Platysimus, Marshall, 1956

Kuschel, Guillermo, 2008, Curculionoidea (weevils) of New Caledonia and Vanuatu: Basal families and some Curculionidae, Mémoires du Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle 197, pp. 99-250 : 156-157

Genus PLATYSIMUS Marshall

Platysimus Marshall, 1956: 14 , 118.

Type species: Celeuthetes insularis Boheman.

DESCRIPTION. — Rostrum with an incised, V-shaped sulcus across base, anterior area with a large, backwards tapering, squamose elevation, in lateral view elevation strongly declivous anteriorly, vertically abrupt at back to appear as a tooth. Scrobes foveiform, opening upwards and downwards some distance in front of eyes. Scape directed towards upper part of eyes, extending well onto prothorax. Prothorax lacking ocular lobes and cilia. Scutellum concealed or minute. Elytra 10-striate, stria 10 complete, not merging with 9, dorsum usually sexually strikingly different, in males mostly with a broad dorsal flattening or depression, even explanate, lateral ridge or subcosta fringed with short, squamiform setae; females convex across dorsum. Mesosternal process square or slightly transverse.

Male: tegmen as long as aedeagus with apodemes, dorsally pigmented but without parameral lobes, sides to a good extent membranous, apodeme long, considerably more robust than aedeagal apodemes. Aedeagus extending well into thoracic lumen with apodemes, lying on right side, aedeagal body ventrally and dorsally fully pigmented; apodemes slender, longer than aedeagal body; internal sac with exposed part very long, twice as long as aedeagus with apodemes, with a long, filiform basal sclerite (flagellum).

Female: tergite 8 partly exposed beyond 7. Sternite 8 with triangular, sometimes retroverted blade, apodeme articulated, not fused with blade. Ovipositor long, twice as long as three last ventrites combined, firm, weakly pigmented, lacking rods; proximal hemisternites several times longer than distal hemisternites; styli absent; bursa short, spermatheca with slender stem and apex; spermathecal duct curled, entangled, sclerotised, very long.

DISTRIBUTION. — Pacific islands from Solomon and Kiribati to New Caledonia, Kermadecs, Society Is. and Austral Is.

ETYMOLOGY. — ‘Platysímus’ is a latinised Greek compound derived from ‘platys’ = flat, and ‘simos’ = turned up, referring to a flattened, often turned up elytral dorsum seen in males of most species.

REMARKS. — Platysimus comprises a few, mostly doubtfully definable species, apparently all confined to coastal vegetation. After long hours of looking at external characters and preparing dozens of genitalia of both sexes, I did not succeed in separating species with confidence. This is apparent in the key to species below, where geographical areas are included as part of identifying the putative species. Specimens of Platysimus , as well as of other genera of Celeuthetini , may be found on occasions that have an introverted ovipositor, whereby this is lying back to front completely inside the vagina, and also a retroverted blade of the 8th sternite in females.

KEY TO SPECIES OF PLATYSIMUS

1. Species from New Caledonia, Loyalty Is., Île des Pins ...................................................................... 2

— Species from other Pacific islands ................................................................................................................. 3

2 (1). Elytra with more gently sloping declivity. Femora weakly clavate. Male: stria 6 not interrupted midway; aedeagus more than 4 x longer than wide at the narrowest part between base and sides of ostial area, with long apex. Female: elytra subparallel on sides; ventrite 5 at base not excavated. 4.3- 5.5 mm New Caledonia, Loyalty, Île des Pins .............................................................................. hibisci — Elytra with more steeply sloping declivity. Femora more strongly clavate. Male: stria 6 usually interrupted midway; aedeagus less than 4 x longer than wide at narrowest part between base and sides of ostial area. Female: elytra rounded on sides; ventrite 5 at base with a crescent shaped excavation. 3.2-4.7 mm. New Caledonia, Loyalty, Île des Pins .......................................................................... fleutiauxi

3 (1). Species from Solomon Is., Santa Cruz Is., Vanuatu. 3.0- 5.7 mm ......................... septentrionalis — Species from other islands ................................................................................................................. 4

4 (3). Species from Kermadec I., 4.3-6.5 mm ............................................................................. [ planidorsis ] — Species east of Solomon Is. and Vanuatu.......................................................................................... 5

5 (4). Pronotum lacking raised setae. Elytra with erect setae only in female. Male: aedeagal apex short. 3.7-5.2 mm. Kiribati, Tuvalu, W Samoa, Wallis, Fiji, Lau, Tonga, Society, Cook, Austral ............

................................................................................................................................................................... [ insularis ] — Elytra with raised setae. Elytra with erect setae in both sexes. Male: aedeagal apex long. 3.5-4.5 mm. Tonga................................................................................................................................................... [ setiger ]