Aegognathus Leuthnerı 1883

Ríos-Málaver, Juan Sebastián Dueñas Cáceres ı Cristóbal & Grossi, Paschoal Coelho, 2019, Taxonomic contribution on the Andean species of Aegognathus (Coleoptera: Lucanidae) with two new species from Colombia and Peru, JOURNAL OF NATURAL HISTORY 53 (35), pp. 2145-2164 : 2147-2148

Aegognathus Leuthnerı 1883 .

Type species: Aegognathus waterhouseiı 1883ı by monotypy

Description male

Colour: Variableı entirely blackı with small dark-red areası in some cases presenting red to orange tones along whole body; elytra sometimes with bluish reflectionsı and covered by yellow small scales like setae. Head: shorter than wide; surface at first view smoothı shagreened; anterior margin emarginate at the median region; usually with almost parallel lateral margins. Antennae 10 segmentedı lamellae with yellowish setae over distal region. Ocular canthusı covering only the first third of eyes. Mandiblesı of major males strongly curved inwardsı with a long medial internal tooth directed upwardı reduced or absent in small males; apex acuminate to truncateı some species with wavy inner margin; one species ( A. aguirei ) with broadı less curved mandibles which lack a distinct median tooth. Pronotum: Anterior margin slightly emarginateı margins completely borderedı interrupted on the anterior margin mediallyı with a continuous band of yellowish setae; anterior angles rounded to acuteı sides almost straightı narrowing near the posterior angles; surface shagreenedı disc usually flatı weakly concave. Elytra: Surface strongly and uniformly punctateı punctures large to coarseı dense to somewhat contiguousı with white to yellow simple or dendritic setaeı sometimes with some longitudinal costaeı never smooth. Epipleuron punctures moderate to large. Legs: Protibiae showing variable number of external teeth but presenting at least two strong distal ones; one apical spurı glabrous. Mesotibiae and Metatibiae with four apical teethı inner spur slightly longer and more slender than the external one; sometimes mesotibiae with 1 – 3 median acuminate teeth; metatibiae usually with one median acuminate tooth only. Venter: Mentum trapezoidalı granulate denseı usually with small yellowish appressed setaeı anterior margin not differentiated. Gena punctate or minutely punctateı showing a posterior carina that clearly delimits its posterior margin. Prosternum granulate with yellowish appressed setae; anterior and posterior margins showing a fringe of yellowish setae. Mesoventrite punctate with appressed yellowish setaeı medially. Metaventrite moderately punctate over the median regionı with yellowish appressed setae that become denser laterally. Discrimen present as a longitudinal suture along the metaventrite. Abdominal ventrites usually borderedı sometimes with a discrete to distinct carina along lateral margins; puncture size variableı dense to sparse. Genitalia: Genital capsule simple with dark and translucent regions; aedeagus shape usually subtriangular; basal piece with a translucent area over the disc; median lobe elongateı sides parallelı never foldedı with an ‘ H ’ to ‘ X ’ shaped cross barı never as a transverse bar; everted internal sac flat to cylindricalı apex generally cylindricalı darkened by minute spicules.

Description female

Colour: as males but always presenting darker tones along the whole body. Head: Shape smaller than malesı subquadrateı narrower than the pronotum; strongly punctate; mandibles subequalı presenting a variable transverse tooth. Pronotum: Surface strongly and uniformly punctateı angles more distinctı anterior ones usually acuteı posterior ones somewhat rounded; anterior margins reaching the posterior region of head. Elytra: surface strongly punctateı punctures contiguousı coarse with yellowish erect setaeı becoming denser posteriorly. Legs: General aspect strongerı less slenderı with a variable number of external teeth on protibiae. Venter: Punctures more distinctı and almost uniformly distributed along entire ventral surface; discrimen generally more distinct than in males. Genitalia: Gonostyli symmetricı slightly prolonged laterally with somewhat truncate posterior margin presenting some scattered setae. Accessory glandı broadı almost as large as the gonocoxites together. Bursa copulatrix slightly wider at baseı getting narrower distallyı sometimes uniformly broadı cylindrical. Spermatheca narrowı C-shaped with sclerotised dilated apex. Spermathecal gland absent. Supra anal projection subtrianguları with acuminate to rounded apex.

Distribution of Andean species

Colombiaı Ecuadorı Peruı along the Páramo province ( Morrone 2015)

Remarks. The genus currently includes 10 species described for Colombiaı Ecuadorı Peru and Brazilı the Peruvian and Ecuadorian species being better known or more frequently collected. The first described species A. waterhousei was registered for Chanchamayo in Peruı subsequentlyı other species were described for Colombia ( Van De Poll 1886)ı Brazil ( Luederwaldt 1935)ı Ecuador ( Bartolozzi et al. 1991) and other regions of Peru ( Arnaud and Bomans 2004 ı 2006aı 2006bı 2007).