Endemic species of Lucanus from Vietnam

There are 8 species of Lucanus that known only from Vietnam, they usually collected in good forest mountain areas with elevation over 700m.

1. Lucaus dongi

2. Lucanus fujitai (from Fujita 2010)

3. Lucanus fukinukae (from Fujita, 2010)

4. Lucanus luci (from original descrption), this species found from Ngoc Linh, Kon Tum Province (South Center of Vietnam) with large populations.

5. Lucanus kraatzi giangae, this species has been found both from Vietnam and China but the subspecies has known as an endemic taxon of Vietnam, found from Cao Bang Province, North Vietnam

6. Lucanus ngheanus (from Fujita, 2010), the specimens of type were collected from Pu Mat, Nghe An Province, however later this species also be found in Ngoc Linh, Kon Tum Province

7. Lucanus persariini (from Fujita, 2010)

My previous post on Lucanus persariini now is considered as Lucanus pulchelus (8) however its situation should be reviewed in the future.

Rhaetulus maii Maeda, 2009 and Dorcus cuongi Maeda, 2009

In 2009, Mr. Takeshi Maeda published a paper in which three new species of Lucanidae were described: Lucanus dongi, Rhaetulus maii and Dorcus cuongi.

All specimens of three species were collected from Kon Tum Province (misspelling as Contum in the paper) in 2008 by Mr. Nguyen The Dong, an insect catcher who lives in Tam Dao Town. The species Lucanus dongi and Dorcus cuongi has been confirmed of another locality in Quang Nam Province (in two year: 2013, 2014) while Rhaetulus maii has not been recorded from anywhere else except the locality of type series (Kon Tum Province).

Since three species was published, none of them has been recorded again or rediscovered from the locality of type specimens (Kon Tum Province), and the question about the true locality of the type specimens is still a mystery of science. However, they maybe all are endemic species of Vietnamese fauna.

There is an interesting story about the name of three species, they were name after members of Mr. Nguyen The Dong's family: Nguyen The Mai is Mr. Nguyen The Dong's father and Nguyen The Cuong is name of his son. "Mai", "Dong" and "Cuong" in Vietnamese are their fist name and they all belong to Nguyen family.

Takeshi Maeda is a Japanese entomologist and insect collector who had worked a long time in Vietnam, he also has a long previous co-working with Mr. Nguyen The Dong on Vietnamese stag beetle fauna. He can speak Vietnamese quite well. Now, he is working mainly in India-Myanmar fauna.

Type of series specimens of Rhaetulus maii (scan from the original description)

Type of series specimens of Dorcus cuongi (scan from the original description)

Yumikoi makii Arnaud & Miyaa, 2006

This species is known as an endemic species that found from center of Vietnam. It distributes from Thua Thien Hue to Quang Nam and Quang Ngai Provices, maybe also found in Kon Tum. It is monotype of the genus Yumikhoi, authors erected the species and the genus in the same paper in 2006.

It is one of the species that easy to breed so it is object of many breeders.

The species be found in forests with elevation from 700 to more than 1000m, of Truong Son Mountain Rage in center of Vietnam. The female is black and much more smaller than the male.

Dorsal view of male specimen

Male in front view

Kibakoganea Nagai, 1984

The genus Kikobaganea was erected by Nagai in 1984 as subgenus of Fruhstoferia, Hirasawa promoted it to genus level in 1992. Their typical characteristic is the inner lobe on basal lateral edge of each pronotum side. There are total 14 known species around South East Asia and South China. And they belong to 3 groups (based on structure of the male genitalia organ):


Group 1 with very short and apex separated parameres:

K. formosana (Kurosawa & Kobayashi, 1975) (Do Collection)

This species is endemic in Taiwan, they are quite smaller than other member of the genus, they are green/yellow with black part marking beetles.

K. sinica Bouchard

K. kraatzi Miyake & Muramoto, 2003
This first known from Vietnam then later found from South China and Hainan, the species had been misidentified with K. sexmaculata in a long time but later be described as a new species.

K. opaca Muramoto, 1993 (Do Collection)

This species found from China and recently be recorded from North Vietnam.

Group 2 with longer and not separated parameres which are asymmetrical:

K. kawaii Muramoto, 2005

K. koyamai (Hirasawa, 1989) (Do Collection)

K. kumei (Hirasawa, 1989) (Do Collection)

Last group, group 3, genitalia with not separated and symmetrical parameres:

K. dohertyi (Ohaus, 1905)

K. fujiokai Miyake & Muramoto, 1992 (Do Collection) - Male

Male of K. fujiokai, photographed by Cuong Do, Lam Dong Province

K. fujiokai Miyake & Muramoto, 1992 Female, laying her egg in breeding box. Specimens collected from Lam Dong Privnce

K. sexmaculata (Kraatz, 1900) (Do Collection)
This species is the most early known species among members of the genus. It was first recorded from North Vietnam then be found wider distribute in the area later. The type locality of the species is same to K. kraatzi

K. tamdaoensis Miyake & Muramoto
K. vernicata (Benderitter)

K. canhcamsung Do, 2013 (male holotype) from Tay Giang, Quang Nam Province

K. yoshitomii Nagai