Scolytoplatypus minimus Hagedorn, 1904

Buhroo, Abdul Ahad, 2024, A taxonomic monograph of subfamily Scolytinae (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in the Western Himalaya, Zootaxa 5533 (1), pp. 1-82 : 62-63

49. Scolytoplatypus minimus Hagedorn, 1904

( Figure 62 )

This species is diagnosed by the following morphological characters: ♂ frons concave, surface dull, finely reticulate with minute punctures and sparse, micro-hairs; fringe of long dense incurved golden hairs around the margin of vertex up to lower side of eyes (except on upper half of eyes); eyes elongate and weakly convex; antennal club lanceolate, entirely pubescent, along with a few long hairs; pronotum sub-quadrate, 1.2× wider than long; basal margin bisinuate; lateral sides ridged on basal two-thirds, weakly so anteriorly; basal third narrowest; widest at anterior third; surface finely reticulate and dull, punctures and hairs inconspicuous; prosternum with a small triangular median projection anteriorly, posteriorly a pair of widely separated, weakly shining, flattened areas; scutellum submerged; elytra 1.21× as long as pronotum and slightly wider (1.08×) than its own length; basal margin somewhat bisinuate and carinate; lateral sides sub-parallel up to two-thirds; postero-lateral margins carinate, converging posteriorly and confluent with interstria 9; discal striae impressed marked by indistinct punctures; interstriae weakly convex gradually elevated posteriorly; interstriae 1 to 8 terminating into single spine at commencement of declivity, spines on interstriae 1–5 alternately longer and shorter, interstrial surface rough with somewhat indistinct granules; declivity abrupt, face sub-convex, entire surface roughened with minute granules; striae and interstriae indistinctly marked; color yellowish brown, postero-lateral margins of pronotum and anterior half of elytra much lighter; body length: 1.60 mm, 1.79× as long as wide.

Females: pronotum about as long as wide with a mycangial pore, striae and interstriae obsolete on apical part of elytral declivity. Remarks: This species is smallest among all representatives of the genus from India. Material examined: New record: India: 1 ♂. Himachal Pradesh, Palampur, Tanda (32° 06.141′ N, 076° 32.036′ E, 4008 ft.), A.A. Buhroo, 25.09.2018 (KUIC). Distribution: India: Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, West Bengal. Thailand Hosts: Grevillea robusta ( Proteaceae ) (new host record). Acrocarpus fraxinifolius ( Fabaceae ), Alnus nitida

( Betulaceae ), Cornus macrophylla ( Cornaceae ), Prunus armeniaca ( Rosaceae ), Salix tetrasperma ( Salicaceae ),

Wendlandia tinctoria ( Rubiaceae )

Figures

FIGURE 62. Scolytoplatypus minimus. Male: dorsal view A, latero-declivital view B, frons and prosternum C.