CHAPTER 3

SECTION 5. Order COLEOPTERA

Family LUCANIDAE (stag beetles)

On the Kuril archipelago, the family Lucanidae is represented by a small number of species, which are distributed in the very south of the Range. Until now only 2 species, Lucanus maculifemoratus Motsch. and Eurytrachelus rubrofemoratus Voll., were known on the Kuril Islands (Miwa, 1929; Kôno, 1935d). Recently, S. Kuwayama (Kuwayama, 1967) added another 2, Macrodorcus rectus Motsch. and M. binervis Motsch., and S. I. Medvedev and V. M. Ermolenko (1969) have added Prismognathus angularis Waterh. Thus, 5 species of stag beetles have been found on the Kurils. They are all associated with broadleaved forests of the southern region of Kunashir; 3 species live on Shikotan, and only 1 is mentioned for Iturup (Kuwayama, 1967), where it is evidently exceptionally rare. None of these can be regarded as a background species. Only Lucanus maculifemoratus Motsch. and Prismognathus angularis Waterh. are rather common in broadleaved forests of the southwestern region of Kunashir, but even they are encountered singly; the others are rare even here. Zoogeographically the Kuril stag beetles may be regarded as markedly impoverished, a northern variant of the Japanese fauna. Of these, 3 species (Lucanus maculifemoratus Motsch., Eurytrachelus stratipennis Motsch., and Eu. rubrofemoratus Voll.) have a wider Manchurian range, 1 (Eu. rectus Motsch.) a Sino-Japanese range, and 1 (Prismognathus angularis Waterh.) a typically Island, Kuril-Japanese range. The presence of these species in the Kuril broadleaved forests imparts a southern exotic flavor to their entomofauna.

SYSTEMATIC LIST OF SPECIES

1. Lucanus maculifemoratus Motsch. (Figure 40, 5). K - env. of Alekhino set., July 1-August 2, 1962, 2 males, 1 female, broadleaved forest, on trees and herbaceous vegetation; August 26, 1964, 1 female, A. V. Tsimbalyuk; env. of Sernovdosk set., August 9, 1961, 1 female, on the ground; Golovnino set. (Kuwayama, 1967); I - Kuril'sk (Kuwayama, 1967). Quite common in southwest K, but in small numbers; females are encountered more frequently. Very rare on I. The flight of the beetles continues from the beginning of July to the end of August. S. Kuwayama (Kuwayama, 1967) distinguishes a special subspecies, Lucanus maculifemoratus elegans Planet., which is prevalent on the Kurils, Hokkaido, and Honshu. The range of the nominative form and the other subspecies extends within the limits of the Amur basin, Primorskiy Kray, North East China and Taiwan, the Korean Peninsula, and Japan (Hokkaido, Honshu, Sikoku, Kyushu). Overall, the species has a range of the Manchurian type.

2. Prismognathus angularis Waterh. K - env. of Alekhino set., August 12, 1962, 1 female, broadleaved forest; env. of Lake Goryacheye, August 2, 1961, 1 male, coniferous mixed forest; Sh - env. of Krabovaya Bight, August 26, 1963, 2 females, mixed forest; env. of Malokuril'sk set., August 27, 1963, 1 male, dark coniferous forest. Common in the southwest of K and on Sh. The beetles are encountered throughout August, primarily on the soil, more rarely on herbaceous plants. A Kuril-Japanese species, known in addition to K and Sh, only in Japan, where it is widespread.

3. Eurytrachelus rectus Motsch. (=Macrodorcus rectus Motsch.). K - env. of Alekhino set., August 3, 1961, 1 female, dark coniferous-broadleaved forest; Sh -Malokuril'sk set. (Kuwayama, 1967). Representative of widespread Indo-Malaysian genus. Very rare on the Kurils. The species range may be regarded as Sino-Japanese. Known on K and on Sh, in Primorskiy Kray (rare), in Japan (Hokkaido, Honshu, Sikoku, Kyushu), the Korean Peninsula, and China.

4. Eurytrachelus rubrofemoratus Voll. Cited by S. Kuwayama (Kuwayama, 1967) under the name of Nipponodorcus rubrofemoratus (Voll.). K - env. of Alekhino set., August 3, 1961, 1 male, dark coniferous-broadleaved forest. Observed only on K, where it is very rare. A Manchurian species. Distributed on K, in Primorskiy Kray (common), in Japan (Hokkaido, Honshu, Sikoku, Kyushu), on Taiwan, the Korean Peninsula, and in North East China and East China.

5. Eurytrachelus stratipennis Motsch. K - env. of Alekhino set., August 8, 1962, 2 females, seashore, close to solfatara on soil; Sh -Malokuril'sk set. (Kuwayama, 1967). Very rare on the Kuril Islands, as are other representatives of this genus. Distributed on K, Sh, in Japan (Hokkaido, Honshu, Sikoku, Kyushu), the Korean Peninsula, and in North East China.