Myoplatypus petrovi Kirkendall, 2023

Kirkendall, Lawrence R. & Atkinson, Thomas H., 2023, The rare genus Myoplatypus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Platypodinae): three new species, new reports, and first records for South America, Zootaxa 5351 (3), pp. 301-321 : 303-304

Myoplatypus petrovi Kirkendall , new species

( Figs 1 , 3 )

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:4D7531E6-D184-403B-A949-84D1C59A3286

Type material. Holotype (male) “ PERU: Loreto reg[ion], left bank of the Amazon, 75 km SW from Iquitos , h ≈ 153 m, wind[ow] trap, 04 o 20.207’ S, 73 o 30.958’ W [-4.3368, -73.5160], 1– 5.03.2008 A. Petrov ”. The holotype is currently in my collection ( LRKC) but will be donated to the NMNH.

Differential diagnosis. Identifiable as a male Myoplatypus by the transverse pair of large spines on ventrite 3 of males and elongate body with a short vertical declivity. This species can be distinguished by its small size (<2.5 mm) and the very simple declivity of the male—a feature shared only with the much smaller M. sicarius (Wood) .

Similar species. Only M. sicarius and the new species described below also have a female-like, simple male declivity. The male of M. petrovi is quite similar overall to that of M. sicarius but is nearly 1 mm longer. Males of M. sicarius have a pair of mycangial pores near the anterior end of the median line on the pronotum; M. petrovi has small clusters of a few tiny pores at the same location may or may not be associated with mycangia (seen with difficulty).

Description of male. Total body length 2.9 mm; net body length 2.5 mm, 3.4 × as long as wide. Pronotum length 0.9 mm, 1.3 × as long as wide. Elytra length 1.6 mm, 2.1 × as long as wide.

Male with clusters of a few tiny pores at anterior end of the median line on pronotum: two pores on one side, three on the other, the clusters nearly touching the median line. These tiny pores are presumably mycangial, as they are in the usual location of mycangial pores and are different in appearance from normal punctures on the pronotum.

Anterior margin of the metanepisternal-metaventrite impression with three tiny spines above (upper two nearly imperceptible, lower spine more obvious), one small spine below. Spines on ventrite 3 widely spaced as is typical in Myoplatypus , but unusually long, their height being greater than the length of the ventrite. Most elytral striae and interstriae end at or slightly before the base of the declivity (interstriae 3 and 5 overhang slightly), not overhanging the vertical declivity as in M. sicarius ; declivity vertical, bilaterally weakly concave, upper declivity including overhang with dense short setae. Posterolateral angle roughly a right angle, no projecting tooth or spine. Posterolateral margin anterior to angle with five or six tiny serrations on each elytron.

Distribution. Peru (Loreto): known only from the holotype.

Biology. Little is known, just that it was collected at a low elevation.

Etymology. The species epithet honors Alexander Petrov, whose tireless collecting in Peru has yielded a treasure trove of Platypodinae ( Kirkendall 2017) and Scolytinae (e.g. Petrov 2014, 2020; Petrov & Mandelshtam 2009, 2010; Smith & Cognato 2021). Alexander collected the sole specimen of this new species. Genitive noun.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Dorsal, lateral, and angled posterior views of the declivities of five tropical species of Myoplatypus. (A–C) M. petrovi. (D–F) M. sicarius. (G–I) M. nicaraguensis. (J–L) M. brevicornis. (M–O) M. quadricornis. For sources of photos, see plates for the respective species; for sizes of species, see Table 1.

FIGURE 3. Myoplatypus petrovi Kirkendall, male holotype. (A) dorsal view. (B) Lateral view; white arrow points to one of the two large, backward-pointing spines on ventrite 3. (C) Frontal view. (D) Underside of abdomen, showing position and tips of the spines on ventrite 3 (white arrows). Photos by T.H. Atkinson.