Taxonomic study of the Macrolycus gracilis group (Coleoptera: Lycidae), with descriptions of four new species from China

  • Ruolan Du Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Application, School of Life Science, Institute of Life Science and Green Development, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, Hebei Province, China https://orcid.org/0009-0003-8774-4001
  • Yuxia Yang Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Application, School of Life Science, Institute of Life Science and Green Development, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, Hebei Province, China https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3118-6659
  • Xingke Yang Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3676-6828
  • Haoyu Liu Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Application, School of Life Science, Institute of Life Science and Green Development, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, Hebei Province, China https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1383-5560
Keywords: net-winged beetles, Macrolycus, alpha taxonomy, new species, China

Abstract

Macrolycus Waterhouse, 1878 is a lycid genus endemic to the East Palaearctic region and the northern part of the Oriental region; nearly half of the described species are distributed in China. Although the taxonomy of Macrolycus has made some progress in recent years, many species remain undescribed in the Chinese fauna. In the present study, the Macrolycus gracilis group is reviewed, and four new species are discovered and described from China, viz. M. nigricollis sp. nov., M. graciliramus sp. nov., M. breviramus sp. nov. and M. acutiapex sp. nov. The habitus of the male or of both sexes, and the male genitalia, are illustrated. In addition, a distribution map and a key to the species of the M. gracilis group are provided.

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Published
2025-03-20
How to Cite
Du, R., Yang, Y., Yang, X., & Liu, H. (2025). Taxonomic study of the Macrolycus gracilis group (Coleoptera: Lycidae), with descriptions of four new species from China. European Journal of Taxonomy, 981(1), 265–279. https://doi.org/10.5852/ejt.2025.981.2825
Section
Research article