Platynopterinae SPINOLA 1844
Creators: name: Opitz, Weston
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2015
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Cleridae

description: Platynopterinae SPINOLA, 1844: 55
Type genus. Platynoptera CHEVROLAT, 1834: No. 18. Desmarest, 1852: 269 (Platynopteridae).
Diagnosis. Specimens belong to this subfamily if they show a reduced 4th tarsomere, have one or two pairs of incipient pronotal trichobothria, have a lengthened, sometimes highly lobate antennal capitulum whose combined length is almost always much longer than the combined length of the other antennomeres, and have an incomplete pronotal dorsolateral carina. Also, the dorsolateral carina always conjoins the pronotal hem at the posterior angles of the pronotum.
OPITZ (2010: 55) provided a key to the subfamilies of Cleridae. This key is to be modified as follows to accommodate Platynopterinae.
5(4) Pronotal disk with incipient or fully-formed pronotal trichobothria..............................6
5' Pronotal disc without pronotal trichobothria...................7 (leads to remaining couplets)
6(5) Antenna inserted on lover portion of ocular notch, pronotum with fully-formed trichobothria, metatarsus with 1 or 2 pulvilli .............................................. Epiphloeinae
6' Antenna inserted at middle of antennal notch, pronotum with incipient trichobothria, metatarsus with 3 pulvilli ........................................................................ Platynopterinae
Description. Shape: Ranges from subrectangulate (Fig. 146) to trapezoidal (Fig. 156). Size: Length 5.5–19.0 mm; width 1.7–10.0 mm. Integumental Color: Varies from predominantly black to predominantly testaceous; pronotum and elytra usually bicolored, elytra frequently exhibit transverse testaceous fascia. Head: Transverse (Fig. 18), strongly deflexed, usually narrower than pronotum, surface finely punctate; epistomal suture incomplete, internal epistomal ridge incomplete; frontal preantennal angle not acute; clypeus bipartite, comprised of pigmented upper region and pigmented lower region; antenna comprised of 11 antennomeres, capitate, capitulum lengthened, combined length of funicular antennomeres usually very short, 9 th and 10 th antennomere with (Fig. 104) or without (Fig. 1) collateral branch, funicular antennomeres expanded (Fig. 1); eyes finely or coarsely faceted (Fig. 88), very deeply incised anteriorly; labrum shallowly or deeply incised (Fig. 97), transverse tormal processes fused-contiguous (Fig. 54); last palpomere of maxillary and labial palpus from securiform (Fig. 39) to subsecuriform (Fig. 57a); epipharynx not complex; mandible with well-developed dens (Fig. 20), basal notch not very large; gula large, gular processes separated (Fig. 33), gular sutures converging. Thorax: Pronotum quadrate (Fig. 5), transverse, or oblong (Fig. 38), lateral tubercle present (Fig. 5) or not (Fig. 22), anterior transverse depression if present faintly indicated, dorsolateral carina incomplete, carina confluent with pronotal hem at pronotal hind angles, commissure absent; pronotal projections very short (Fig. 5), pronototergosternal suture complete; prointercoxal process linear (Fig. 22) or feebly swollen distally (Fig. 5); procoxal cavity open externally, procryptosternum incomplete; metendosternite with furcal lamina (Fig. 8); elytral form usually oblong rectangulate (Fig. 145), suboval (Fig. 157), or trapezoidal (Fig. 156), anterior margin with carina, disc with or without asetiferous punctations, elytral 1° and 2° usually present or not, epipleural fold laterally positioned, gradually narrowing to elytral apex; legs, tarsal formula 5-5-5, cursorial, protibiae usually spinous along anterior margin (Fig. 98), tibial spur formula 0-1-1 or 0- 2-2, tarsal pulvillar formula 3-3-3; unguis with (Fig. 101) or without (Fig. 96b) basal denticle; wedge cell of metathoracic wing closed (Fig. 15). Abdomen: Comprised of 6 visible sternites, 6th visible sternite beneath 5th, robust and compact; pygidium quadrate or scutiform; aedeagus well sclerotized, tegmen tubular very sclerotized, bilobed distally, tegminal lobes fimbriate or not, phallobasic rod variously developed, phallobasic apodeme well developed, phallic plates variously developed; spicular fork well developed (Fig. 12), intraspicular plate linear, spicular apodeme variously fused or not fused; ovipositor not longer than abdomen, with multilobed dorsal and ventral lamina; oblique and ventral bacculi well developed. Alimentary Canal: Stomodaeum short (Fig. 61b), proventricular valve comprised of 4 primary lobes; ventriculus well developed, ventricular crypts poorly developed; 4 cryptonephridial Malpighian tubules; proctodaeum short in males and long in females. Mesodermal Male Reproductive Organs: Two pairs of accessory glands (Fig. 61c); testes multifollicular. Mesodermal Female Reproductive Organs: Spermathecal capsule highly sclerotized (Fig. 61d), spermathecal gland attached to subapex or base of spermathecal capsule; saccular bursal copulatrix, well-developed bursal sclerite; ovaries comprised of multiple follicles. Larval Morphology: Cranium comparatively large, transverse; coronal component of epicranial suture absent; endocarina present; gula long narrow; 5 stemmata present on each side of cranium, anterior row of 3 and posterior row of 2; mouthparts feebly sclerotized; mesonotum and metanotum without plates; spiracles small, annuliform; urogomphi recurved.
Natural History. The adult body shape and leg construction of these beetles suggests that they frequent broad leaf vegetation. The larval morphology is typical of clerids that are predators of xylophagous insects. Moreover, the members of some genera have evolved an elytral shape and texture that leads one to conclude that they are involved in a mimetic relationship with Lycidae.
Distribution. The range of the members of Platynopterinae extends from México to Uruguay.
Key to the genera and species of the Platynopterinae
1 Maxillary terminal palpomere securiform (Fig. 36) (Platynoptera).............................2
1 Maxillary terminal palpomere subsecuriform (Fig. 57a)..............................................7
2(1) Elytral disc unicolorous black or nearly so...................................................................3
2 Elytral disc distinctly bicolorous, with or without flavotestaceous fasciae...................4
3(2) Humeral angle flavotestaceous (Brazil) (Fig. 165) ............. Platynoptera humeralis PIC
3 Humeral angle not flavotestaceous (Brazil) (Fig. 167) ...... Platynoptera ampliata (KLUG)
4(2) Elytral disc mostly flavotestaceous...............................................................................5
4 Elytral disc not mostly flavotestaceous.........................................................................6
5(4) Elytral disc black in distal third (Panamá) (Fig. 163) ..................................................... .................................................................................... Platynoptera carti OPITZ nov.sp.
5 Elytral disc not black in distal third (Panamá) (Fig. 168) ............................................... ............................................................................. Platynoptera ochreata OPITZ nov.sp.
6(4') Broad flavotestaceous line extended backward from humeral angle (Brazil) (Fig. 164) ................................................................... Platynoptera flavohumeralis OPITZ nov.sp.
6'. Humeral angle black (Brazil) (Fig. 166) ............... Platynoptera lyciformis CHEVROLAT
7(1') Unguis without denticle................................................................................................8
7' Unguis with denticle...................................................................................................15
8(7) Antennal capitulum with collateral branches (Fig. 46), posterior half of elytra expanded, about 10 mm (Tarandocerus)......................................................................9
8' Antennal capitulum without collateral branches (Fig. 66), posterior half of elytra not expanded, about 6 mm (Aspitonis)..............................................................................12
9(8) Pronotal disc copiously vested with gold-yellow setae...............................................10
9' Pronotal disc not copiously vested with gold-yellow setae.........................................11
10(9) Profemur dark brown (México) (Fig. 171).......... Tarandocerus mexicanus (THOMSON)
10' Profemur flavotestaceous (México) (Fig. 169) ..... Tarandocerus auratus OPITZ nov.sp.
11(9') Four carinae on elytral disc (Colombia, Bolivia, Venezuela, Peru, Paraguay, Argentina) (Fig. 170) ................................................... Tarandocerus lycoides SPINOLA
11' Three carina on elytral disc (Brazil, Paraguay) (Fig. 172)..... Tarandocerus testaceiceps PIC
12(8') Asetiferous punctation end at midelytral disc, elytral disc entirely black (México) (Fig. 151) ..................................................................... Aspitonis chiapas OPITZ nov.sp.
12' Asetiferous punctation extend to elytral apex.............................................................13
13(12') Pronotum without midbasal short dark streak (México) (Fig. 153) ................................ ............................................................................. Aspitonis undulicornis OPITZ nov.sp.
13' Pronotum with midbasal short dark streak..................................................................14
14(13') Elytral disc red (Costa Rica) (Fig. 150) .................... Aspitonis alarutinis OPITZ nov.sp.
14' Elytral disc flavotestaceous (Panamá) (Fig. 152)....... Aspitonis graminis OPITZ nov.sp.
15(7') Elytral epipleural margins subparallel (Pilosirus).......................................................16
15' Elytral epipleural margin not subparallel, elytra expanded in posterior half..............19
16(15) Antennomere 5 nearly same size as antennomere 7 (Fig. 73) (Peru) .............................. ................................................................................................... Pilosirus brunoi OPITZ
16' Antennomere 5 much smaller than antennomere 7 (Fig. 76)......................................17
17(16') Elytral disc with broad flavotestaceous fascia (Bolivia) (Fig. 161) ................................ .................................................................................... Pilosirus fasciatus OPITZ nov.sp.
17' Elytral disc without fascia, disc entirely black............................................................18
18(17') Pronotal tubercle obtuse (Fig. 141) (Brazil) (Fig, 160)................................................... ............................................................................... Pilosirus amazonicus OPITZ nov.sp.
18' Pronotal tubercle subacute (Fig. 142) (Brazil) (Fig. 162) .............................................. ........................................................................................ Pilosirus versus OPITZ nov.sp.
19(15') Pronotal disc explanate at sides..................................................................................20
19' Pronotal disc not explanate at sides............................................................................21
20(19) Profemur entirely dark brown (Brazil) (Fig. 145)........................................................... ............................................................................. Ambonoides retinoides OPITZ nov.sp.
20' Profemur flavotestaceous in basal half, dark brown in remainder (Brazil) (Fig. 146) .... ............................................................................ Ambonoides caraguata OPITZ nov.sp.
21(19') Last maxillary palpomere securiform (Fig. 28), male metatibiae without glandular pit (Isoforma)...................................................................................................................22
21' Last maxillary palpomere subsecuriform, male metatibiae with glandular pit (as in fig. 100) (Artoadenus).......................................................................................................27
22(21) Elytral disc with flavotestaceous fascia......................................................................23
22' Elytral disc without fascia...........................................................................................25
23(22) Middle of pronotal disc with narrow flavotestaceous line (Brazil) (Fig. 158) ................ ........................................................................................ Isoforma plauta OPITZ nov.sp.
23' Middle of pronotal disc entirely black........................................................................24
24(23') Humerus flavotestaceous (French Guiana) (Fig. 155)..................................................... ....................................................................................... Isoforma fritilla OPITZ nov.sp.
24' Humerus black (French Guiana) (Fig. 156) ......................... Isoforma goryi (LAPORTE)
25(22') Pronotal disc entirely flavotestaceous (Brazil) (Fig. 154) .............................................. ................................................................................... Isoforma biguttula OPITZ nov.sp.
25' Pronotal disc flavotestaceous at middle......................................................................26
26(25') Pronotal disc with two widely separated black lines (Mexico) (157) ............................. ...................................................................................... Isoforma planata OPITZ nov.sp.
26' Pronotal disc with two narrowly separated black lines (Brazil) (Fig. 159) ..................... .................................................................................... Isoforma subgilva OPITZ nov.sp.
27(21') Elytral disc without fascia, proximal half flavotestaceous, distal half black (Panamá) (Fig. 147) ...................................................................... Artoadenus dius OPITZ nov.sp.
27' Elytral disc with fascia................................................................................................28
28(27') Pronotal disc with two widely separated black lines, flavotestaceous midelytral fascia wide (México) (Fig. 149) .......................................... Artoadenus similus OPITZ nov.sp.
28' Pronotal disc black at middle, flavotestaceous midelytral fascia narrow (French Guiana) (148) ............................................................. Artoadenus regina OPITZ nov.sp.
description: Published as part of Opitz, Weston, 2015, Systematics of the checkered beetle subfamily Platynopterinae SPINOLA (Coleoptera Cleridae), pp. 1513-1572 in Linzer biologische Beiträge 47 (2) on pages 1517-1521, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.5282503