Ambonoides OPITZ, new genus

Type species: Ambonoides retinoides OPITZ, new species . By present designation.

Diagnosis: Within Platynopterinae only in members of Ambonoides are the pronotalsides strongly up-curved and flanged.

Description: Size: Length 5.5-8.5 mm; width 2.0-2.6. Form: Elytra rectangular, posterior angle rounded. — Integumental color: Antenna black; mandible black, other mouthparts flavotestaceous, maxillary and labial terminal palpomeres black; cranium mostly black, lower frons flavotestaceous; pronotum bicolorous, mostly black, up-curved edges and anterior margin flavotestaceous; elytra unicolorous, black or bicolorous with midelytral flavotestaceous fascia, elytral apical and basal third black; legs black or femora mostly flavotestaceous and remainder of leg black; 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 2, 3, 4, 87, 88): Cranial setose punctation cribrate; eyes bulging (Fig. 88), finely faceted and deeply broadly incised along frontal margin; antenna (Fig. 1) capitate, inserted at level of eye incision (= ocular notch); antennal carina very prominent, comprised of 11 antennomeres, scape very robust, pedicel oblong, funicular antennomeres transverse, antennomere 7 large, capitulum very long, about one third times longer that length of other antennomeres combined; labrum (Fig. 10) deeply incised; mandible (Fig. 9) robust, dens poorly developed, penicillus poorly developed; maxilla (Fig. 7) well developed, terminal palpomere subsecuriform, laterolacinia present; labium (Fig. 11) well developed, terminal palpomere subsecuriform; gula (Fig. 3) triangular. Thorax: Pronotum (Figs 5, 6, 89) with incipient trichobothrium (Figs 91, 92), quadrate, side margins up-curved and with tubercle, 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 rectangular, slightly widened to rounded posterior angles, discal carinae faintly visible; mesoscutellum triangular; protibial anterior margin spinous; ungues with denticle; tibial spur formula 0-2-2; tarsal pulvillar formula 3-3-3; metathoracic wing as in Fig. 15; metendosternite (Fig. 8) with furcal lamina; glandular pit not present on male metatibia. Abdomen: Six visible sternites; female pygidium rounded distally, slightly incised in males. Male genitalia (Figs 13, 14): Aedeagus short, tegmen feebly sclerotized, acuminate distally; phallus more sclerotized; spicular fork (Fig. 12) comprised of two narrow plates that connect at proximal half, intraspicular plate narrow and long.

Distribution: The members of this genus are known from Brazil and Uruguay.

Etymology: The generic name Ambonoides is a compound name that stems from the Greek ambon (= ridge) and the Latin suffix – oides (= likeness). I refer to the lateral elevations on the pronotal disc.