Platysodes jansoni Arrow, 1910

Qiu, Jian-Yue, Xu, Hao & Chen, Li, 2015, Review of the Oriental genus Platysodes Westwood (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae: Cremastocheilini) with a redescription of Platysodes madoni Bourgoin, Zootaxa 4021 (4), pp. 553-564 : 555-557

Platysodes jansoni Arrow, 1910

( Figs. 6–10 , 42 )

Platysodes jansoni Arrow, 1910: 200 (type locality: Khasi Hills, India), fig. 44 ♂; Schenkling 1921: 357; Bacchus 1974: 31; Krikken 1977: 314 (holotype, ♂); Krajčik 1999: 43; Sakai 2001: 1 ( Thailand & Vietnam), plate B, fig. 1 ♀; Krajčik 2012: 213.

Diagnosis. This species can be distinguished from other Platysodes species by its glossy body and lack of maculae on the elytra.

Type material examined. Holotype of Platysodes jansoni Arrow, 1910 labeled: “Khasia Hills, Assam [Janson’s handwriting on yellow label] / Native coll. 1899 [Janson’s handwriting on yellow label] / Platysodes jansoni, Arrow. Type. India. [Janson’s handwriting on yellowed label with black border] / TYPE [H., yellowed label] / Platysodes jansoni, Arrow. Type. [H., yellowed label] / TYPE [P., yellowed label with black border] / Platysodes jansoni Arrow, M. E. Bacchus det 1973, HOLOTYPE [scientific name handwritten and other letters printed on white label] / Holotype: checked, Museum Leiden, coll. F. T. Valck Lucassen, ex coll. O. E. Janson [P., white label]” (♂, RMNH, Figs. 6–10 ).

Comments on type material. Bacchus (1974) examined the holotype but did not mention the repository. Krikken (1977) listed it in Janson’s Collection, which is now a part of the RMNH. The right mesoleg of the holotype is missing, and the left mesotibia broken off ( Figs. 6–7 ).

Other material examined. VIETNAM: 1♀( KSCJ), Mt. Tam Dao, Vihn Phuc Prov. THAILAND: 1 ♀( KSCJ), Kumpuan, Mt. Muan Chone, Ranong.

Distribution. India (Assam); Vietnam (Vihn Phuc); south Thailand (Ranong).

Remarks. Platysodes jansoni is probably the rarest species of this genus. Only three specimens are mentioned in the literature: the male holotype from India ( Arrow 1910), and Sakai (2001) recorded one female from south Thailand and mentioned a specimen from northern Vietnam. Platysodes jansoni , P. verlorenii , and P. formosanus are similar except in the number of white maculae on the elytra. The elytra are totally black in P. jansoni ; only one white macula is present near the later margin of each elytron in P. formosanus ; and two or three white maculae are present on each elytron in P. verlorenii . According to the variable number of white maculae in P. verlorenii and P. madoni (see following text), the situation of this character is similar to that seen in P. jansoni and P. formosanus . We did not find consistent characters of the male parameres that distinguished P. jansoni and P. formosanus ( Figs. 4, 9 ). So, it is possible that these three closely related species may represent specimens of the same species. Due to the small number of specimens available we were unable to reach a conclusion as to their taxonomic status.

Figures

FIGURES 42. Distribution map of the genus Platysodes (type locality in red).

FIGURES 1 – 13. Type specimens of Platysodes. 1 – 5. Male holotype of Platysodes formosanus Kobayashi, 1990: 1. dorsal; 2. ventral; 3. lateral; 4. parameres; 5. labels. 6 – 10. Male holotype of Platysodes jansoni Arrow, 1910: 6. dorsal; 7. ventral; 8. lateral; 9. parameres; 10. labels. 11 – 13. Female holotype of Platysodes verlorenii Westwood, 1873: 11. dorsal; 12. labels; 13. dorsal and mouthpart illustrations in original publication (after Westwood 1837).