Polyplectropus

Chamorro, Maria Lourdes & Holzenthal, Ralph W., 2010, 2582, Zootaxa 2582, pp. 1-252 : 45-47

Key to species groups of New World Polyplectropus

1. Dorsolateral process of preanal appendage bulbous and bearing dorsal microsetae ( Fig. 4B)............... 2

- Dorsolateral process absent ( Fig. 4D) or present as a distinct sclerotized lanceolate rod ( Fig. 4F), without dorsal microsetae............................................................................... 3

2(1) Anterior basal plate of inferior appendage elongate, extending beyond anterior margin of sternum IX ( Figs. 4B).................................................................... P. santiago group, p. 146

- Anterior basal plate of inferior appendage short, not extending beyond anterior margin of sternum IX ( Fig. 5A)....................................................................... P. alienus group, p. 47

3(1) Dorsal digitate lobe on mesoventral process of preanal appendage absent ( Fig. 8B)...................... 4 - Dorsal digitate lobe on mesoventral process of preanal appendage present ( Figs. 6C, 22A)................ 12

4(3) Paired papillate lobe present or slight remnant indicated by presence of small setae ( Figs. 8A, B)........... 5

- Paired papillate lobe absent ( Figs. 8C–F)........................................................ 7

5(4) Dorsolateral process of preanal appendage absent (small remnants visible at times) ( Figs. 56–58)................................................................................ P. charlesi group, p. 113

- Dorsolateral process of preanal appendage present (may be short or elongate) ( Figs. 5C–F)............... 6

6(5) Intermediate appendage oblong, apex directed posterad, bearing few apical and basal setae ( Fig. 37A); dorsolateral arm of dorsal phallic sclerites fused apically ( Fig. 37F).............. P. bredini group (in part), p. 76

- Intermediate appendage digitate, apex directed mesad, and bearing large and small setae throughout dorsal surface ( Fig. 5F); dorsolateral arm of dorsal phallic sclerite laterally fused subapically ( Fig. 5F).................................................................................... P. thilus group, p. 193

7(4) Primary lobe of intermediate appendage prominent, usually digitate ( Fig. 9A)......................... 8

- Primary lobe of intermediate appendage very small and rounded ( Fig. 9C)....... P. manuensis group, p. 130

8(7) Intermediate appendage narrowly oblong with setae throughout entire surface, without secondary ventral lobe ( Fig. 37); posterior margin of ventral branch truncate to slightly angled and may bear a row of peg-like setae ( Fig. 37C); lower lip of tergum X prominent, produced beyond apex of median lobe of tergum X ( Fig. 37A)................................................................. P. bredini group (in part), p. 76

- Intermediate appendage simple or complex (i.e., with secondary lobes) with setae apically, medially, scattered dorsally, or basally and apically; posterior margin of ventral branch variously shaped with or without peg-like setae, if present apically not in a row (Figs. (39A, D; 43D), or also present medially ( Fig. 118C); lower lip of tergum X not very prominent, usually not produced beyond apex of tergum X.......................... 9

9(8) Intermediate appendage apically incised, with setae medially ( Fig. 117A); mesoventral process of preanal appendage apparently absent, slight lateral lobe remains ( Fig. 117C); anterior basal plate broad, not tapering distally ( Fig. 117)......................................... P. beccus Hamilton & Holzenthal , p. 224

- Intermediate appendage oblong, bearing few apical and basal setae ( Fig. 9D); mesoventral process of preanal appendage present, sometimes both processes fused mesally ( Fig. 51C); anterior basal plate tapering or not distally ( Figs. 41A, 51A)................................................................... 10

10(9) Dorsolateral process of preanal appendage present ( Fig. 5E) or, if absent, inferior appendage with dorsal and ventral branches shallowly fused ( Fig. 4E)............................. P. bredini group (in part), p. 76

- Dorsolateral process of preanal appendage absent ( Figs. 118, 120); inferior appendages with dorsal and ventral branches not shallowly fused ( Fig. 118)........................................................ 11

11(10) Intermediate appendage with secondary ventral lobes ( Fig. 118A); primary lobe of intermediate appendage with several apical setae ( Fig. 118); peg-like setae present medially and apically on ventral branch of inferior appendage ( Fig. 118); ventral branch of inferior appendage quadrate (in ventral view) ( Fig. 118D)...................................................................... P. beutelspacheri Bueno-Soria , p. 226

- Intermediate appendage without secondary ventral lobes ( Fig. 120A); setae on ventral branch of inferior appendage absent ( Fig. 120D); ventral branch of inferior appendage produced posterolaterally into acute point, base of ventral branch quadrate ( Fig. 120D)............................... P. nayaritensis Bueno-Soria , p. 230

12(3) Dorsal digitate lobe on mesoventral process of preanal appendage originating apically ( Figs. 5D, 6C)...... 13

- Dorsal digitate lobe on mesoventral process of preanal appendage originating basally ( Figs. 8A, 41)...... 16

13(12) Ventral branch of inferior appendage broadly oblong or quadrate ( Fig. 11C)........................... 14

- Ventral branch of inferior appendage digitate ( Fig. 10A).................... P. annulicornis group, p. 50

14(13) Peg-like spines present in endothecal phallic membrane ( Figs. 62E, F, H); dorsolateral process of preanal appendage absent ( Figs. 62A, C).......................................... P. guyanae group, p. 127

- Endothecal phallic membrane with or without spines, if present not peg-like ( Fig. 67E); dorsolateral process of preanal appendage present ( Fig. 41A) or absent ( Fig. 59A)........................................ 15

15(14) Lanceolate spines present in endothecal phallic membrane ( Figs. 60E, F); intermediate appendage complex (with more than 1 lobe) ( Figs. 59–61A).................................. P. fuscatus group (in part), p. 120

- Spines absent in endothecal phallic membrane ( Figs. 53E, F); inferior appendage with dorsal and ventral branches shallowly fused ( Figs. 4E, 53)........................... P. bredini group ( P. petrae ), p. 106

16(12) Dorsal branch of inferior appendage without peg-like setae ( Fig. 11E); apex of mesoventral process of preanal appendage sclerotized, laterally without small papillate lobe ( Figs. 59–61C,).......................... 17

-. Dorsal branch of inferior appendage with peg-like setae ( Figs. 41A, C, D); apex of mesoventral process of preanal appendage not sclerotized, laterally with small papillate lobe ( Fig. 41C).................................................................................. P. bredini group ( P. colombianus ), p. 85

17(16) Ventral branch of inferior appendage shorter than dorsal branch (never the same size) ( Figs. 67–71)............................................................................... P. narifer group, p. 136

- Ventral branch of inferior appendage equal in size or longer than dorsal branch ( Figs. 59–61)............................................................................ P. fuscatus group (in part), p. 120