5) yellow setae on inner apex of the mesotibia long, widely distributed, dense and forming a broad brush; 6) caudal end of the penis not beyond the paramere in natural shape; 7) central split on caudal margin of the basal piece of the aedeagus in ventral view minute or obsolete, with two sides flat and not protruding posteriorly; 8) penis in ventral view thin and not swollen in middle; 9) dorsal surface of the penis in lateral view slightly incurved, without wings along the margins.
The identification of females of this species is problematic. The female paratype of Ceruchus katerinae has no differences compared to the female paratype of Ceruchus deuvei, according to Boucher & Kral (1997). However, a female specimen (Fig. 273) recently collected from the type locality of Ceruchus katerinae has the marked difference from the paratype of Ceruchus deuvei in the presence of the isolated protuberances on pronotum and four female genital characters (Table 2). It is also different from all other Chinese species, therefore it may represent the true female of Ceruchus katerinae. It is possible that Ceruchus deuvei occurs also in Hailuogou and the female paratype of Ceruchus katerinae is actually Ceruchus deuvei. Nevertheless, the identity of the female for Ceruchus katerinae needs more careful study in future.
Taxonomic notes. Ceruchus deuvei is the closest species of Ceruchus katerinae in morphological distance; they differ from each other in two male genital characters and four possible female genital characters. It is highly possible that they are sympatric in nature.
Distribution (Fig. 293). So far, all the known specimens were collected from Hailuogou on the east slope of the Gongga Mountains.
description: Published as part of Huang, Hao, Imura, Yûki & Chen, Chang-Chin, 2011, Notes on the genus Ceruchus MacLeay from China, with the description of a new species (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea: Lucanidae), pp. 1-42 in Zootaxa 2906 on pages 3-4, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.277719