Key to the Male Lycus sp. of Southern Africa (after Stamhuis 1992)
- Legs thickened, femora and tibiae toothed (at least one pair of legs)......................................................................................................................................................................................... 2
- All legs simple............................................................................................................................................................... 7
- Forelegs thickened and toothed (femora and tibia); middle and hind legs simple.................................... 3
- Hind and/or mid-legs thickened and toothed; forelegs simple....................................................................... 4
-
Elytra elongated (sub-parallel) Length 8 – 10 mm .......................................................................L chirindanus
- Elytra sides broadly, dilated (forming wings), posterior roundly dilated Length 13 – 18 mm .............................................................................................................................................................. L humerosus .
- Hind and mid-legs thickened and toothed (fore legs simple)....................................................................... 5
- Hind legs thickened and toothed (fore and mid legs simple), elytra with slight humeral crests; slightly roundly, dilated latero- posteriorly, with extremities pointing inwards suturally Length 12.5 – 18 mm ......................................................................................................................................................................... L podagricus
- Elytra with dilated sides (semi-circular in form), with prominent humeral crests Length 9 – 22 mm ........................................................................................................................................................................... L rostratus
- Elytra elongated, without prominent humeral crests ............................................................................................. 6
-
Elytra slightly broader apically, extremities rounded; distinct scutellar black markings Length 9 – 20 mm ............................................................................................................................... L rostratellus
- Elytra with slightly rounded dilated latero-humeral margins; posterior slightly dilated, with ovally rounded extremities Length 11.5 – 16 mm ...........................................................L scapularis
- Elytra elongated (sub-parallel), without humeral crest; elytra of males and females similar (no sexual dimorphism) .................................................................................................................................. 30
- Elytra of males and females of different form (sexually dimorphic characteristics), with or without prominent humeral crests and dilated laterally (varying in form) ........................................... 8
- With humeral crest ................................................................................................................................................... 9
- Without humeral crest ............................................................................................................................................ 19
- Humeral crest spiniform ......................................................................................................................................... 10
- Humeral crest not spiniform .................................................................................................................................. 11
- Extremities truncate ................................................................................................................................................ 12
- Extremities rounded ................................................................................................................................................ 16
- Elytra sides dilated medio – laterally .................................................................................................................. 17
- Elytral sides dilated (sides rounded posteriorly); small humeral crests Length 9 – 15 mm .................................................................................................................................................. L intgripennis
- Extremities curved and prominently spiniform; elytra slightly dilated laterally Length 13 – 15 mm .................................................................................................................................... L apicalis *
- Extremities truncate to rounded ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 13
- Elytral sides broadly dilated, forming “cheeks”; extremities truncate; costae prominent, texture matt (not glabrous) Length 10 – 21 mm ........................................................................ L melanurus
- Elytral sides not to broadly dilated (no “cheeks”) ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 14
- Elytral colouration and truncature of extremities very variable; humeral spiniform sides parallel Length 15 – 23 mm ............................................................................................................ L latissimus*
- Elytra colouration relatively constant; humeral spiniform sides not parallel, slightly extended ............................................................................................................................................................................... 15
- Elytra extremities straight to rounded Length 10 -17 mm.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... L corniger
- Elytra extremities rounded Length 13.5 – 17 mm................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................L integer *
- Elytra dilation more or less rounded; humeral crest small, bluntly spiniform; sutural margin straight Length 9.5 – 17 mm .................................................................................................... L intermedius
- Elytra transversely dilated; humeral crest produced, ending in a blunt, rounded incurved spine; sutural margin bloated and overlapping medially, with posterior concave sutural margin Length 19 – 23 mm ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. L alatus
- Elytra lateral margin with an array of long dense and conspicuous setae ............................................................................................................................................................................................................ 18
- Elytra lateral margin without setae ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 19
- Humeral crests elongately dilated laterally; posterior 1/3 of elytra black Length 10 -16.5 mm.... L haagi - Humeral crests roundy dialated laterally; posterior ½ of elytra black, with black colouration extending medially to humeral area Length 9 – 10 mm........................................................................................................................................................................................................ L pusillus
- Elytra with extremely long and slender spines .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 20
- Elytra without spines ..................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 21
- Elytra with long, curved latero – humeral spines extending centrally Length 10 – 15.5 mm ....................................................................................................................................................................L hamatus
- Eltyra with long, curved sutural marginal spines Length 14.5 – 23.5 ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................... L kolbei.
- Elytra with humeral calli Length 9 – 17 mm ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... L inornatus.
- Elytra without humeral calli ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 22
- Elytra with anterior sides dilated and margins upturned (trough – shaped) ............................................................................................................................................................................................................ 25
- Elytra with sides dilated (rounded), margins not trough – shaped ..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................23
- Elytra sides ovally – rounded dilated ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 27
- Elytra with distinct epipleura formed (elytra extended ventrally) ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 24
- Elytra roundly dilated (varying from extremely to elongated) in anterior ¾ with vary large epipleura ventrally; with “fingerprint form” black marks on elongated posterior extremities Length 18.5 – 21 mm...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... L trabeatus.
- Elytra with black “fingerprint” apical markings; form of elytra long and slender Length 18.5 – 21 mm .............................................................................................................................................. L trabeatus.
- Elytra not so broardly dilated (elongated), with slight ventral epipleura; transverse black apical markings (margin straight) length 13 – 20 mm ........................................... L subtrabeatus..
- Elytra with humeral area concavely hollow; posterior elongated, extremities ovally pointed, medially Length 10 – 17 mm ................................................................................................. L distanti .
- Elytra with humeral areas not concavely hollow; extremities pointed ventrally and ovally rounded............................................................................................................................................................. 26
- Elytra with anterior sides extremely dilated; sutural margin straight Length 13 – 21 mm ................................................................................................................................................................ L poultoni .
- Elytra with anterior sides slightly dialated, posterior margin of “trough” slightly extended, forming a rounded, blunt protrusion: sutural margin convexly overlapping medially Length 12 – 18 mm ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ L elevatus .
- Elytra slightly depressed dorso-ventrally; sutral margin slightly convex, overlapping medially with posterior extremities widely apart Length 16 – 24 mm ............................................. L duvivieri.
- Elytra not depressed dorso-ventrally; sutural margin not convex; extremities not widely separated .................................................................................................................................................................... 28
- Elytra extremely dilated laterally (transverse rounded form) sutural margins slightly concave medially Length 15 – 23 mm ............................................................................................. L foliaceus
- Elytra not as extremely dilated; sutural margin relatively straight .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 29
-
Posterior margin of pronotum with distinct black band, extending medially; sutural margin “bloatated” medially Length 9.5 – 17 mm .............................................................................. L palliatus
- Pronotum with black markings medially (no black band on posterior margin) Length 8 – 24 mm ...................................................................................................................................................... L ampliatus .
- Elytra with slight humeral crest and distinct black, humero-scutellar area (anterior 1/5) Length 6.5 10 mm .................................................................................................................... ......... L zonatus.
- Elytra without slight humeral crest; no black humeral area ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 31
- Elytra slightly dilated laterally (ovally – elongated form); black posterior 1/5 of elytra Length 9 – 14 mm ........................................................................................................................... L staudingeri.*.
- Elytra completely elongated (not dilated latterally) ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 32
- Elytra very elongated with prominent costae Length 14 – 20 mm ............................................................................................................................................................................................................. L agrestis.
- Elytra elongated; apical 1/5 black Length 11 – 18 mm .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................. L scrobicollis..
Reference to male genital removed from the Stamhuis 1992 key.
Length of species added based on Stamhuis 1992 text.
Species names with * indicates that they may not occur in southern Africa
All text copied from Stamhuis 1992 no work my own!!!!!!