Andersonoplatus bechyneorum, Linzmeier, Adelita M. & Konstantinov, Alexander S., 2018

Linzmeier, Adelita M. & Konstantinov, Alexander S., 2018, Andersonoplatus, a new, remarkable leaf litter inhabiting genus of Monoplatina (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Galerucinae, Alticini), ZooKeys 744, pp. 79-138 : 84-86

Andersonoplatus bechyneorum sp. n. Figs 5, 6

Description.

Body length 2.32-2.64 mm, width 1.29-1.40 mm, pronotum and elytra with sparse, semi-erect hairs, shiny, elliptical, moderately convex in lateral view. Color castaneous.

Head (Fig. 5B, D): slightly convex in lateral view, generally smooth, gena and frons shiny with sparse pilosity. Frons and vertex forming an angle of approximately 135° in lateral view. Antennal callus delineate from vertex by shallow and straight supracallinal sulcus. Antennal callus slightly elevated above vertex, surface even, with no or two punctures, if bearing setae, they are short. Orbital sulcus shallow. Supraorbital sulcus represented by few deep punctures near antennal socket, absent near supracallinal sulcus. Supraorbital and supracallinal sulcus not connected. Suprafrontal sulcus absent. Frontolateral sulcus shallow. Frontogenal suture indistinguishable. Interantennal space narrower than transverse diameter of eye and as wide as transverse diameter of antennal socket. Frontal ridge short and narrow. Last five antennomeres slightly wider than preceding ones.

Thorax: pronotum (Fig. 5A, B) much narrower than elytra, notched laterally below middle. Anterior margin straight, wider than posterior, posterior margin nearly straight, lateral margin sinuated. Anterior angles acute. Surface deeply granulate, with pilosity very short and very sparse. Pronotal disc weakly raised. Post basal impression present, with deeper rounded impressions laterally. Scutellum rounded, much shorter than wide, setose. Prosternal surface reticulated. Posterior end of intercoxal process nearly twice as wide as middle. Elytra fused. Elytral surface shiny, with very sparse, white, semi-erect hairs, deeply punctated (Fig. 5A). Punctures forming nine striae, the ninth stria overlapping with marginal one. Each punctation bears one very short setae (some setae can be found on the interspaces). Interspaces very convex. Punctures at base of fifth and sixth striae deeper than other having fold-like appearance. Marginal line of elytra interrupted at base. Second and third striae not reaching elytral base. Epipleura slightly convex, nearly vertical. Metafemur longer than wide and 1.60 times longer than metatibia. Claws simple and long.

Male genitalia (Fig. 6D): ventral side with deep longitudinal impression with bottom lacking transverse wrinkles, sides of impression form high ridges. Apical denticle sharply bent ventrally.

Female genitalia (Fig. 6 A–C): tignum long, narrow, with central canal; posterior area broad, sclerotization relatively well delineated; anterior area spatulate (Fig. 6B). Vaginal palpi elongate, basally strongly sclerotized, each with approximately eight setae at apex (Fig. 6A). Palpi pointed at apex, enlarged at last third but thinned at apex, situated close together and merged anteriorly for more than half of their length. Spermatheca curved, with receptacle and pump not differentiated from each other. Apex of pump with spoon-like projection. Spermathecal duct short, widest at base, without coils (Fig. 6C).

Type material.

Holotype, ♂. VENEZUELA: Trujillo/ camino viejo a Trujillo, Paramo/ La Cristalina, km 9.7, 2400m/ 09°21'21"N, 70°17'51"W /20.V.1998-022B/ R.Anderson, elfin for. litter (MIZA). Paratypes (5♂ USNM, 1♀ CMNC). Same label as holotype.

Etymology.

We name this species after Mila and Jan Bechyne who together made large contribution to our knowledge of mostly Neotropical leaf beetles describing 143 genera and 2290 species.

Differential diagnosis.

Andersonoplatus bechyneorum can be differentiated from most Andersonoplatus species by the following characters: pronotal surface uneven, covered with relatively large but poorly defined punctures (Fig. 5A) and median lobe of aedeagus ventrally with two ridges and deep grove between them (Fig. 6D).