Tarandocerus CHEVROLAT, 1876

Opitz, Weston, 2015, Systematics of the checkered beetle subfamily Platynopterinae SPINOLA (Coleoptera Cleridae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 47 (2), pp. 1513-1572 : 1547-1548

Tarandocerus CHEVROLAT

Tarandocerus CHEVROLAT, 1876: 7 .

Type species Platynoptera lycoides SPINOLA, 1844: 67 . By present designation.

Diagnosis: Within Platynopterinae only members of Tarandocerus have a collateral branch on antennomeres 9 and 10 ( Figs. 46, 47 ).

Description: Size: Length 9.0-19.0 mm; width 4.5-8.0. Form: Elytra trapezoidal, posterior half of elytra may be flared, elytral posterior angle broadly rounded. Integumental color: Antenna always black; mandible black, other mouthparts flavotestaceous to light brown; cranium mostly black, epicranium narrowly flavotestaceous, cranium rarely with narrowly flavotestaceous frons; pronotum unicolorous or bicolorous, rarely tricolorous, when unicolorous flavotestaceous, when bicolorous upper sides flavotestaceous and at lower sides and disc black, black disc region may show narrow or broad flavotestaceous line, lower sides rarely red, pronotal venter flavotestaceous or brown; elytra mostly black or mostly flavotestaceous, black regions may have bluish tinge; legs entirely black or black in distal third and decreasingly flavotestaceous from profemur to metafemur; pterothorax and abdomen black. Vestiture: Integument highly setose, funicular antennomeres densely setose, cranium and pronotum densely vested with decumbent setae, elytra densely vested with short 2° setae and fewer 1° setae that become more prominent along epipleural and sutural margins; legs highly setose. Head ( Figs. 48-50 , 103 ): Cranial setose punctation small; frons roughly sculptured; eyes bulging, finely faceted and deeply broadly incised along frontal margin; antenna ( Figs. 46, 47 , 104, 106 ) capitate, inserted at level of eye incision (= ocular notch); antennal carina very prominent, comprised of 11 antennomeres, scape very robust, pedicel subquadrate, funicular antennomeres transverse, capitulum very long, about a third times longer that length of other antennomeres combined, antennomeres 9 and 10 with collateral branches, branches more prominent in males ( Fig. 46 ) than in females ( Fig. 47 ); labrum ( Fig. 54 ) not deeply incised, transverse tormal process horizontal and contiguous; mandible ( Fig. 55 ) robust, dens well developed, penicillus reduced; maxilla ( Fig. 57a ) well developed, terminal palpomere subsecuriform, laterolacinia present; labium ( Fig. 56 ) well developed, terminal palpomere subsecuriform; gula ( Fig. 49 ) triangular. Thorax ( Figs. 51, 52 , 105 ): Pronotum with incipient trichobothrium ( Fig. 107 ), quadrate or elongate, side margins rounded at middle, anterior margin linear, prebasal depression feebly developed, dorsolateral carina not extended to anterior margin of pronotum, carina joins pronotal hem at pronotal posterior angle; elytra trapezoidal, sometimes increasingly widened to rounded posterior angles, with discal carinae; mesoscutellum quadrate; protibial anterior margin spinous; ungues without denticle ( Fig. 96b ); tibial spur formula 0-1- 1; tarsal pulvillar formula 3-3-3; metathoracic wing as in Fig. 61a ; metendosternite ( Fig. 53 ) with furcal lamina. Abdomen: Six visible sternites; pygidium rounded distally in both sexes, rarely incised in male. Male genitalia ( Figs. 58, 59, 60 ): Aedeagus short, tegmen well or feebly sclerotized, lobate distally, fimbriate, phallus well sclerotized; spicular fork ( Fig. 57b ) comprised of two narrow plates that connect at proximal fourth, intraspicular plate narrow and long. Female genitalia: Ovipositor short; dorsal and ventral laminae trilobed. Alimentary canal ( Fig. 61b ): Proventriculus moderately developed; ventriculus narrow, papillae poorly developed; 4 cryptonephridial Malpighian tubules. Male mesodermal reproductive organs ( Fig. 61c ): Two pairs of accessory glands; testis comprised of more than 40 follicles. Female mesodermal reproductive organs ( Fig. 61d ): Spermathecal capsule well sclerotized; spermathecal gland attached to base of capsule; bursa copulatrix saccular.

Distribution: The members of this genus range from México to Argentina.

Figures

Figs 46-61a: Morphological organs of Tarandocerus lycoides. (46) Antenna, male; (47) Antenna, female; (48) Head, frontal view; (49) Head, ventral view; (50) Head, dorsal view; (51) Pronotum, ventral view; (52) Pronotum, dorsal view; (53) Metendosternite; (54) Labrum; (55) Mandible; (56) Labium; (57a) Maxilla; (57b) Spicular fork; (58) Tegmen, ventral view; (59) Tegmen, lateral view; (60) Phallus; (61a) Metathoracic wing.

Figs 103-108: Morphological organs of Tarandocerus lycoides (103-107) and Plocamocera coactilis (108). (103) Head, frontal view; (104) Antennal capitulum; (105) Pronotal disc; (106) Antennal funicle; (107) Pronotal disc showing insipient trichobothrium; (108) Pronotal trichobothrium (8 bothrium, 9 trabiculae, 10 trich).

Figs 93-96b: Morphological organs of Aspitonis alarutinis (93-95), Pilosirus brunnoi (96a), Tarandocerus lycoides (96b). (93) Antennal funicle; (94) Insipient trichobothrium on the pronotal disc; 95) Pronotal disc; (96a) Pronotal disc; (96b) Metatarsal ungues.