Platonica, Sharp, 1883

Hanley, Rodney S., 2003, Generic revision of the staphylinid beetle tribe Hoplandriini (Insecta: Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae), Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 138 (1), pp. 83-140 : 103-106

SUBGENUS PLATONICA ( SHARP (1883) (FIGS 10,11)

Platonica Sharp, 1883:214 . Eichelbaum, 1909:225. Fenyes, 1918 –21:309. Bernhauer & Scheerpeltz, 1926:715. Scheerpeltz, 1934:1667. Blackwelder, 1944:163. Blackwelder, 1952:191. Hanley, 2002a:314. Hanley, in press b.

Type species: Platonica major Sharp, 1883 (designated by Fenyes, 1918 –21 by subsequent designation).

Diagnosis: This subgenus is distinguishable from the other subgenera of Hoplandria by the following combination of characters: body large to very large (4.5– 13.5 mm); body colouration pale throughout or more or less bicoloured; pronotum unevenly and generally weakly pubescent, with six large setiferous pores; males with each elytron with distinct humeral carina or bump, distinct denticle, carina or conical process on the medioapical region, a well-developed denticle, carina or bump on the outer apical third, and a distinct carina on lateral margins; posterior corner of abdominal sternum III slightly modified or extended, generally not as a long spine, abdominal tergum IV with highly variable, raised flat area on tergum IV often appearing irridescent; and abdominal tergum VII with generally narrow posteromedian longtitudinal carina.

Description: In agreement with Hoplandria description, except for the following characters. [1] Lengths of adults 4.5–13.5 mm. [2] Body ( Fig. 10A ) typically highly fusiform; with [4] large, distinctive punctation and microsculpturing; [5,6,7,8,9] pubescence generally sparse throughout.

Head: ( Fig. 10A ) [10] Typically as wide as long. [11] Eyes generally large, 0.4–0.7 times length of head. [13] Infraorbital carina more or less strongly developed and complete. Antenna with [15] articles 1–3 elongate, 2.5–3.5 times longer than wide; [16] article 4 slightly elongate; [17] articles 5–10 short, 1.0–2.0 times wider than long.

Mouthparts: Labrum ( Fig. 10B ) with epipharyngeal area with [19] medial pores small, numerous, more or less uniformly distributed in [20] very poorly delimited, longitudinal sensory field; [21] pores between longitudinal sensory field and lateral sclerotized areas few, primarly distributed apical and basal groups ( Fig. 10C ). Mandible ( Fig. 10D,E ) with [24] condylar molar patch very small, width less than 1/8 of basal mandibular width, [25] composed of very small denticles or spinules, [26] densely arranged in more or less irregular transverse rows; dorsobasal ‘velvety patch’ [28] moderate in size, as wide as half of mandibular base, composed of [29] numerous, very fine hairs or spinules; [30] ventral aspect with outer basal angle with no setae. Maxilla ( Fig. 10F ) with [32] lacinia more or less acute apically, [33] teeth of adoral margin short, about 3 times longer than wide, placed into [35] two distinct regions; [37] galea moderately narrow, narrower than lacinia at widest area, [38] membranous in apical 1/3–1/4. Labium ( Fig. 10G ) with ligula [45] elongate, as long as labial palpus 1, with [47] forked apex; [49] two relatively long medial setae of prementum present, typically longer than ligula, [50] insertion of setae distinctly separated; [53] median pseudopore field wide and more or less rectangular; hypoglossal lobes ( Fig. 10H ) [56] with moderately long, about 4 times longer than width of lobe, comblike internally curved setae; [57a] adoral setal patch typically expanded around lobe diameter. Labial palpi ( Fig. 10G ) [58] very long and narrow, overall length 10–15 times longer than greatest width, [60] with distal pore field composed of two small spines; [61] article 1 about 3.5–4.0 times longer than article 2, [62] article 3 about 2.5 times longer than article 2. Mentum with [65] apical margin slightly to significantly concave with [67] many sensory pores typically distributed throughout.

Thorax: Pronotum ( Fig. 10A ) with [68a] outer apical angles slightly to significantly sinuate, with [68b] apical area along midline typically extended posteriorly, often with [70a] areas near lateral margins distinctly flattened. Setae [71] generally scarcely to moderately distributed, [71a] typically not evenly distributed with narrow longitudinal bare area on disc. Elytra with [75] apico-lateral angles slightly to not distinctly sinuate; [76] elytra together about 1.4–1.7 times as wide as long; microsetae [77a] typically very small, [78] more or less uniformly distributed and [79] directed posterior-laterally. Mesocoxal cavities ( Fig. 11A ) [81] widely separated by meso- and metasternal processes by about 1/5–1/4 length of coxal cavities. Mesosternal process [82] shorter than metasternal process, extended to middle of coxal cavities; [83] meso- and metasternal processes separated by very short isthmus; [84] mesosternal process generally flattened at apex. Metasternum [85] subequal to longer than width of mesocoxae. Macrosetae [88] absent from metasternum. Legs with [91] tarsal claws long and more or less slender with slight expansion longitudinally, [93] empodial bristle typically shorter than tarsal claws; [94] article 1 of hind tarsus about 1.5–1.7 times length of article 2.

Abdomen: ( Fig. 11B ) [97] Highly fusiform, tapering apically to broadly pointed apex; [98] terga III – V with moderate to deep transverse basal depressions on anterior portion. [99] Terga with few or no macrosetae, sterna with few, prominent macrosetae. [100] Anterior corner of sternum III with distinct region of differentiated microsculpturing visible, generally delimited by very fine carina, area not appearing irridescent. Tergum IX with [101a] small setae basally and heavy, dark-coloured setae apically.

Secondary sexual characteristics: Males extremely variable, including more or less distinct major and minor forms. Minor forms generally similar to females and typically indistinct externally. Major forms between species highly variable with morphological modifications on the elytra in the form of [102] distinct humeral carina or bump; [103] distinct denticle, carina or conical process on the medioapical region; [104] well-developed denticle, carina or bump on the outer apical third; [104a] distinct carina on lateral margins. Abdomen: posterior corners of [105] sternum III only slightly modified and extended, generally not as a long spine, and [106] sternum IV not produced; [107] highly variable, raised flat area on tergum IV often appearing irridescent; [108] generally narrow posteromedian longtitudinal carina on tergum VII; [109] two transverse rows of large macrosetae on near apex of tergum VIII.

Aedeagus: ( Fig. 11C ) Highly variable, with bulb of median lobe [110] typically short, subequal to shorter in length to tube; internal sac [112] typically with numerous, fine spinules; [113] parameres ( Fig. 11D ) with apical lobe of parmerite shorter than velum, [114] typically with 2–3 setae at apex, 2 most commonly; [115] paramerite anterior margin straight to slightly concave; [116] condylite with apex unmodified, [117] generally longer to subequal in length to apex of paramerite.

Spermatheca: ( Fig. 11E ) [122a] Vaginal sclerite typically heavily sclerotized.

Habitat: Unknown. Many specimens representing the subgenus have been taken using various trapping techniques, including Malaise and flight-intercept traps.

Comments: After examination of thousands of specimens representing Hoplandria s.l. from the Neotropics, I am certain that the subgenus Platonica has perhaps hundreds or more species awaiting description, especially from lowland rainforests of Central America and northern South America. With inclusion of additional species of Platonica in systematic studies of Hoplandria s.l., it seems likely that Platonica + Lophomucter may be elevated to generic-level status. Currently, there are 13 described species in Platonica .

Distribution: NEOTROPICAL REGION. Bolivia, Brazil, Columbia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama.

Figures

Figure 10. Hoplandria (Platonica) major (Sharp). (A) Habitus, dorsal view. (B) Labrum. (C) Epipharynx. (D) Mandible, dorsal view. (E) Mandible, ventral view. (F) Maxilla. (G) Labium. (H) Hypopharynx.

Figure 11. Hoplandria (Platonica) major (Sharp). (A) Meso- and metathorax. (B) Abdominal tergum VIII. (C) Aedeagus, lateral view. (D) Paramere, lateral view. (E) Spermatheca.