Platynoptera CHEVROLAT , 1834

Opitz, Weston, 2015, Systematics of the checkered beetle subfamily Platynopterinae SPINOLA (Coleoptera Cleridae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 47 (2), pp. 1513-1572 : 1540-1541

Platynoptera CHEVROLAT, 1834

Platynoptera CHEVROLAT, 1834 : No. 18

Type species Platynoptera lyciformis CHEVROLAT, 1834 : No. 18, table 30, 292. Designated by CORPORAAL 1950: 273. SPINOLA 1841: 75; 1844: 62. LACORDAIRE, 1857: 477. DESMAREST 1852: 269. SCHENKLING 1903: 103.

The genus Platynoptera , as defined in CORPORAAL (1950: 273), contains several non-congeneric species and it is not possible to determine which references listed by Corporaal refer to Platynoptera as now defined. Moreover, several species have been misidentified. Therefore, the reader should note that generic references listed by Corporaal may not refer to the genus Platynoptera .

Diagnosis: Within Platynopterinae only the members of Platynoptera have the maxillary and labial terminal palpomeres strongly securiform.

Description: Size: Length 10.0-18.0 mm; width 4.5-10.0. Form: Elytra trapezoidal, posterior angle broadly rounded. Integumental color: Antenna always black; mouthparts unicolorous or bicolorous, when bicolorous terminal palpomeres black, other portions flavotestaceous, when unicolorous, flavotestaceous or black; cranium mostly black, epicranium and gular region may be flavotestaceous; pronotum bicolorous, flavotestaceous at upper sides and black at lower sides, disc may show broad black macula, or two black lines; elytra mostly black with flavotestaceous markings, rarely all flavotestaceous or all black; legs black; pterothorax and abdomen black. Vestiture: Integument highly setose, funicular antennomeres densely setose, cranium and pronotum densely vested with decumbent setae, elytra densely vested with short 2° setae and fewer 1° setae that become more prominent along epipleural and sutural margins; legs highly setose. Head ( Figs. 32-34 , 97 ): Cranial setose punctation small; eyes bulging, finely faceted and deeply broadly incised along frontal margin; antenna ( Fig. 31 ) capitate, inserted at level of eye incision (= ocular notch); antennal carina very prominent, comprised of 11 antennomeres, scape very robust, pedicel triangular, funicular antennomeres transverse, capitulum very long, about three times longer that length of other antennomeres combined, antennomeres 9 and 10 rectangulate; labrum ( Fig. 44 ) not deeply incised, transverse tormal process horizontal and contiguous; mandible ( Fig. 35 ) robust, dens well developed, penicillus reduced; maxilla ( Fig. 36 ) well developed, terminal palpomere strongly securiform, laterolacinia present; labium ( Fig. 39 ) well developed, terminal palpomere strongly securiform; gula ( Fig. 33 ) broadly triangular. Thorax ( Figs. 37, 38 ): Pronotum with incipient trichobothrium ( Fig. 102 ), usually elongate, rarely quadrate, indented at sides or not, side margins with shallow tubercle, anterior margin projecting at middle or not, prebasal depression feebly developed, dorsolateral carina not extended to anterior margin of pronotum, carina joins pronotal hem at pronotal posterior angle; elytra trapezoidal, increasingly widened to rounded posterior angles, with discal carinae; mesoscutellum subglobose; protibial anterior margin spinous ( Fig. 98 ); ungues with denticle ( Fig. 101 ); tibial spur formula 0-1-1; tarsal pulvillar formula 3-3-3; metathoracic wing as in Fig. 45 ; metendosternite ( Fig. 40 ) with furcal lamina; glandular pit on male metatibia ( Figs. 99, 100 ). Abdomen: Six visible sternites; pygidium rounded distally in both sexes. Male genitalia ( Figs. 41, 43 ): Aedeagus short, tegmen slightly sclerotized, lobate distally, fimbriate, phallus well sclerotized; spicular fork ( Fig. 42 ) comprised of two narrow plates that do not connect distally, intraspicular plate narrow and long. Female genitalia: Ovipositor short; dorsal and ventral laminae unilobed.

Distribution: The members of this genus range from México to Brazil.

Figures

Figs 31-45: Morphological organs of Platynoptera lyciformis. (31) Antenna, male; (32) Head, frontal view; (33) Head, ventral view; (34) Head, dorsal view; (35) Mandible; (36) Maxilla; (37) Pronotum, ventral view; (38) Pronotum, dorsal view; (39) Labium; (40) Metendosternite; 41) Phallus; (42) Spicular fork; (43) Tegmen; (44) Labrum; (45) Metathoracic wing.

Figs 97-102: Morphological organs of Platynoptera lyciformis. (97) Head, frontal view; (98) Protibia; (99) Metathoracic leg; (100) Male metathoracic leg showing glandular pit; (101) Metatibial tarsus; (102) Pronotal disc showing incipient trichobothrium.