Plateumaris sericea (Linnaeus, 1758)

Geiser, Elisabeth, 2023, Revision of the Palaearctic species of the genus Plateumaris C. G. Thomson, 1859 (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Donaciinae), ZooKeys 1177, pp. 167-233 : 167

Plateumaris sericea (Linnaeus, 1758)

Figs 11 , 12

Leptura sericea Linnaeus, 1758: 397.

Donacia aenea Olivier, 1791: 292.

Donacia armata Paykull, 1799: 194.

Donacia asiatica Faldermann, 1837: 322.

Donacia sericea var. atropurpurea Westhoff, 1882: 256.

Plateumaris caucasica Zaitzev, 1930: 111 [syn. nov.].

Plateumaris discolor discolor f. coelicolor Bechyné, 1945: 89 [infrasubspecific name].

Donacia comari Suffrian, 1846: 84.

Plateumaris discolor discolor f. cupraria Bechyné, 1945: 89 [infrasubspecific name].

Donacia discolor Panzer, 1795: 216.

Donacia festucae Fabricius, 1792: 116.

Donacia geniculata C. G. Thomson, 1866: 123.

Plateumaris imitatrix Apfelbeck [nomen nudum].

Plateumaris intermedia Apfelbeck, 1912: 239.

Plateumaris discolor kratochvili f. isocoelicolor Bechyné, 1945: 89 [infrasubspecific name].

Plateumaris discolor kratochvili f. isocupraria Bechyné, 1945: 89 [infrasubspecific name].

Plateumaris discolor kratochvili f. isolacordairei Bechyné, 1945: 89 [infrasubspecific name].

Plateumaris discolor kratochvili f. isopurpuricena Bechyné, 1945: 89 [infrasubspecific name].

Plateumaris discolor kratochvili f. isoviolacea Bechyné, 1945: 89 [infrasubspecific name].

Plateumaris discolor kratochvili Bechyné, 1945: 89.

Donacia lacordairii Perris, 1864: 300.

Donacia laevicollis C. G. Thomson, 1866: 125.

Plateumaris sericea ab. levigata Csiki, 1953: 120 [infrasubspecific name].

Donacia sericea var. luctuosa Westhoff, 1882: 256.

Donacia micans Panzer, 1795: 9.

Plateumaris discolor var. nigrita Schilsky, 1908: 603.

Plateumaris nipponensis Nakane, 1963: 18.

Donacia nymphaeae Fabricius, 1792: 116.

Plateumaris obsoleta ? Plateumaris obsoleta Jacobson, 1894: 243.

Donacia palustris Schilling, 1838: 99 [homonym].

Donacia proteus Kunze, 1818: 23.

Plateumaris discolor discolor f. pseudoviolacea Bechyné, 1945: 89 [infrasubspecific name].

Plateumaris discolor discolor f. purpuricena Bechyné, 1945: 89 [infrasubspecific name].

Donacia sibirica Solsky, 1871: 245.

Plateumaris socia S.-H. Chen, 1941: 9.

Plateumaris slovacica Balthasar [nomen nudum].

Plateumaris discolor ab. tatrica Balthasar, 1934: 130 [infrasubspecific name].

Donacia sericea var. tenebricosa Westhoff, 1882: 256.

Donacia violacea Hoppe, 1795: 44 [homonym].

Plateumaris sericea ab. viridis Csiki, 1953: 120 [infrasubspecific name].

Type locality and type material.

Because Linnaeus described Plateumaris sericea ( Leptura ) in 1758 no type specimen was designated. He stated that it "occurs in Europe" which is correct.

Remarks.

Plateumaris sericea exhibits the highest variability in colour among Donaciinae . The upper side colour is metallic and can be green, golden green, blue, purple, red, violet, bronze, black and all shades in between. This is one of the causes so many “variations” were described which were often used like subspecies names. Additionally, throughout the whole distribution area, some specimens show a reddish base at the antennomeres. Also, few specimens exist with a reddish part near the joints of the femora, tibiae or tarsomeres. In (most) identification keys P. sericea is characterised by "antennae and legs entirely metallic", which is usually correct. Only in recent keys it is mentioned that there can also be reddish parts at some joints. Therefore, these "not entirely metallic" specimens supported the idea that specimens with a reddish spot belong to a different species or at least subspecies. I examined many specimens from the whole distribution area and determined their morphologic characters inclusive of the aedeagus shape are within the variety range of P. sericea .

In large European collections, where Asian specimens are stored, many of these Asian specimens show a red base of their antennomeres. Perhaps, these specimens were preferentially collected and stored whereas "entirely metallic" specimens were considered as common and not worth keeping.

Taxonomic history and synonymies.

The correct data of the first description is Leptura sericea (Linnaeus, 1758): 397, and not "Linnaeus, 1760: 196" as it was printed in Silfverberg (2010: 358). See explanation in section "Genus Plateumaris C. G. Thomson, 1859, Taxonomic history and synonymies" and in Geiser and Geiser (2023).

The genus name Donacia was erected later in 1775 by Fabricius. There he described Donacia crassipes and Donacia simplex and assigned Leptura aquatica L., 1758 to the genus Donacia , but, significantly, he did not change the genus name of Leptura sericea .

Plateumaris asiatica was described as Donacia asiatica by Faldermann (1837) from “Persien” ( today’s Iran) and never found again. It was synonymised with P. sericea by Kolossow (1929).

Plateumaris caucasica Zaitzev, 1930: syn. nov., see below.

Plateumaris discolor kratochvili f. coelicolor was described by Bechyné (1945) based on a series of specimens he collected from Přybyslav (central Bohemia). Therefore, Plateumaris coelicolor is a published but infrasubspecific name.

Plateumaris discolor discolor f. cupraria was described by Bechyné (1945) in contrast to P. discolor kratochvili f. isocupraria (see below) but both are infrasubspecific names.

Plateumaris discolor (Panzer, 1795): confirmed synonym, see below.

Plateumaris imitatrix : This name with the author “Apfelbeck” can be found on several museum specimens from Bosnia-Hercegovina (HNHM, coll. Frey in NHMB, SDEI), but a description was never published, therefore P. imitatrix is a nomen nudum. Viktor Apfelbeck (1859-1934) was a former curator of entomology at the National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sarajevo. He labelled several specimens from the Balkans with new names which he regarded as new species. Some of them he described later, some of them not. Nevertheless, some of these specimens were also stored in other museums and can be found nowadays. Goecke (1942a) examined one specimen stored in those days in "Deutsches Entomologisches Institut" in Berlin-Dahlem (now SDEI) and identified it as P. sericea unambiguously. I examined three specimens of " P. imitatrix " in HNHM and one in NHMB which are also clearly P. sericea . Presumably, the reddish base of the antennomeres tempted Apfelbeck to regard it as a new species.

Plateumaris intermedia was described by Apfelbeck (1912) on page 239 and not on page 238 in Latin and Serbian ( Geiser and Geiser 2023). It was synonymised with P. sericea by Goecke (1942b) who examined a specimen labelled “cotype” from Livanskopolje near Livno (Bosnia) stored in those days in "Deutsches Entomologisches Institut" in Berlin-Dahlem (now SDEI).

Plateumaris discolor kratochvili was described by Bechyné (1945) as a new subspecies in contrast to P. discolor discolor . Both subspecies live in the same habitat. Therefore, they could not be subspecies by definition. The characters to distinguish these two “subspecies” are completely within the variation range of P. sericea . I examined a specimen from Drholec (southern Moravia Czech Republic) leg. et det. Bechyné as P. discolor kratochvoli Beychné, 1945, ex coll. Roubal (SNMC) which is unambiguously P. sericea .

Plateumaris discolor kratochvili forma isocoelicolor , also the forma Plateumaris discolor kratochvili isocupraria , forma Plateumaris discolor kratochvili isolacordairei , forma Plateumaris discolor kratochvili isopurpuricena and forma Plateumaris discolor kratochvili isoviolacea were described by Bechyné (1945) based on a series of specimens from Přybyslav (central Bohemia) collected by Bechyné. All these form names are infrasubspecific.

Perris (1864) described Donacia lacordairii based on a specimen from Spain ( Geiser and Geiser 2023). He allocated it to the same group ("dans la mème division") as Donacia sericea . It was later regarded as an aberration of P. discolor ( Winkler 1930; Balthasar 1934) or as a variation or subspecies P. discolor lacordairii ( Silfverberg 2010). Askevold (1991) examined the endophallus of specimens from Spain which are assignable to P. lacordairii . He found it typical for P. sericea from other regions and therefore synonymised it with this species. I examined 31 specimens from BMNH and I agree.

Plateumaris levigata was described by Csiki in 1953 as an aberration of P. sericea .

He wrote: " Plateumaris sericea ab[erratio]. Plateumaris levigata [sic!] nom[en]. nov[um]. pro Plateumaris violacea Gyll. (nec Pall., nec Hoppe)". Plateumaris " Plateumaris levigata " is not a spelling error although " laevigata " is more common, but both spellings were used in classical Latin for the word “smoothed”, so " Plateumaris levigata " is correct. Anyway, this is an infrasubspecific name.

Plateumaris micans was described as Donacia micans by Panzer in 1795 and not in 1796 according to Alonso-Zarazaga and Evenhuis (2017).

Plateumaris nipponensis was described by Nakane (1963) from Kamikochi, Nagano (Japan). He assigned it closely to P. sericea but listed several relative characters ("more shining", "relatively shorter") which fit easily in the variability of P. sericea . It is regarded as subspecies in Warchałowski (2010) and as a synonym in Hayashi (2020) to P. sericea .

Plateumaris nymphaeae : Fabricius (1792) spelled Donacia nympheae in his original description, but this original spelling was an inadvertent error. According to ICZN 1999 (Art. 32.5.1) it has to be spelled Plateumaris nymphaeae as it was applied in Silfverberg (2010).

Plateumaris obsoleta Jacobson, 1894: questionable synonym, see below in P. shirahatai .

Plateumaris palustris was described as Donacia palustris by Schilling in 1838 on page 99 and not in 1837 on page 104. It is a homonym because Herbst (1784) described a Donacia palustris which is now synonymous with P. bracata .

Plateumaris discolor kratochvili forma pseudoviolacea and forma Plateumaris discolor kratochvili purpuricena were described by Bechyné (1945) based on a series of specimens from Přybyslav (central Bohemia) collected by Bechyné. All these form names are infrasubspecific.

Plateumaris sibirica (Solsky, 1871), confirmed synonym, see below.

Plateumaris socia was described by Chen (1941) based on three specimens from Chekiang (Zhejiang). In Silfverberg (2010) it is stated as a synonym to P. sericea sibirica . Askevold (1991) considered it a probable new synonym and Hayashi (2020) a synonym of P. sericea . The description of Chen (1941) mentions only characters which are clearly within the variation range of P. sericea , to which this species "is very closely allied". It is also interesting that Gressitt and Kimoto (1961) mentioned in their key of the Chinese species not P. sericea (which occurs in China) but P. socia , separated from the other Chinese Plateumaris species by typical characters of P. sericea .

Plateumaris sericea slovacica Balthasar: In the coll. generalis in SNMC two specimens are stored which are labelled “Čeklís, Slovensko, Plateumaris sericea slovacica det. V. Balthasar, Typus n[ova]. ssp." which I identified as P. sericea . I assume that Vladimir Balthasar (1897-1978), who described other species and subspecies of Plateumaris ( Balthasar 1934) intended to describe these specimens as a new subspecies but never did. Therefore, P. sericea slovacica is a nomen nudum.

Plateumaris discolor ab. tatrica was described by Balthasar (1934) based on one or several specimens (the number is unclear) characterised by a dark purple pronotum and dark violet-blue elytra, collected by Al. Procházka, from Štrbské pleso, High Tatras, Slovakia. Anyway, this is an infrasubspecific name.

Plateumaris violacea was described by Hoppe (1795) as Donacia violacea , but this is a homonym to Plateumaris violacea (Pallas, 1773), originally described as Leptura violacea , which is synonym with P. bracata .

Csiki described 1953 " Plateumaris sericea ab[erratio]. Plateumaris viridis nom[en]. nov[um]. pro Plateumaris micans Panz. (nec Hoppe)", but that does not matter because this is an infrasubspecific name.

General remarks on the morphology and distribution of Plateumaris sericea .

Plateumaris sericea has the largest distribution area of all Plateumaris species. It is no surprise that it is also genetically very variable ( Hendrich et al. 2015), which is shown also in the variability of the morphological characters. Additionally, to the colour variations mentioned above, P. sericea also varies in the shape and microstructure of the pronotum. While many Donaciinae species can be characterised by a typical shape of the tooth on the metafemur, P. sericea can show no tooth at all, or a very prominent sharp tooth and all shapes in between. Even the aedeagus varies in shape.

Diagnosis.

Legs and antennae usually entirely metallic, some specimens with reddish parts near the joints; pygidium of females rounded, in some specimens slightly emarginate, that of males emarginate; apex of median ejaculatory guide rounded.

Description.

Size: 6.5-10.5 mm.

Colour: Plateumaris sericea shows the greatest colour variety among all Donaciinae species: The whole beetle can be bronze, green, blue, black, cupreous, purple, red, yellow, and all shades in between. Antennae and legs are mostly completely metallic, but there are some specimens with red base of the antennomeres and even with red parts of the legs, usually at the tibiae or tarsomeres.

Head: Same colour as pronotum, supraocular furrow indistinct; vertex with a median line, antennomeres always apically darkened, either completely dark metallic or the basal part reddish to varying degrees, A3 slightly longer than A2, A4 2 × as long as A2 in most specimens. A3 ≥ A2, A4 = 2 × A2.

Pronotum: Outline more or less quadrate, in some specimens longer than wide; anterolateral tubercles prominent but sometimes flattened, the disc varies from alutaceous and impunctate to finely or coarsely punctate with deep transverse wrinkles, the median line can be clear and deep or only a very shallow furrow.

Elytra: Disc rugose, rows of punctures, shape, and apex typical like in other Plateumaris species.

Legs: Entirely metallic and same colour as upper side. Rarely, some specimens show reddish parts near the joints, mostly on the tibiae or tarsomeres, metafemora of most specimens with a prominent, blade-like tooth, but some specimens with an indistinct or without any tooth.

Pygidium: Emarginate in males, usually rounded but sometimes shallowly emarginate in females.

Aedeagus: Examples of its variability are shown in Fig. 11D, E .

There are no reliable external characters to distinguish P. sericea from P. shirahatai . The only reliable feature can be found at the endophallus. The apex of the median ejaculatory guide of the endophallus is notched in P. shirahatai (Fig. 12B ) whereas it is rounded (Fig. 12A ) in P. sericea . The habitus of P. sericea also looks very similar to P. roscida , but the latter always has large red parts on the legs and antennae, and their aedeagi are strikingly different (Figs 9 , 11D, E ).

Biology.

Plateumaris sericea feeds on Carex sp., Juncus sp., Eriophorum sp., Scirpus sp. and related plant species. For details and identification of the larvae see Steinhausen (1994), Narita (2003) and Bieńkowski and Orlova-Bieńkowskaja (2004). Plateumaris sericea is the most common Plateumaris species and can be found in many wetland habitats throughout the Palaearctic region. It tolerates a broad range of ecological conditions if it is only wet enough.

Distribution.

Plateumaris sericea has not only the largest distribution area of all Plateumaris species but also of all Donaciinae species. It occurs in the whole Palaearctic region. Any lack of records in some parts of its area is most probably due to a lack of collection trips there. Records exist for Europe: Austria, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina [new in PalCat], Belarus, Bulgaria, Croatia [first record], Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece [first record], Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Crimea [first record], Montenegro [first records], The Netherlands, North Macedonia [first record], Norway, Poland, Romania, Russia (north, central, and south parts of European territory), Serbia [new in PalCat], Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey [new in PalCat], Ukraine.

North Africa: Algeria [new in PalCat].

Asia: Armenia, Azerbaijan, China (Beijing, Hebei, Zhejiang), Georgia, Iran, Japan, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, North Korea [new in PalCat], Russia (west, east, and south Siberia [new in PalCat], Far East), South Korea [new in PalCat], Turkey [new in PalCat].

New country records additional to Silfverberg (2010).

Bosnia-Herzegovina: Mohr (1966b) and further new records:

Bosnia • 1 ex,; Livno [north of Buško Jezero]; collected from Cladium mariscus ; Donacia imitatrix Apfelbeck [V. Apfelbeck det.], Plateumaris sericea E. Geiser 2019 det.; HNHM • 2 ex.; Jezero near Jaice; on Cladium mariscus ; Donacia imitatrix Apfelbeck [V. Apfelbeck det.], Plateumaris sericea E. Geiser 2019 det.; HNHM • 1 ♀; Jezero; 1902; Apfelbeck leg.; Plateumaris intermedia V. Apfelbeck det., Plateumaris sericea E. Geiser 2019 det.; NHMB [ex coll. L. Weber in coll. Frey] • 1 ex.; Alps [Dinaric Alps]; Tomov det., E. Geiser 2019 vid.; HNHM • 1 ex.; Vrelo Bosne [spring of the Bosna river, in Ilidža, west of Sarajevo]; Plateumaris discolor Apfelbeck [det.], Plateumaris sericea I.K. Lopatin det.; HNHM • 1 ex.; Sarajevo, Igman Planina [Igman mountain west of Sarajevo]; 9 May 1930; Dr. J. Fodor leg., J. Bezděk 2017 det.; HNHM.

Croatia • 1 ex.; Pakrac [town in western Slavonia]; Plateumaris discolor ab. lacordairii Z. Kaszab det., Plateumaris sericea E. Geiser 2020 det., HNHM [ex coll. Apfelbeck] • 5 ex.; Plitvice [Plitvice Lakes National Park]; May 1970; [each with a different colour]; E. Geiser 2021 det.; ZFMK [coll. Prof. H. Bick].

Crimea • 1 ex.; Sebastopol; W. Pliginsky [leg.?]; Plateumaris discolor ab. lacordairii W. Balthasar [det.?], Plateumaris sericea E. Geiser 2020 det.; SMNC. Remark: Balthasar (1934) published a small key where he described P. discolor ab. tatrica to distinguish it from P. discolor ab. lacordairii . This is most likely the specimen he examined for this key because it shows exactly the same characters that he mentioned there.

Greece • 1 ex.; Thessalia, Pindos mountains, Dessi, Kalambaka, Pertouli, 1110 m; 23. May 2001; A. & F. Riedel leg.; E. Geiser 2023 det; SMNS.

Montenegro • 1 ex.; Crna Gora, Žabljak; 18. Jul 1934; Dr. J. Fodor leg.; J. Bezděk 2017 det.; HNHM • 7 ex.; Žabljak; 4 Jul. 1983; W. Grosser leg.; E. Geiser 2021 det.; BMNH [ex coll. Voříšek].

North Makedonia • 6 ex.; Delčevo; 3 Jun. 1982; I. Rozner leg.; J. Bezděk 2017 det.; HNHM.

Serbia: Gavrilovic and Curcic (2011).

Turkey: Many records from European and Asian territory in Ekiz et al. (2020).

Algeria: Goecke 1957b.

North Korea: Cho and An (2020).

South Korea: Cho and An (2020).

Russia (South Siberia): Gus’kova et al. (2018).

Material examined.

More than 500 specimens from different localities, labelled as various species or subspecies throughout the distribution area.

Figures

Figure 9. Plateumaris roscida aedeagus, photographed from different angles and drawings in frontal view A, B specimen from Primorsky Krai (ZMS) C specimen from Amur Oblast (NHMB) D median lobe E cap of tegmen (A-C photographs by E. Geiser, D, E drawings by G. Geiser). Scale bars: 1 mm.

Figure 11. Plateumaris sericea A-C habitus illustrating variability in colours, but there are more D, E aedeagus: two examples of the variability of the shape of the median lobe (photographs by K. Matsumoto). Scale bars: one unit - 1 mm.

Figure 12. Schematic sketch of the endophallus. Median ejaculatory guide blackened A Plateumaris sericea (and specimens identified as P. discolor) with apex of median ejaculatory guide rounded. The endophalli of specimens from Poland, Italy and Japan all look the same as in this sketch B Plateumaris shirahatai with apex of median ejaculatory guide notched (drawings by G. Geiser based on photographs from Askevold 1991 and Hayashi 2020).