Platyhydnobius Peck & Cook, 2009

Peck, Stewart B. & Cook, Joyce, 2009, Review of the Sogdini of North and Central America (Coleoptera: Leiodidae: Leiodinae) with descriptions of fourteen new species and three new genera, Zootaxa 2102 (1), pp. 1-74 : 51

Genus Platyhydnobius Peck & Cook , new genus

Type species: Hydnobius arizonensis Horn, 1885: 138 .

Diagnosis. Antennal club interrupted 5-segmented; mandibles moderately elongate, apices entire; labrum moderately to deeply emarginate; clypeus strongly sclerotized, convex; epistomal suture incomplete (complete in P. validus ); eyes protuberant; post-ocular tempora short; gular sutures widely separated basally and apically, convergent near middle; separation of gula and submentum indicated by a transverse depression; mesoventrite weakly oblique, not carinate; mesocoxae narrowly separated by mesoventral and metaventral processes; all legs without teeth (except in P. validus with subapical tooth on posterior margin of both mesofemur and metafemur); parameres elongate, broad and flat, lobed laterally near base, apices with many small setae, elongate setae inserted dorsally before apex.

The following characters of Platyhydnobius separate this genus from Hydnobius : apices of both mandibles entire (right mandible bidentate apically in Hydnobius ); eyes protuberant (weakly or not protuberant in Hydnobius ); separation of gula and submentum indicated by a transverse depression (a distinct suture present in Hydnobius ); mesocoxae narrowly separated by mesoventral and metaventral processes (separated by mesoventral process in Hydnobius ); parameres elongate, broad and flat, with lateral lobes near base (lateral lobes absent in Hydnobius ), apices with many small setae, elongate setae inserted dorsally before apex (paramere apices with two setae apically in Hydnobius ).

Distribution and diversity. The genus is known to contain only the following Nearctic and northern Neotropical species. We have not been able to recognize any existing Palearctic species that should be placed in this new genus.

Etymology. From the Greek, platys, broad and flat; refers to the characteristic shape of the parameres of species in this genus; and the genus Hydnobius .