Prismognathus triapicalis Houlbert 1915
Creators: name: Huang, Hao
name: Chen, Chang-Chin
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2012
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Lucanidae
Prismognathus
Prismognathus triapicalis

description: Prismognathus triapicalis (Houlbert, 1915)
(Figs. 70–71, 103–106, 120–123, 156–161, 192–196, 216–219, 235)
Gonometopus triapicalis Houlbert, 1915: 19 [type locality: Ta-tsien-Lou (Kangding, western Sichuan)], Figs.3, male; Fig. 4, male head; Mizunuma & Nagai, 1994: plate 148, Fig. 110, male “ type ”.
Prismognathus triapicalis: Nagai 2005: 32, new combination, first female record, Fig. 1, male; Fujita 2010: 166, plate 100, Figs. 499 (1–3), males and female from Sichuan; Fig. 499-4, male from Guizhou; Fig. 499-5, male from Xizang (incorrect data).
Material examined. CHINA: Sichuan: 4 3, 3 ƤƤ, Ya-an, Tianquan Coutny, Erlangshan, VIII.2007, H.-C. Shan leg.; 13 3, 34 ƤƤ, Ya-an, Yingjing County, Siping, 11.VIII.2007, H.-C. Shan leg.; 5 3 (IEAS), Shimian County, Liziping, Gongyihai, 22-25.VII.2007, W.-X. Bi leg.; 2 3, 3 ƤƤ (SNUC), Tianquan, Labahe Nature Reserve, 2000m, VII.2006, L. Tang & J.-Y. Hu leg.; 3 3, 1 Ƥ (IEAS), Tianquan, Labahe, 2060m, 28-30.VII.2007, W.-X. Bi leg; 1 3, Hanyuan, Nimei, VII.2005, C.-J. Dai leg.; 2 3 (IEAS), Emeishan, Jiulaodong, 1750m, 4.VIII.2007, W.- X. Bi leg.; 9 3, 5 ƤƤ (CHH, CCCC), Emeishan, Xixiangchi and Huayanding, 1900-2100m, 17-21.VIII.2011, H. Huang leg. Chongqing: 5 3, 6 ƤƤ, Chengkou, Houping, Guangtoushan, V.2009, X.-D. Yang leg.; 3 3, 3 ƤƤ, Chengkou, Huang-an, Dabashan, III.2007, H.-L. Deng leg.; 1 3, Nanchuan, Jinfoshan, 21.VII.2008, X.-D. Yang leg. Hubei: 1 3 (IEAS), Shennongjia, Hongping, 1700m, 10.VIII.1983, G.-T. Jin leg. Guizhou: 2 3, Tongren, Jiangkou, Fanjingshan, 3.VII.2008, Y. Lee leg. Yunnan: 4 3, Dongchuan, Daguan, IV.2011, X.-D. Yang leg. Guangxi: 1 3 (IEAS), Jinxiu, Dayaoshan, Dazhang-gongshe, 14.XI.1981, Jin & Li leg. Hunan: 1 3, Mangshan, 14.VII.2008, X.-Y. Zhu leg. Guangdong: 1 Ƥ, Ruyuan, Nanling Nature Reserve, VII.2008, X.-Y. Zhu leg.
Zhejiang: 2 3, 1 Ƥ (IEAS), Fengyangshan Nature Reserve, VIII.2008, W.-X. Bi leg.; 1 3, Fengyangshan, 28.VII.2007, X.-T. Miao leg.; 1 Ƥ (SNUC), Fengyangshan, VII.2005, J.-W. Li & S.-J. Shen leg.; 1 Ƥ (IEAS), Qingyuan, Baishanzu, G.-T. Jin leg.
Identification. This species was originally described using large males possessing the following characters: mandible nearly twice as long as head, trifurcated at apex, without inner teeth; preocular margins of the head straight and nearly parallel; intermandibular projection large and oblong. There is only one species found from the areas around the type locality in western Sichuan, which shows the above-mentioned characters. The medium and small-sized male specimens were identified by the examination of male genitalia. The female has not been described, though Fujita (2010) illustrated a female specimen for the first time. The female specimens from Sichuan examined by us were identified as belonging to this species because both sexes were collected together in some localities, and by comparing the female genitalia with the similar species.
The large males of Cyclorasis miyashitai from Vietnam, Myanmar and Yunnan (1 male specimen recorded from Pianma, western Yunnan) are somewhat similar to P. triapicalis, but can be easily distinguished from the latter for the different genitalic characters and the different distribution. The two species are allopatric.
Specimens from Chongqing, Guizhou, Guangxi, Guangdong, Hunan and Zhejiang have only slight external difference from the typical specimens from Sichuan; they show some male genitalic differences (length of median lobe and depth of the central split on the caudal plate of the basal piece of the aedeagus) from the typical specimens from Sichuan but have no male genitalic difference in the flagellum and no female genitalic difference in the spermatheca and spermathecal gland. This is similar to the case of P. davidis. Female specimens from Zhejiang have the hemisternites of the genitalia more elongated than in other populations, but have no other genitalic difference from those of the populations from Chongqing and Guangdong. Considering that there are no marked differences in length of the flagellum of the penis, the size of the apex of the flagellum, the spermatheca and the spermathecal gland of the female genitalia between all these populations, which have been considered as the most important specific characters in Prismognathus, it is reasonable to provisionally treat all of them as the same species. An experiment of cross-breeding between these populations is needed to clarify the species delimitation of P. triapicalis. The unique holotype of P. sinensis may belong to this species and represent a population from Fujian.
Taxonomic notes. This species is closely related to P. formosanus from Taiwan; they share many external characters in the small males, some male genitalic characters and most of the female genitalic characters.
Distribution. Western Sichuan, Chongqing, Guizhou, northeastern Yunnan, Hunan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Zhejiang.
description: Published as part of Huang, Hao & Chen, Chang-Chin, 2012, A review of the genera Prismognathus Motschulsky and Cladophyllus Houlbert (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea: Lucanidae) from China, with the description of two new species, pp. 1-36 in Zootaxa 3255 on pages 12-13, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.280626