Onitis Fabricius,1798

Karimbumkara, Seena Narayanan & Priyadarsanan, Dharma Rajan, 2024, Study on the genus Onitis (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) of the Indian Subcontinent, with three new species from India, European Journal of Taxonomy 956, pp. 1-61 : 4-6

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.5852/ejt.2024.956.2657
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DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13768269
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scientific name	Onitis Fabricius,1798
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Genus Onitis Fabricius,1798 View in CoL

Key to species of Onitis Fabricius, 1798 View in CoL from the Indian subcontinent

The following key is based on external morphological characters and can be used to identify both male and female adults of Onitis View in CoL . For the convenience of identification, we have retained the groups suggested by Janssens (1937). The keys have been modified from the identification keys to the species provided by Arrow (1931) and Balthasar (1963).

1. Head with frontal carina interrupted medially, with tubercle placed adjoining the carina; clypeus always with a short or long transverse carina.................................................................................... 2

– Head with frontal carina uninterrupted or entire, with tubercle behind or absent; clypeal carina feebly expressed.......................................................................................................................................... 13

2. Body completely black or dark brown (GROUP I) .......................................................................... 3

– Body metallic, with coppery or green tinge....................................................................................... 6 3. Pronotum minutely punctured ( Fig. 5E–F View Fig )........................................................................................ 4

– Pronotum strongly punctured ( Fig. 14A–B View Fig )...................................................................................... 5

4. Metasternal shield in male with deep transverse excavation in the middle; without an anterior longitudinal groove ................................................... O. excavatus Arrow, 1931 View in CoL ( Figs 5E View Fig , 6A–D View Fig , 18 View Fig )

– Metasternal shield without transverse excavation in the middle, with an anterior longitudinal groove ...................................................................... O. falcatus ( Wulfen, 1786) View in CoL ( Figs 5F View Fig , 6E–H View Fig , 18 View Fig )

5. Pygidium with a median longitudinal groove; protibia with a rudimentary spur before the extremity ( Fig. 16A View Fig 16 ) ..................................... O. bhomorensis sp. nov. ( Figs 2 View Fig , 6I–L View Fig , 9A View Fig , 14A View Fig , 15A View Fig , 16A View Fig 16 , 17 View Fig )

– Pygidium without a median longitudinal groove; protibia without a rudimentary spur ( Fig. 16B View Fig 16 ).... ................................. O. punctatostriatus Janssens, 1937 View in CoL ( Figs 6M–P View Fig , 9B View Fig , 10F View Fig , 14B View Fig , 15B View Fig , 16B View Fig 16 , 19 View Fig )

6. Vertex covered with granules or highly raspy punctuation; clypeal carina closer to the frontal carina than to the clypeal margin ( Fig. 9A–F View Fig ) (GROUP II)........................................................................ 7

– Vertex covered with punctures and never rough or granular; clypeal carina midway between clypeal margin and frontal carina ( Figs 1A View Fig , 10D View Fig ) (GROUP III)................................................................ 12

7. Metasternum longitudinally grooved anteriorly ( Fig. 12F View Fig )............................................................... 8

– Metasternum not grooved anteriorly ( Fig. 1B View Fig ).................................................................................11

8. Pronotum without a smooth median longitudinal line; genae smooth, inconspicuously punctured ( Fig. 14C–D View Fig ); male profemur not toothed......................................................................................... 9

– Pronotum with a smooth median longitudinal line; genae sparingly granular ( Fig. 14E–F View Fig ); male profemur toothed ............................................................................................................................. 10

9. Clypeus granular in male and rugose in female ( Figs 9D View Fig , 14D View Fig ), pronotum strongly and unevenly punctured .......................... O. philemon Fabricius, 1801 View in CoL ( Figs 8E–H View Fig , 9D View Fig , 10E View Fig , 14D View Fig , 15D View Fig , 16D View Fig 16 , 19 View Fig )

– Clypeus rugulose in both sexes; pronotum strongly and closely punctured ( Figs 9C View Fig , 14C View Fig )............... ................................................................. O. kethai sp. nov. ( Figs 7 View Fig , 8A–D View Fig , 9C View Fig , 14C View Fig , 15C View Fig , 16C View Fig 16 , 18 View Fig )

10. Lateral margin of pronotum feebly curved; front angles of pronotum blunt ( Figs 9F View Fig , 14F View Fig ); mid-femur in male with a tooth near the middle of its posterior edge, another at the extremity ( Fig. 16F View Fig 16 ) ......... ......................................... O. singhalensis Lansberge, 1875 View in CoL ( Figs 8I–L View Fig , 9F View Fig , 12A View Fig , 14F View Fig , 15F View Fig , 16F View Fig 16 , 19 View Fig )

– Lateral margin of pronotum strongly curved; front angles of pronotum sharp ( Figs 9E View Fig , 14E View Fig ); mid femur in male without a tooth near the middle of the posterior edge, the extremity with a sharp tooth on the lower edge and a blunt one above ( Fig. 16E View Fig 16 ) ........................................................................... ....................................................... O. visthara sp. nov. ( Figs 8M–P View Fig , 9E View Fig , 12E–F View Fig , 14E View Fig , 15E View Fig , 16E View Fig 16 , 20 View Fig )

11. Frontal carina narrowly interrupted; pygidium smooth with minute punctures.................................. ............................................................................. O. virens Lansberge, 1875 View in CoL ( Figs 12D View Fig , 13E–H View Fig , 20 View Fig )

– Frontal carina widely interrupted; pygidium opaque with imperceptible punctures........................... ............................................................................ O. subopacus Arrow, 1931 View in CoL ( Figs 12C View Fig , 13A–D View Fig , 20 View Fig )

12. Pronotal anterior angles not extended, blunt; male protibia with 3–4 teeth on the inferomedial ridge ........................................................................... O. naviauxi Cambefort, 1988 View in CoL ( Figs 4E–F View Fig , 10D View Fig , 19 View Fig )

– Pronotal anterior angles slightly extended, sharp; male protibia with 6–7 teeth on the inferomedial ridge ( Fig. 1C View Fig ) ........................................................ O. assamensis Biswas, 1980 View in CoL ( Figs 1 View Fig , 4A–D View Fig , 17 View Fig )

13. Pygidium covered with short or long hair (GROUP VII)............................................................... 14

– Pygidium not covered with hair or setae ......................................................................................... 17 14. Clypeus elliptical; head not tuberculate; elytral intervals slightly carinate in the middle................... ..................................................................................... O. feae Felsche, 1907 View in CoL ( Figs 10A View Fig , 11E–H View Fig , 18 View Fig )

– Clypeus truncate or excised; head tuberculate; elytral intervals convex......................................... 15

15. Clypeal margin deeply excised with an obtuse angle; frontal carina with a small gap ....................... .......................................................................................... O. brahma Lansberge, 1875 View in CoL ( Figs 5B View Fig , 17 View Fig )

– Clypeal margin not deeply excised; frontal carina entire ................................................................ 16

16. Hair on the pygidium short; elytral interval angularly elevated along middle with fine close punctures................................................................................... O. crassus Sharp, 1875 View in CoL ( Figs 5D View Fig , 18 View Fig )

– Hair on the pygidium long; elytral interval flat with feeble punctures................................................ .................................................................... O. castaneus Redtenbacher, 1848 View in CoL ( Figs 5C View Fig , 11A–D View Fig , 17 View Fig )

17. Clypeal carina present ..................................................................................................................... 18

– Clypeal carina absent....................................................................................................................... 19

18. First, third and fifth inter-striae of the elytra not much convex; elytra dark, metasternal shield smooth behind, with a median groove (GROUP V)............ O. lama Lansberge, 1875 View in CoL ( Figs 10C View Fig , 11I–L View Fig , 19 View Fig )

– First, third, and fifth inter-striae distinctly convex; elytra yellow with some intervals green; metasternal shield punctured behind, without a median groove (GROUP XIV) ............................... ....................................................................................... O. humerosus ( Pallas, 1771) View in CoL ( Figs 10B View Fig , 18 View Fig )

19. Pronotum covered with close granules (GROUP IX)......................................................................... ............................................................................ O. bordati Cambefort, 1988 View in CoL ( Figs 3 View Fig , 4G–J View Fig , 5A View Fig , 17 View Fig )

– Pronotum covered with strong punctures (GROUP XVIII)............................................................... .......................................................................................... O. siva Gillet, 1911 View in CoL ( Figs 4K–N View Fig , 12B View Fig , 20 View Fig )