Isoforma OPITZ, 2015

Opitz, Weston, 2015, Systematics of the checkered beetle subfamily Platynopterinae SPINOLA (Coleoptera Cleridae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 47 (2), pp. 1513-1572 : 1532-1536

Isoforma OPITZ nov. gen.

Type species: Isoforma biguttula OPITZ , new species. By present designation.

Diagnosis: The members of Isoforma are distinguishable from superficially similar specimens of Artoadenus by the shape of the terminal palpomeres; in Isoforma they are securiform whereas in Artoadenus they are subsecuriform.

Description: Size: Length 10.0-15.0 mm; width 4.0-8.0. Form: Elytra trapezoidal, widely flared in posterior half. — Integumental color: Antenna black; mandible black, other mouthparts flavotestaceous, maxillary and labial terminal palpomeres may be black; cranium mostly black, region behind eyes and cranial venter flavotestaceous or brown; pronotum bicolorous or unicolorous, when bicolorous mostly black, disc with two paralateral black streaks, flavotestaceous in remainder, when unicolorous flavotestaceous; elytra bicolorous, usually mostly black and with flavotestaceous fascia, sometimes half black and half flavotestaceous; legs black or flavotestaceous, sometimes black and flavotestaceous. 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 17-19 ): Cranial setose punctation small; eyes bulging, finely faceted and deeply broadly incised along frontal margin; antenna ( Fig. 16 ) capitate, inserted at level of eye incision (= ocular notch); antennal carina very prominent, comprised of 11 antennomeres, scape very robust, pedicel rotund, funicular antennomeres transverse, capitulum very long, about 3 times longer that length of other antennomeres combined; labrum ( Fig. 21 ) broadly incised, transverse tormal process horizontal and contiguous; mandible ( Fig. 20 ) robust, penicillus well developed; maxilla ( Fig. 28 ) well developed, terminal palpomere securiform; labium ( Fig. 27 ) well developed, terminal palpomere securiform; gula ( Fig. 18 ) slightly triangular. Thorax ( Figs 22, 23 ): Pronotum with incipient trichobothrium, transverse, rarely quadrate, 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, increasingly widened to rounded posterior angles, discal carinae present or not, usually faintly visible, 1º and 2º elytral setae present; mesoscutellum quadrate; protibial anterior margin spinous; ungues with denticle; tibial spur formula 0-1-1; tarsal pulvillar formula 3-3-3; metathoracic wing as in Fig. 30 ; metendosternite ( Fig. 29 ) with furcal lamina; glandular pit not present on male metatibia. Abdomen: Six visible sternites; pygidium rounded distally in males. Male genitalia ( Figs 24, 25 ): Aedeagus short, tegmen feebly sclerotized, lobate distally, phallobasic rod long and broad; phallus well sclerotized; spicular fork ( Fig. 26 ) comprised of two narrow plates that connect at middle, intraspicular plate narrow and long. Female genitalia: Ovipositor short; dorsal and ventral laminae unilobed.

Distribution: The members of this genus are known from México, Guyana, French Guiana, and Brazil.

Etymology: The generic epithet is a compound name stemming from the Latin forma (= form) and the Greek isos (= equal). I refer to the similar body form among the species of this genus.

Figures

Figs 16-30: Morphological organs of Isoforma goryi (16-23, 27-30) and Isoforma biguttula (24- 26). (16) Antenna, female; (17) Head, frontal view; (18) Head, ventral view; (19) Head, dorsal view; (20) Mandible; (21) Labrum; (22) Pronotum, ventral view; (23) Pronotum, dorsal view; (24) Phallus; (25) Tegmen; (26) Spicular fork; (27) Labium; (28) Maxilla; (29) Metendosternite; (30) Metathoracic wing.