Andersonoplatus laculata, Linzmeier, Adelita M. & Konstantinov, Alexander S., 2018

Linzmeier, Adelita M. & Konstantinov, Alexander S., 2018, Andersonoplatus, a new, remarkable leaf litter inhabiting genus of Monoplatina (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Galerucinae, Alticini), ZooKeys 744, pp. 79-138 : 89-91

Andersonoplatus laculata sp. n. Fig. 14

Description.

Body length 3.89-4.00 mm, width 1.72-1.78 mm, shiny, glossy, with very sparse semi-erect hairs, almost flat in lateral view. Color black; fore- and middle legs and antennae yellow.

Head (Figs 14A, B, E): slightly convex in lateral view, shiny, generally smooth, with very short hairs. Gena reticulated, punctuated and with sparse pilosity. Frons and vertex forming nearly a 135° angle in lateral view. Supraorbital pore small bearing a seta. Antennal callus delimited from vertex by deep and straight supracallinal sulcus, surface even, with no or two punctures, if bearing setae, they are short. Midfrontal sulcus runs from supracallinal sulcus to anterior margin of antennae. Antennal callus slightly raised. Orbital sulcus deep. Supraorbital sulcus deep, not connected with orbital sulcus. Suprafrontal and frontolateral sulcus absent. Frontogenal suture well developed. Orbit as wide as transverse diameter of antennal socket. Interantennal space narrower than transverse diameter of eye and wider than transverse diameter of antennal socket. Antennal socket rounded. Frontal ridge poorly defined, short, antennal calli nearly touching anterofrontal ridge. Anterofrontal ridge long, relatively tall, oblique. First maxillary palpomere longer than wide, shorter than second. Second maxillary palpomere slightly longer than first, globose. Antenna filiform; last six antennomeres slightly shorter and wider than three preceding ones with last three ones light in color.

Thorax: pronotum (Fig. 14A, B) much narrower than elytra, deeply notched at middle. Anterior margin slightly sinuated, wider than posterior, posterior margin slightly convex, lateral margin deeply sinuated. Surface smooth, glossy, with pilosity very short and sparse. Post basal impression represented by three round, shallow impressions, one longitudinally elongated medially and two laterally. Pronotal disc raised. Scutellum triangular, reticulated, wider than long. Prosternal surface reticulated and punctuated. Prosternal intercoxal process as wide as prosternum. Posterior end twice as wide as middle. Procoxal cavity narrowly open. Mesosternum reticulate, punctuate. Elytra not fused. Elytral surface shiny, glossy, with very sparse and short semi-erected hairs, deeply punctate. Punctures forming nine striae, slightly confused. Interspaces slightly convex. Humeral and basal calli shallow. Post basal impression present behind basal callus. Second stria reaching elytral base, third stria missing few punctures before elytral base. Epipleura nearly vertical, slightly narrowed at elytral apex. Metafemur 1.84 times longer than metatibia. Metatibia almost straight in lateral view, curved in dorsal view. Metatarsomeres one and two of similar size, slightly longer than third. Claws simple and long. Ventrites of nearly same length.

Male genitalia (Fig. 14D): ventral side flat with low longitudinal ridge apically; apical denticle poorly developed, apex straight except extreme tip that faces ventrally. Females unknown.

Type material.

Holotype, ♂. VENEZUELA: Merida/ Paramo La Culata/ 18.5km N.E. Merida, 2950m/ 08°44'34"N, 71°03'44"W / 25.V.1998-037C, R. Anderson/ paramo, streamside shrub litter (MIZA). Paratypes (2♂). Same label as holotype, except (1) “037F” (USNM), (1) “037A” (CMNC).

Etymology.

The specific epithet is a noun in apposition based on the type locality.

Differential diagnosis.

Andersonoplatus laculata can be differentiated from most Andersonoplatus species based on the following characters: pronotal surface shiny, lacking punctures (Figs 14A, B, E); ventral side of aedeagus flat with low longitudinal ridge apically (Fig. 14D).