Anoplognathini, MacLeay, 1819

Paucar-Cabrera, Aura, 2005, A catalog and distributional analysis of the Rutelinae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) of Ecuador, Zootaxa 948 (1), pp. 1-92 : 59

Tribe Anoplognathini

( Figs 3 , 9 , 14 ; Tables 3, 7)

The tribe Anoplognathini is found in Australia and from central Mexico to southern South America . In the New World, the tribe includes five genera: Aulacopalpus, Brachysternus, Hylamorpha , Platycoelia , and Phalangogonia ( Smith 2002) . The only genus of this tribe that is present in Ecuador is Platycoelia , which includes 19 Ecuadorian species ( Table 3).

In Ecuador, members of Anoplognathini are distributed from 300 to 4200 m ( Fig. 9 ). This tribe is found in all zoogeographic areas on both sides of the Andes and reaches its highest diversity in temperate areas from 2000 to 3000 m. Platycoelia butleri Smith and P. furva Smith are restricted to the temperate area ( Table 3). Platycoelia lutescens , P. galerana Smith , P. parva , and P. quadrilineata Burmeister are distributed in the high Andes. Platycoelia parva is found at 4200 m, which is the highest altitude reached by any ruteline in Ecuador. The northwest and southwest tropical areas have low numbers of species ( Table 3). Nine species of Anoplognathini are endemic to Ecuador: P. forcipalis Ohaus , P. furva , P. galerana , P. gaujoni Ohaus , P. intermedia Ohaus , P. paucarae Smith , P. penai Frey , P.sandia Smith , and P. traceyae Smith. The temporal distribution of Anoplognathini species is not well known. Based on collecting data, species of Anoplognathini have three peaks of abundance: one from January to March (with a high peak in February), another in June, and another from October to December ( Fig. 3 , Table 7). Adult activity increased in relation to rainfall (a noticeable increase occurred in November and December).

Figures

FIGURE 14. Habitus of Platycoelia forcipalis Ohaus (from Smith 2003).

FIGURES 2–7. Histograms of temporal distribution of tribe species throughout a year: 2) Anomalini; 3) Anoplognathini; 4) Geniatini; 5) Rutelini; 6) Spodochlamyini. 7) Histogram of temporal distribution of Rutelinae species throughout a year.

FIGURES 8–9. Distribution of species of: 8) Anomalini; 9) Anoplognathini.