Paraplotes
Creators: name: Lee, Chi-Feng
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2015
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Chrysomelidae
Paraplotes

description: Key to the species of Paraplotes in Taiwan
Color patterns and sizes of elytra separate the species of Paraplotes in Taiwan into two groups: one has wider elytra and yellowish brown coloration (including P. j e ng i, P. taiwana, and P. yaoi), the other has slender elytra and dark or blackish brown coloration (including P. cheni, P. meihuai, P. tahsiangi, P. tatakaensis, P. tsuenensis, and P. yuae). However, these characters are variable in most species. Thus, this key is solely based on the aedeagus, which possess more reliable diagnostic characters.
1. Aedeagus twisted...................................................................................... 2
- Aedeagus normal...................................................................................... 4
2. Apical margin of aedeagus smooth and subtruncate, apex subequal to base in length (Figs 61–63)..... P. tsuenensis sp. nov.
- Apical margin of aedeagus irregular and tapering anterior, apex wider than base................................... 3
3. Aedeagus wider (3.1X longer than wide), with apex concave, slightly curved in lateral view, abruptly narrowed near apex (Figs 55–57).................................................................................. P. tsoui sp. nov.
- Aedeagus narrower (3.9X longer then wide, with apex pointed, strongly curved in lateral view, gradually and apically nar- rowed (Figs 73–75)....................................................................... P. yuae sp. nov.
4. Apex of aedeagus asymmetric (Figs 27–29).................................................. P. meihuai sp. nov.
- Apex of aedeagus symmetric............................................................................ 5
5. Apex of aedeagus truncate, or slightly concave, and slightly convex near middle.................................. 6
- Apex of aedeagus rounded or pointed..................................................................... 8
6. Aedeagus wide (<4.0X longer than wide), lateral spiculae two paired (Figs 67–69)..................... P. y a o i sp. nov.
- Aedeagus slender (>4.0X longer then wide, lateral spiculae one paire........................................... 7
7. Apex of aedeagus truncate, without projection at middle of apical margin; apico-lateral sclerites much larger and elongate (Figs 9–11)............................................................................. P. cheni sp. nov.
- Apex of aedeagus truncate or slightly concave, and convex at middle of apical margin; dorsal-lateral sclerites smaller (Figs 15–17).................................................................................. P. jengi sp. nov.
8. Aedeagus wide (<4.0X longer than wide), apex pointed (Figs 33–35)............................. P. tahsiangi, sp. nov.
- Aedeagus slender (>5.0X longer then wide), apex rounded................................................... 9
9. Apico-lateral sclerites large, lateral spiculae two paired (Figs 45–47)................................ P. taiwana Chûjô
- Apico-lateral sclerites small, lateral spiculae one paired (Figs 51–53)............................ P. tatakaensis sp. nov.
description: Published as part of Lee, Chi-Feng, 2015, The genus Paraplotes Laboissière, 1933 in Taiwan, a speciose group with brachelytrous females (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Galerucinae), pp. 223-248 in Zootaxa 3904 (2) on pages 242-244, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3904.2.3, http://zenodo.org/record/235881