Platynini, Bonelli, 1810

Baehr, Martin & Reid, Chris A. M., 2017, On a Collection of Carabidae from Timor Leste, with Descriptions of Nine New Species (Insecta: Coleoptera, Carabidae), Records of the Australian Museum 69 (6), pp. 421-450 : 429-430

Tribe Platynini

A very large tribe with numerous genera worldwide. Unfortunately, the Oriental and Papuan Platynini urgently need revision at generic level, to provide systematic and taxonomic agreement between both faunas. Several of the large genera, in the course of such revisions, may be subdivided, other genera may be united. Some also seem to be genera of convenience that are based on plesiomorphic character states, and these should be critically revised, divided, or united with other genera. To conclude, the subpraspecific sYstematics of the Oriental-Papuan PlatYnine fauna presently is a mess.

The number of Platynine species in the Oriental Region and in New Guinea is immense. Whereas the New Guinean fauna is reasonably well recorded, mainly due to the famous work of Darlington (1952), with several additions by Baehr (1992; 1995b; 2000; 2001a; 2001b; 2008b; 2010a; 2010b; 2010c; 2012b), in the Oriental Region the situation is extremely complex and the number of undescribed species is likely to be huge.

In the present paper, genera are used according to their present status, but, for example, Altagonum Darlington, 1952 , Colpodes Macleay, 1825 , and Notagonum Darlington, 1952 , need re-definition.

Altagonum sp. — 1 ex. “Mt Laritame 8.69178S 126.38719E water tank, edge moss forest, 1150m TL2012/011/030 yellow pans 30.v.2012 ” K402601 ( AMS). The single specimen is placed with some doubt in the mostly New Guinean genus Altagonum Darlington, 1952 . However , this is a genus of convenience that, in the course of a revision, may be divided into two or more genera. Many undescribed species are known to occur in New Guinea, a few species also occur on Sulawesi and the Moluccas. The specimen from Timor presently is undeterminable .