Ryssonotus Reid & Beatson, 2016, new species
Creators: name: Reid, C. A. M.
name: Beatson, M.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2016
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Lucanidae
Ryssonotus

description: Key to the adults of Ryssonotus and Safrina
1 Antennal club with 6 antennomeres, antennomeres 2–4 without dense setae, in contrast to densely setose antennomeres 5–10 (Fig. 38); head with lateral genal lobes (Fig. 20); prosternal process flat, hidden between procoxae (Fig. 47); lateral margins of elytra explanate (Fig. 2); inner face of mandibles not densely setose (Fig. 20); upper surface of head and pronotum shiny, without mottled colour pattern (Fig. 2); ventral setae simple (genus Safrina).......................................... 2
- Antennal club with 5 antennomeres, antennomeres 2–5 without dense setae (Fig. 37); head without genal lobes (Fig. 19); prosternal process arched and visible between procoxae (Fig. 44); lateral margins of elytra narrow, not explanate (Fig. 1); inner face of mandibles densely setose (Fig. 19); entire upper surface dull, mottled (Fig. 1); ventral setae multifid...................................................................................... Ryssonotus nebulosus (Kirby, 1819)
2(1) Males (Figs 2−9, 20−27): pronotum usually parallel-sided or almost so; head more transverse, or with prominent anterior angles of the genal lobe; mandibles longer, lateral margin angulate, usually with dorsal tubercles; lateral pronotal margins complete or feebly crenulate; inner face of protibia usually with 2 or 3 teeth, rarely without (S. parallela); upper surface less strongly punctured and/or microsculptured................................................................. 3
- Females (Figs 11−18, 29−36): pronotum broadest at or near hind angles and sides curved; head less transverse, genal lobe usu- ally broadest at base; mandibles shorter, lateral margin curved, without dorsal tubercles, or small tubercle present at base of outer carina; lateral pronotal margins strongly crenulate; inner face of protibia without teeth, or with 1 small tooth; upper surface more strongly punctured and/or microsculptured........................................................ 10
3(2) Mandibles without basal tooth on upper side of internal face (Fig. 26); elytral suture and first interval raised as a smooth and shiny ridge, usually contrasting with dull, microsculptured unridged disc (Figs 5, 8)................................ 4
- Mandibles with basal internal tooth (Fig. 23); elytral disc shiny, or ridged, or both, without strongly contrasting sculpture of first interval (Figs 2−4, 6−7, 9)...........................................................................5
4(3) Elytral disc smooth, finely punctured and not strigose (Fig. 5); pregular ridge hemispherical or triangular in anterior view; inner face of protibia toothed; elytra distinctly rounded at sides, less elongate; ventrites 2−4 each with a dense band of yellow setae (Figs 48−49)........................................................ Safrina jugularis (Westwood, 1863)
- Elytral disc irregularly strigose, with mixed large and small punctures (Fig. 8); pregular ridge slightly convex; inner face of protibia without teeth; elytra less rounded at sides, more elongate; ventrites 2−4 without dense yellow setae (length 15–22 mm)......................................................................... Safrina parallela (Deyrolle, 1881)
5(3) Mandibles without large pre-apical dorsal tooth (Fig. 39); without elytral ridges, or several present, but poorly defined (Fig. 2); shape of head variable................................................................................. 6
- Mandibles with large pre-apical dorsal tooth (Fig. 40); basal half of elytron with two ridges, one sharp and oblique from humerus to disc and the other on interval 5 (Fig. 3); head approximately parallel-sided (Fig. 21) (length 19−25 mm)....................................................................................... Safrina grandis (Lea, 1915)
6(5) Sides of head strongly expanded laterally as a triangular or trapezoid lobe with acute apex (Figs. 22−23); upper outer margins of mandibles strongly keeled, at most weakly tuberculate (Fig. 41); elytra shallowly striate with convex intervals (Figs. 4, 6) (pregular swelling with 0−2 setose punctures on each face).................................................... 7
- Head approximately parallel-sided or broadest at base (Figs. 20, 25, 27); upper margins of mandibles with tubercles; elytra smooth or irregularly ridged (Figs. 2, 7, 9)................................................................. 8
7(6) Lateral extension of head trapezoid, lateral margin concave or notched (Fig. 23); gap at base of parameres in ventral view broader (Fig. 57) (length 16−20 mm)............................................. Safrina laticeps (Macleay, 1885)
- Lateral extension of head elongate triangular, with indentation on posterior margin (Fig. 22); gap at base of parameres in ventral view narrower (Fig. 55) (length 18−21 mm)....................................... Safrina jaedoni new species.
8(6) Upper surface of mandibles with 3–4 similar sized, rounded, tubercles (Fig. 44); elytral disc smooth and shiny, contrasting with dull explanate margins, sparsely and finely punctured, without convex areas (Fig. 7) (length 15−22 mm)........................................................................................... Safrina moorei new species.
- Upper surface of mandibles with 1 large tubercle on outer ridge, occasionally a smaller second tubercle elsewhere (Figs. 39, 43); elytral disc at least vaguely ridged, disc, and explanate margins not contrasting in microsculpture (Figs. 2, 9)......... 9
9(8) Basal half of elytron with intervals 3 and 5 raised, also an oblique ridge from humerus to disc, these ridges irregularly transversely grooved (Fig. 2); sides of pronotum strongly and closely punctured, some punctures separated by a diameter or less; upper surface black; upper mandibular tubercle more lateral, on an irregular elongate ridge (Figs. 20, 39) (length 15−24 mm)............................................................................ Safrina dekeyzeri new species.
- Basal half of elytron without distinct ridges, but at least interval 3 convex, remainder of elytron smooth and shiny, sparsely and finely punctured (Fig. 9); sides of pronotum finely and sparsely punctured; upper surface dark red with green reflection; upper mandibular tubercle isolated, not part of ridge (Figs. 27, 43) (length 16−25 mm)............. Safrina polita (Carter, 1921)
10(2) Elytral disc flat, dull, densely microsculptured, in contrast to convex and shiny first elytral interval (Figs 14, 17); anterior face of pregular ridge densely punctured (Fig. 47).............................................................. 11
- Elytral disc either shiny or ridged or both (Figs. 11, 16); anterior face of pregular ridge impunctate or sparsely punctured (interspaces much greater than puncture diameters) (as Fig. 45).................................................... 12
11(10) Elytra with irregular shallow strigose grooves (Fig. 17); posterior angles of genal lobe sharp, connected to eyes by straight margin at 45° to axis (Fig. 35); length 15–20 mm ................................. Safrina parallela (Deyrolle, 1881)
- Elytra smooth, non-strigose (Fig. 14); posterior angles of genal lobe produced at 90° and blunt (Fig. 33); length 22–26 mm .......................................................................... Safrina jugularis (Westwood, 1863)
12(10) Elytra without carina from shoulder to disc (Fig. 16); pronotum finely and sparsely punctured, punctures sparse on midline, not coalescent on disc; outer margin of mandible with basal tooth (Fig. 34)......................................... 13
- Carina from elytral shoulder to disc, with elytral interval 7 convex (Fig. 11); pronotum strongly and closely punctured, punctures of basal third of median groove usually separated by less than diameters, some discal punctures coalescent; mandible with or without basal tooth............................................................................. 14
13(12) First, third, and fifth elytral intervals convex at base, entirely shiny (Fig. 18); pronotal punctures larger; lateral pronotal crenulation less regular; dorsum dark red with green reflection................................ Safrina polita (Carter, 1921)
- Elytra smooth and explanate margins dull, contrasting with disc (Fig. 16); pronotal punctures finer; lateral pronotal crenulation more regular, sharper; dorsum black with green reflection............................... Safrina moorei new species.
14(12) Lateral margins of pronotum strongly crenulate, some tubercles sharp (Figs 11−12); first, third, fifth, and seventh elytral intervals convex at base, the last forming a sharp oblique carina from shoulder to disc (Figs 11−12)....................... 15
- Lateral margins of pronotum weakly crenulate, tubercles blunt (Figs 13, 15); all elytral intervals slightly convex at base, odd numbers slightly more so, seventh not sharply carinate (Figs 13, 15)........................................... 16
15(14) Black; elytra irregularly transversely wrinkled and dull, densely microreticulate except shiny ridges (Fig. 11); side of head broadest at base of genal lobe, evenly rounded to anterior of lobe (Fig. 29); pronotal disc more strongly and closely punctured, interspaces 2− 5x puncture diameters; tooth at base of outer mandibular carina smaller or absent (Fig. 29)............................................................................................. Safrina dekeyzeri new species.
- Black or dark brown, with green reflection; elytra not transversely wrinkled, shiny, without dense microsculpture (Fig. 12); side of head biconvex, anterior angle of genal lobe laterally produced (Fig. 30); pronotal disc more sparsely and finely punctured, interspaces 4− 8x puncture diameters; tooth at base of outer mandibular carina larger (Fig. 30)................................................................................................... Safrina grandis (Lea, 1915)
16(14) Pronotal disc smoother, basal median groove less densely punctured, with smooth areas between punctures (Fig. 13); apex of elytral disc smoother [teneral specimens rugose], with smaller punctures................... Safrina jaedoni new species.
- Pronotal disc rougher, basal median groove more densely punctured, punctures close or coalescent (Fig. 15); apex of elytral disc rugose, with larger punctures............................................... Safrina laticeps (Macleay, 1885)
Key to mature larvae of Ryssonotus and Safrina (larvae of S. dekeyzeri, S. jaedoni, and S. parallela unknown; diagnostic attributes for Safrina species based on three or less specimens of each species)
1 Mandible with 4 scissorial teeth; tibiotarsus reduced to short lobe, length = width at base; raster setae outwardly directed............................................................................ Ryssonotus nebulosus (Kirby, 1819)
- Mandible with 5 scissorial teeth (Fig. 64); tibiotarsus not reduced, length about 3x width at base (Fig. 66); mid raster setae posteriorly or inwardly directed (Fig. 67) (Safrina)............................................................. 2
2(1) Apex of third antennomere truncate or almost so; middle of raster with elongate spines or setae....................... 3
- Apex of third antennomere, at large oval sensilla, produced as a rounded lobe beyond base of fourth antennomere; middle of raster with dense short spines, posteriorly and inwardly directed (apex of metatrochanter rounded, stridulatory file not reaching apex)....................................................................... S. jugularis (Westwood, 1863)
3(2) Apex of metatrochanter angulate and stridulatory file reaching apex at this point, with 17−23 tubercles................. 4
- Apex of metatrochanter rounded and stridulatory file not reaching apex, with 15−17 tubercles (mesocoxal stridulatory file with 35−37 small granules or tubercles; fourth antennomere length to width ratio about 2.3)......... S. laticeps (Macleay, 1885)
4(3) Mesocoxal stridulatory file with 33−36 small granules or pegs; fourth antennomere more elongate, length to width ratio 2.6−3.3............................................................................................. 5
- Mesocoxal stridulatory file with c.26−30 small granules or pegs; fourth antennomere less elongate, length to width ratio 2.1−2.3............................................................................ S. grandis (Lea, 1915)
5(4) Inner edge of left mandible with deep excavation between bilobed apex of mola and middle of mola; inner margin of antennomere 3 deeply concave............................................................... S. polita (Carter, 1921)
- Inner edge of left mandible without excavation between bilobed apex of mola and middle of mola; inner margin of antennomere 3 shallowly concave.............................................................. S. moorei new species.
description: Published as part of Reid, C. A. M. & Beatson, M., 2016, Revision of the stag beetle genus Ryssonotus MacLeay (Coleoptera: Lucanidae), with descriptions of a new genus and three new species, pp. 1-39 in Zootaxa 4150 (1) on pages 21-23, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4150.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/272084