Platycoelus
Creators: name: Will, Kipling
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2015
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Carabidae
Platycoelus

description: Key to Platycoelus species
1 Elytral intervals 1–7 with dense, minute punctulae on the discal region........................................... 2
- Elytral intervals 1–7 smooth, without punctulae on the discal region........................................... 11
2 Dorsally black colored, often with a more or less iridescent luster. No metallic colors except for a very slight aeneous tint in some individuals of the flightless Platycoelus politissimus (Fig. 4 A) from New Zealand. Prosternal process at apex with or without raised apical margin............................................................................. 3
- Dorsally with obvious green (rarely with a blue tint) or bronze metallic color, without spectral iridescence. Flight wing full. Prosternal process at apex bordered with raised margin................................. Platycoelus melliei (Fig. 2 F)
3 Seta of metatrochanter absent. Metatarsomeres gracile (Fig. 11 A).............................................. 4
- Seta of metatrochanter present. Metatarsomeres heavily built (Fig. 11 B)....................... Platycoelus poeciloides
4 Metatarsomeres 1–2 with dorsolateral sulcus clearly impressed and with distinct lateral carina ......................... 5
- Metatarsomere 1–2 without dorsolateral sulcus or with only a shallow often interrupted, short sulci and no carinae or with a very low rounded raised lateral bead..................................................................... 8
5 Lateral margins of pronotum with slight or no sinuation. Hind angles variously angled, but usually obtusely angled. Relative size of pronotum various............................................................................... 6
- Pronotum rectilinear across base, lateral margins with obvious sinuation in basal forth and then straight to the hind angles. Hind angles about right angled. Pronotum relatively small and narrow................. Platycoelus interstitialis (Fig. 2 B)
6 Proepisternum, mesepisternum, metepisternum and lateral edge of metasternum smooth or with a few scattered, small and very shallowly punctures.................................................................................... 7
- Proepisternum, mesepisternum, metepisternum an lateral edge of metasternum densely, shallowly punctate.......................................................................................... Platycoelus sulcatulus (Fig. 4 D)
7 Pronotal lateral margins slightly to notably sinuate before the base. Aedeagus with narrowly rounded apex (Fig. 6 B), ventral surface convex (Fig. 6 A).......................... Platycoelus irideomicans (probably a complex of species, Fig. 2 D)
- Pronotal lateral margins not or only very slightly sinuate before the base. Aedeagus with broadly rounded apex (Fig. 7 D), ven- tral surface flat (Fig. 7 C)......................................................... .. Platycoelus politus sp. nov.
8 Proepisternum, mesepisternum, metepisternum and lateral edge of metasternum densely, shallowly punctate............. 9
- Proepisternum, mesepisternum, metepisternum and lateral edge of metasternum smooth or with a few scattered small and very shallowly punctures........................................................ Platycoelus brigalowphilus sp. nov.
9 Pronotum finely and sparsely punctate over entire surface including the basolateral depressions...................... 10
- Pronotum coarsely and densely punctate over disc, especially across the basal third and in the basolateral depressions...................................................................................... Platycoelus orion sp. nov.
10 Elytral intervals with microsculpture not apparent, not visible at 50x magnification. Dorsally very shiny with prominent spec- tral iridescence. Elytral intervals very flat.................................... Platycoelus planipennis (Fig. 3 B; 6I,J)
- Elytral intervals with microsculpture apparent, slightly transverse. Dorsally slightly dull or moderately shiny and with very slight spectral iridescence. Elytral intervals slightly convex.................... Platycoelus caledonicus (Fig. 1 D; 5C,D)
11 Head at the level of the posterior supraorbital setae punctate................................................... 12
- Head at the level of the posterior supraorbital setae smooth................................................... 13
12 Pronotal margins not sinuate, hind angles obtuse. Elytral intervals flat, shiny, iridescent. New Guinea ............................................................................................... Platycoelus archboldi (Fig. 1 A)
- Pronotal margins sinuate in basal third, hind angles nearly right angled. Elytral intervals convex, dull, black or with a slight aeneous tint. New Zealand .................................................. .. Platycoelus politissimus (Fig. 4 A)
13 Elytra fully striate or nearly so. Shallowly or deeply impressed................................................ 14
- Discal elytral striae obliterated, impressed only near apex for 1-6 and apical third of stria 7......................... 18
14 Elytral intervals 8–9 densely punctuate and/or clearly irregularly sculptured............ Platycoelus major (Fig. 2 E, 6C,D)
- Elytral intervals 8–9 smooth............................................................................ 15
15 Metatrochanters reniform or elongate and rounded at the apex. Moderate sized (SBL<18.0mm), somewhat or very shiny and often distinctly iridescent............................................................................. 16
- Metatrochanters distinctly pointed apically. Large (typically SBL>20.0mm), dull, or only slightly shiny, black species............................................................................................ Platycoelus prolixus
16 Male profemur with deep transverse groove (Fig. 10). Pronotum slightly transverse and elytra elongate. Antennomeres 1-3 infuscated. Labrum infuscated or black.................................................................. 17
- Male profemur without deep transverse groove, same as in female. Pronotum notably transverse and elytra broad ovoid (Figs. 2 A). Antennomeres 1-3 pale and not infuscated. Labrum concolorous reddish brown.......... Platycoelus hermes sp. nov.
17 Metatrochanter without seta. Pronotum lateral margins distinctly arcuate................ Platycoelus chongheeae sp. nov.
- Metatrochanter with setae. Pronotum lateral margins shallowly arcuate............. Platycoelus depressus (Fig. 1 F, 5G,H)
18 Prosternal process at apex with raised margin apically, flight wings reduced.................. Platycoelus biroi (Fig. 1 B)
- Prosternal process at apex without apical margin, flight wings fully developed............. Platycoelus jedlickai (Fig. 2 D)
description: Published as part of Will, Kipling, 2015, A taxonomic review, new species and a key to species of Platycoelus Blanchard, 1843 (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Pterostichini), pp. 291-308 in Zootaxa 4034 (2) on pages 306-307, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4034.2.3, http://zenodo.org/record/235485