There are three Lucid keys available to identify your unknown longhorned beetles. These keys cover specific subsets of longhorn taxa and allow you to narrow your options for confirmation through the fact sheets or DNA barcodes. If you have a specimen from a conifer, start with the conifer-feeding genus key. This includes all conifer-feeding genera living in the northern hemisphere. The invader key includes genera that feed on conifers and broadleaf trees, and have been intercepted in non-native countries. Try this key if you do not know the host plant and fear it is a potential invader, but remember this does not include the thousands of other longhorn genera that have the potential to invade. If you determine that your specimen is in the genus Monochamus, explore the third key to the conifer-feeding species of that genus. Since these keys identify to the genus or species level, it may also be worthwhile to explore the subfamily and tribe keys found at https://idtools.net/longicorn/.
Lucid identification keys are flexible and multi-tiered. They simplify and expedite identification, allowing you to select diagnostic characters and generate a list of species that possess those features. Consult 'Help' from the Lucid interactive key menu at any time.
Select the characters (or "features") that are most obvious or the easiest for you to interpret. Although characters are listed in a certain manner, you may choose characters in the order you wish. It’s OK to skip the character if your specimen is broken or does not show a character–it’s better than guessing! The same is true if you do not understand a character or its various states. The glossary and illustrations may help you interpret characters. But if not, then just skip it! Lucid allows you to choose multiple states of a character. For example, if some specimens are blue-green and others are half blue and half green, then you would select both green and blue states. Larvae are especially susceptible to preservation issues that can obscure characters. If your specimen is poorly preserved, try to focus on sclerotized characteristics and the head first.
Some characters are numeric and require that you to enter a number. Measurements are in millimeters.
After you have selected several character states and you have a shorter list of taxa, you can use the Lucid’s “Best” tool to assess which of the remaining characters and states will assist you in identification. This will help you determine the most efficient next step. You will need to have the Features Available window selected and all features expanded in order to use the "Best" tool.
After choosing characters, some taxa will remain in the “Entities Remaining” section. Access their fact sheet and confirm that your specimen matches or is very similar to the description. Check the differential diagnosis section to distinguish from similar taxa.
Browsing fact sheets and the gallery is a good way to familiarize yourself with the longhorn taxa in this tool. You can browse the fact sheets and gallery independent of using the interactive key. You can browse fact sheets alphabetically (use the “previous” or “next” buttons) or you can search for a given taxon or character.
