Platycoelia lutescens Blanchard, 1850

Paucar-Cabrera, Aura & Smith, Andrew B. T., 2002, Larval Descriptions For The Neotropical Genus Platycoelia (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Rutelinae: Anoplognathini), The Coleopterists Bulletin 56 (3), pp. 438-445 : 442-444

Platycoelia lutescens Blanchard , third-instar larva Figs. 10–19

The larval description of Platycoelia lutescens is based on three third-instar larvae with the following collecting data: Ecuador, Pichincha, Santa Catalina, 3,300 m, 29 October 1993, G. Onore. Larvae are associated with one adult (reared by Giovanni Onore). Two specimens are housed at QCAZ and one at UNSM. The natural history of P. lutescens was outlined by Smith and Paucar-Cabrera (2000).

Description. Width of head capsule 6.0– 6.3 mm. Cranium ( Fig. 11 ). Color of epicranium yellowish-brown with reddish-brown coronal suture; frons yellowish-brown with black anterior frontal angles; clypeus yellowish-brown to reddish-brown; labrum yellowish-brown (with or without reddish-brown, rounded macula at mid-apex) or entirely black; mandibles yellowishbrown to reddish-brown at base, disc with external margins, apex black. Surface of epicranium finely rugose, with 6 short, basal setae; 4–5 long, lateral setae; 2 short, dorsoepicranial setae. Frons finely rugose basally, rugopunctate apically; with 1 seta at each anterior angle. Clypeus ( Fig. 11 ). Shape subtrapezoidal. Base of clypeus weakly rugopunctate; preclypeus smooth, with 2 short, exterior setae. Labrum ( Fig. 11 ). Form subovate, symmetrical. Base with 2 short setae, disc with 3–4 short setae at each side, margin with 2 moderately long setae, subapex with 11– 13 moderately long to short setae. Epipharynx ( Fig. 12 ). Form suboval. Plegmata absent. Corypha with 2 short and 2 long, thick setae. Acanthoparia with 13–15 short, sickle-shaped setae. Chaetoparia with approximately 15 short, thick setae on apex (left side); approximately 55 moderate setae from middle to base (left side); approximately 8 short, thick setae on apex (right side), approximately 48 moderately long setae from middle to base (right side). Acroparia with 10 moderately long, thick setae. Dexiotorma long, pternotorma weakly developed. Laeotorma long, expanded towards chaetoparia, with pternotorma well-developed. Sensory cone well developed, equal in size to left pternotorma. Epizygum sclerotized, prominent. Haptomerum with approximately 13 short, thick heli. Mandibles. Left mandible ( Figs. 15a, 16b ). Scissorial region with 2 teeth. Dorsal surface with 4 long setae at external margin. Molar area with 3 lobes; acia elongate, sickle-shaped. Basomolar region with 5 moderately long setae. Stridulatory area suboval, with approximately 40 ridges. Ventral process well-developed. Ventral-exterior region with 5–7 short, thick setae laterad of stridulatoy area. Right mandible ( Figs. 15b, 16a ). Scissorial region with 2 teeth. Molar area with 4 lobes. Calx prominent, with 6 thick setae. Ventral surface with suboval stridulatory area comprised of approximately 30–35 ridges. Lateral surface with 5 long setae. Maxilla ( Fig. 14 ). Galea with 1 uncus, ventral surface with 5–6 short, thick setae. Palpus 4-segmented. Lacinia with 3 unci, 14 moderate to long setae. Stipes with 11 quadrate, short stridulatory teeth. Truncate process present. Cardo with approximately 5–6 long setae. Hypopharynx ( Fig. 13 ). Hypopharyngeal sclerome weakly asymmetrical, right side with raised truncate process. Right lateral lobe with 1 moderate, thick seta; left lateral lobe with approximately 14 moderately long setae. Apex of glossa with 2 long setae; disc of glossa with 18–20 unciform, thick setae; discal sides with 25–30 moderately long, thick setae. Labium.

THE COLEOPTERISTS BULLETIN 56(3), 2002 443

Apex with 6 short setae. Prementum I with 2 short, lateral setae. Prementum II with 2–3 short, lateral setae. Labial palpus 2-segmented. Antenna. 4 segmented. Apical segment with 1 dorsal sensory spot, 1 ventral sensory spot. Second segment 1.3 times longer than first segment. Apical segment with apex acute; third segment with elongate process at apex ( Fig. 17 ). Spiracles ( Fig. 18 ). Respiratory plate C-shaped, surrounding flattened bulla; distance between respiratory lobes less than diameter of bulla; plate with approximately 16 holes across diameter, holes suboval. Thoracic spiracle 0.4–0.5 mm wide, 0.6–0.7 mm high, subequal in size to first abdominal spiracle. Abdominal spiracles 1–8 similar in width. Dorsal body vestiture ( Fig. 10 ). First thoracic segment with 26–30 short to moderate, slender setae. Second thoracic segment with 30–34 short to moderate, slender setae. Third thoracic segment with 34–44 short to moderate, slender setae. Abdominal segment I with 20–28 short, thick, moderately dense setae; 6–8 moderately long, slender setae mixed with 2–6 long, slender setae. Abdominal segment II with 80–96 short, thick, moderately dense setae; 3–5 moderately long, slender setae mixed with 4–6 long, slender, crimped setae. Abdominal segment III with 124–162 short, thick, moderately dense setae; 5–10 moderately long, slender setae mixed with 4–6 long, slender, crimped setae. Abdominal segment IV with 154–186 short, thick, moderately dense setae; 21–27 moderately long, slender

444 THE COLEOPTERISTS BULLETIN 56(3), 2002

setae mixed with 7–11 long, slender, crimped setae. Abdominal segment V with 198–230 short, thick, moderately dense setae; 16–28 moderately long, slender setae mixed with 14–18 long,

slender, crimped setae. Abdominal segment VI with 192–210 short, thick, moderately dense setae; 18–24 moderately long, slender setae mixed with 10–16 long, slender, crimped setae. Abdominal segment VII with 38–46 short, thick, moderately dense setae; 14–20 moderately long, slender setae mixed with 6–8 long, slender, crimped setae. Abdominal segment VIII with 12– 14 moderately long, slender, sparse setae mixed with 6–8 long, slender, crimped setae. Abdominal segment IX with 12–26 moderately long, slender, sparse setae mixed with 8–10 long, slender, crimped setae. Abdominal segment X with 72–100 moderately long, slender setae mixed with 4 long, slender, crimped setae; 40–54 short, thick, moderately dense setae at apex. Pleural lobe of first abdominal segment glabrous, abdominal segments II–VIII with 3–8 short to moderately long, sparse setae. Venter. First and second thoracic segments each with 40–46 moderate setae, third thoracic segment with 12–14 moderately long setae; abdominal segments with 4–12 moderately long setae. Raster. Anal slit weakly bisinuate. Dorsal anal lobe with approximately 30 short, moderately dense setae mixed with 10 moderately long setae. Lower anal lobe with approximately 30 hamate setae; ventral anal slit area with approximately 14 moderately long, slender setae. Palidia absent; tegilla with approximately 98 hamate setae; campus with 8 moderately long, thin setae. Barbula with 5 long, slender setae. Legs ( Fig. 10 ). Length 3.8–7.1 mm (legs gradually increasing in size from prothoracic to metathoracic leg). Coxae, trochanters, and femora with 38–60 moderate to long, slender setae; tibiotarsus with 20–25 moderately long setae. Tarsunguli of prothoracic, mesothoracic, metathoracic legs ( Fig. 19 ) well developed; with 1 prebasal seta, 1 preapical seta, 6–7 distotarsal setae.

Remarks. Platycoelia lutescens differs from P. gaujoni by the following combination of characters: epipharynx with laeotorma longer than dexiotorma, expanded towards chaetoparia ( Fig. 12 ) (laeotorma shorter than dexiotorma in P. gaujoni ); mandible with two scissorial teeth ( Figs. 15a–b, 16a–b ) (three scissorial teeth in P. gaujoni ); abdominal spiracles elongate (round in P. gaujoni ).

Figures

Figs. 10–19. Platycoelia lutescens third instar larva. 10) Habitus; 11) frontal view of head; 12) epipharynx; 13) labium and hypopharynx; 14) dorsal view of maxilla; 15) ventral view of a) right mandible and b) left mandible; 16) dorsal view of a) left mandible and b) right mandible; 17) dorsal view of antenna; 18) thoracic spiracle; 19) tarsungulus of posterior leg.