Myoplatypus sicarius ( Wood, 1971 ), 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 : 310-311

Myoplatypus sicarius ( Wood, 1971) , new combination

( Figs 1 , 6 )

Platypus sicarius Wood, 1971: 250 .

Taxonomy. we have examined the holotype and several paratypes of this species (NMNH). It has the pair of stout spines on ventrite 3 and the long, slender body and short vertical declivity characteristic of Myoplatypus . The paired ventral spines are in the original description of the species ( Wood 1971); though he grouped it in Schedl’s bilobati, Wood neglected to transfer this species from Platypus along with the other bilobati that he put in Myoplatypus ( Wood 1993) . Only ca 2 mm long, it is the next smallest species in the genus. This species and M. petrovi lack the prominent extensions of the posterolateral angle that characterize most species of the genus, though the posterolateral angle is only weakly produced in M. quadricornis .

New records. “ PERU, Junin, 15 km NW Satipo, Rio Venado , 1300 m, -11.1931, -74.7686, Window trap, 16– 21.10.2015, A. Petrov ” (2 males, LRKC); “ PERU, Dept. Loreto, 1.5 km N Teniente Lopez, 2º 35.66’ S, 76º 06.92’ W, 20 July 1993, 210– 240 m, Richard Leschen, ex: flight intercept trap ” ( CNC, 1 male) . “ ECUADOR, Sucumbios, Sacha Lodge , 0.5º S, 76.5º W, 270 m, 3-16-VIII 1994, Hibbs, ex: Malaise”, SM0024618 ( CNC, 1 male) .

Distribution. Myoplatypus sicarius was known only from the type series, two low elevation collections from Pouteria (Sapotaceae) from Barinas, Venezuela. Peru and Ecuador are new country records and are the first range extensions of any tropical Myoplatypus species since their description. Only M. sicarius and M. petrovi have thus far been collected from South America.

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 6. Myoplatypus sicarius (Wood), male holotype. (A) dorsal view. (B) Lateral view; one downward-pointing spine can be seen. (C) Frontal view. (D) Posterior view, showing declivity. Photos: Smithsonian Institution (USNMENT00912090), CC0 license, by S.M. Smith.