Platyscelis, Latreille, 1818

Bai, Xing-Long & Ren, Guo-Dong, 2019, Revision of the genus Platyscelis Latreille, 1818 from China (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae: Platyscelidini), Zootaxa 4609 (1), pp. 101-126 : 102-103

Key to species of the genus Platyscelis from China (based on males)

1 Lateral carina of elytra reaching sutural angle, visible completely in dorsal view................................... 2

- Lateral carina of elytra merging with epipleura, not reaching sutural angle, visible completely or only in anterior part in dorsal view............................................................................................... 3

2 Elytral surface without longitudinal carinae or indistinct; outer margin of protibiae straight, outer angle of apex rectangular; metatibiae weakly curved; apex of parameres nearly straight in lateral view ( Fig. 34 )................................................................................................. Platyscelis (Pleiopleura) ovata Ballion, 1878

- Elytral surface with longitudinal carinae obviously; distal part of outer margin of protibiae obviously curved to inner side, outer angle of apex obtuse; metatibiae obviously curved; apex of parameres curved to ventral side in lateral view ( Fig. 36 )................................................................. Platyscelis (Pleiopleura) striata Motschulsky, 1859

3 Anterior margin of pronotum deeply emarginate, strial punctures merging into longitudinal long furrows at sides, interstriae with extremely dense and coarse punctures; distal part of parameres wrapped in a hat ( Figs. 29–30 )................................................................................. Platyscelis (Platyscelis) subcordata Seidlitz, 1893

- Anterior margin of pronotum weakly emarginate or straight, strial punctures not merging into longitudinal long furrows at sides; distal part of parameres not wrapped in a hat ( Figs. 5–28, 31–32 ).......................................... 4

4 Outer margins of parameres without hooks at apex in dorsal view ( Figs. 7, 15 )..................................... 5

- Outer margins of parameres with hooks at apex in dorsal view ( Figs. 5, 9, 11, 13, 17, 19 , 21, 23, 25, 27, 31 )............. 6

5 Pronotum with sparse punctures on disc, moderately dense and shallow at sides, narrowly depressed or weakly flatted at sides of basal; elytra long oval; apex of protibiae moderately extended; protarsi wide, mesotarsi narrower than protarsi; apex of parameres strongly narrower than base in dorsal view and hook-liked curved to dorsal side in lateral view ( Figs. 7–8 )...................................................................... Platyscelis (Platyscelis) amdoensis Egorov, 1989

- Pronotum with dense punctures on disc, denser at sides, widely flatted at sides from base to middle; elytra short oval; apex of protibiae strongly extended; protarsi narrow, mesotarsi nearly equal to protarsi; apex of parameres weakly narrower than base in dorsal view and straight in lateral view ( Figs. 15–16 ).............. Platyscelis (Platyscelis) brevis Baudi di Selve, 1876

6 Elytral surface covered with soft and thick setae ( Figs. 37–38 ).................................................. 7

- Elytral surface covered with soft setae occasionally, especially at apex, or nearly without any setae.................... 8

7 Elytral surface with long thick setae ( Fig. 38 ); metatibiae straight and narrow; parameres narrowing towards apex arcuately, outer margins with extremely weak hooks at apex in dorsal view, apex not curved to dorsal side in lateral view ( Figs. 21–22 ).................................................................. Platyscelis (Platyscelis) freyi Kaszab, 1940

- Elytral surface with short thick setae ( Fig. 37 ); metatibiae curved, wide and flat; parameres narrowing towards apex straightly, outer margins with long and sharp hooks at apex in dorsal view, apex curved to dorsal side in lateral view ( Figs. 5–6 )........................................................................ Platyscelis (Platyscelis) acutipenis sp. nov.

8 Elytral surface without longitudinal carinae or traces......................................................... 9

- Elytral surface with longitudinal carinae and traces.......................................................... 14

9 Posterior angles of pronotum rectangular, sharp and weakly protruded outward apically........................................................................................... Platyscelis (Platyscelis) suiyuana Kaszab, 1940

- Posterior angles of pronotum obtuse or rectangular, neither sharp nor protruded outward apically..................... 10

10 Pronotal punctures extremely dense and coarse and merged at sides; parameres wide and short in dorsal view ( Fig. 27 )...................................................................... Platyscelis (Platyscelis) licenti Kaszab, 1940

- Pronotal punctures unconnected at sides; parameres long in dorsal view ( Figs. 9, 11, 13, 19 )......................... 11

11 Parameres narrow, narrowing from base to apex gradually at sides in dorsal view ( Figs. 9, 11 ); elytral punctures shallow, nearly disappeared at apex................................................................................... 12

- Parameres wide at base, emarginate at middle at sides in dorsal view ( Figs. 13, 19 ); elytral punctures clear............. 13

12 Pronotum not depressed along lateral margins; outer margins of parameres with short and obtuse hooks at apex in dorsal view, apex curved to ventral side in lateral view ( Figs. 9–10 ).... Platyscelis (Platyscelis) angusticollis angusticollis Kaszab, 1940

- Pronotum depressed along lateral margins from base to middle; outer margins of parameres with long and sharp hooks at apex in dorsal view, apex straight in lateral view ( Figs. 11–12 ).... Platyscelis (Platyscelis) angusticollis platytarsis Kaszab, 1940

13 Elytra apically wide and nearly straight, emarginate at sutural angle, surface with dense and deep punctures; parameres moderately narrowing towards apex in dorsal view, apex curved to dorsal side in lateral view ( Figs. 13–14 )................................................................................ Platyscelis (Platyscelis) bogatshevi Egorov, 1989

- Elytra apically round, not emarginate at sutural angle, surface with sparse punctures; parameres strongly narrowing towards apex in dorsal view, apex curved to ventral side in lateral view ( Figs. 19–20 )..................................................................................................... Platyscelis (Platyscelis) densipunctata sp. nov.

14 Lateral carina of elytra wide, visible completely in dorsal view........... Platyscelis (Platyscelis) confusa Schuster, 1934

- Lateral carina of elytra narrow, apex not visible in dorsal view occasionally...................................... 15

15 Punctures extremely dense and moderately coarse on head; pronotal punctures dense and coarse at sides, and merged partially; parameres obviously wide in dorsal view, apex curved to dorsal side occasionally in lateral view ( Figs. 23–24 ).......................................................................... Platyscelis (Platyscelis) gebieni Schuster, 1915

- Punctures dense and fine on head; pronotum with unconnected oval dense and fine punctures at sides; parameres narrow in dorsal view, dorsal side straight in lateral view ( Figs. 25–26 )................. Platyscelis (Platyscelis) helanensis sp. nov.

Figures

FIGURES 21–36. Parameres of male aedeagus in dorsal and lateral view. 21–22. Platyscelis freyi; 23–24. P. gebieni; 25–26. P. helanensis; 27–28. P. licenti; 29–30. P. subcordata; 31–32. P. suiyuana; 33–34. P. ovata; 35–36. P. striata.

FIGURES 5–20. Parameres of male aedeagus in dorsal and lateral view. 5–6. Platyscelis acutipenis; 7–8. P. amdoensis; 9–10. P. angusticollis angusticollis; 11–12. P. angusticollis platytarsis; 13–14. P. bogatshevi; 15–16. P. brevis; 17–18. P. confusa;

FIGURES 37–38. Thick setae on elytral surface (under 5x of Canon MP-E 65 mm). 37. Platyscelis acutipenis; 38. P. freyi.