Chiasognathus mniszechii Thomson, 1862

Paulsen, M. J. & Smith, Andrew, 2010, Revision of the genus Chiasognathus Stephens of southern South America with the description of a new species (Coleoptera, Lucanidae, Lucaninae, Chiasognathini), ZooKeys 43 (43), pp. 33-63 : 55-56

Chiasognathus mniszechii Thomson, 1862

Figs 6, 19, 21, 23–24, 31

Chiasognathus mniszechii Thomson, 1862: 406 , revised status. Type material: Lectotype male (MNHN) labeled: a) bordered label “Ex-Musaeo / Mniszech”; b) bordered label “ Th. / TYPE”; c) handwritten “ Mniszechii / Type Thoms / 4.1862 Chili / [300] ”; d) “MUSÉUM PARIS / [280D.]”; e) red paper, “TYPE”; f) “[1993] / Chiasognathus jousselinii / Reiche / Det: F. Chalumeau & B. Brochier”; g) handwritten “ Chiasognathus . / jousselini. Reich. / Det: JP. LACROIX.”; h) bordered label “Southern Neotropical Scarabs / database # AS 2618226 / Chiasognathus mniszechii / Thomson, 1862 [male symbol] / DET: A.B.T. SMITH 2009”; i) red label “ Chiasognathus / jousselinii [male symbol] / Thomson, 1862 / LECTOTYPE / Det. M.J. Paulsen”. Lectotype designated by Chalumeau and Brochier (1995) by inference under ICZN Article 74.6 when they referred to the specimen as the holotype. Thomson (1862) gave no definitive indication that there was only one specimen in the type series. Type locality: “ Chili.”

Chiasognathus schoenemanni Kriesche, 1919: 94 , new synonymy. Type material: Lectotype male (SMTD) designated by Chalumeau and Brochier (1995) labeled a) handwritten “ Chile / Bader von Longavi, / Parral”; b) handwritten “ Chiasognathus / schoenemanni / Cotyp!”; c) “sammlung KRIESCHE / Ankauf 1974”; d) red label “Typ”; e) “Staatl. Museum für / Tierkunde. Dresden”; f) bordered “[-93] / Chiasognathus / schoenemanni / dés. F. Chalumeau & / B. Brochier”; f) “[-94] / Chiasognathus jousselinii / Reiche / Dét. F. Chalumeau & B. Brochier”. g) red label “ Chiasognathus / schoenemanni [male symbol] / Kriesche, 1919 / LECTOTYPE / Det. M.J. Paulsen”. Five paralectotype males (ZMHB).Type locality: “ Chile, Bäder von Longavi, Parral.”

Description. Length: 22.0– 42.2 mm. Width: 10.7–14.8 mm. Color: Brown to reddish brown, with weak metallic reflections, appearing gray from dense covering of scale-like setae (Figs 23–24); setae variably abraded or greased. Head: Form subquadrate. Surface punctate; punctures fine to coarse, generally setose with short to long setae, especially laterally. Anterior margin of head roundly produced beyond anterior angles and with median nasus; nasus variable with two distinct or conjoined teeth or reduced to a single process, in females nasus migrated downward from anterior margin. Anterior angles obtusely rounded in dorsal view. Male mandible (Fig. 21) setose, cylindrical, narrow, 2–3× as long as head, externally sinuate until abruptly, internally curved at apex; apex curved weakly upward, lacking patch of setae. Dentate carina of 15–20 peg-like teeth beginning on dorsal margin in basal third (in basal third teeth variably reduced to form low carina), becoming internal in median third, but dorsal again in apical third. Base of mandibles with acute ventral tooth; tooth occasionally obsolete. Female mandible as long as head, externally weakly rounded, dorsally flattened, with median internal tooth. Galeal brush short, shorter than first and second labial palpomeres combined. Antennal scape in males with sparse area of long setae at apex. Pronotum: Posterior and lateral angles obtusely angulate (rarely subdentate), posterior angle more strongly so in males, both angles almost obsolete in females. Lateral margins distinct, crenulate. Dorsal surface with strong transverse ridge either side of triangular median longitudinal furrow, weak depressions indicated either side of disc before middle in most specimens; furrow and depressions variably setose; setae short to long in males (3× longer than length of distal antennomere of club), short in females. Elytra: Surface rough, slightly wrinkled, generally obscured by dense cover of scale-like setae (especially in males). Apex subdentate, but lacking spine; elytral margin narrow, beaded. Epipleuron strongly concave. Legs: Protibiae elongate, serrate externally (Fig. 19); ventral surface along internal margin with teeth well developed in males, variably developed in females. Male genitalia: Flagellum short, shorter than length of parameres and basal piece together (Fig. 6).

Distribution. Central Chile and adjacent Neuquén, Argentina (Fig. 31).

ARGENTINA (2): Neuquén (2): Parque Nacional Lanín.

CHILE (60): Maule (1): Estero Leiva ; Biobío (24): Atacalco, Cordillera Chíllan, Las Trancas, Pemehue; La Araucanía (35): Cherquenco, Cunco, Curacautín, Las Raíces, Manzanar.

Temporal distribution. January (6), February (32), March (1), December (23).

Diagnosis. This is the most commonly encountered species with dense, velvety pubescence on the elytra of males. If the scales are abraded, males of this species can still be recognized because they have narrower, more sinuate mandibles than the other species in the genus (Fig. 21). In addition, C. mniszechii differs from the other densely scaled species, C. jousselinii , in having the basal part of the protibiae serrate instead of dentate (Fig. 19), strongly concave epipleura, and a marginal bead on a narrow elytral margin apically.

Remarks. This species is one of the more commonly collected and widespread species in the genus, and it has been collected at mercury vapor lights. Because the species has for so long been incorrectly synonymized under C. jousselinii , all distributional records or information previously published for C. jousselinii (e.g., Benesh 1960; Ocampo and Paulsen 2008) is likely to apply instead to C. mniszechii .