Platynectes submaculatus (Laporte, 1835)

Gustafson, Grey T., Short, Andrew E. Z. & Miller, Kelly B., 2016, New species of diving beetles in the subgenus Platynectes s. str. from the Guiana Shield (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae: Agabinae), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 56 (1), pp. 79-102 : 82

Key to the species of the P. submaculatus species group

1 Elytra with 10 distinct yellow maculae ( Fig. 1 ). .............................................................. 2

– Elytra with fewer than 10 distinct yellow maculae ( Fig. 4 ). ............................................ 5

2 Dorsal habitus robust and broadly oval ( Fig. 2 ); body length usually greater than 6.6 mm; aedeagus with apex strongly pointed and triangular. Suriname and French Guiana. ......... ........................................................................................... P. decemnotatus ( Aubé, 1838)

– Dorsal habitus narrower and relatively elongate oval ( Fig. 1 ); body length less than 6.6 mm, rarely more than 6.5 mm; aedeagus with apex rounded or flatly-rounded, not triangular. ................................................................................................................................ 3

3 Total body length at most 5.0 mm, often smaller; WC/WS = 5. Venezuela (Amazonas State). ...................................................................................................... P. meru sp. nov.

– Total body length greater than 5.0 mm; WC/WS = 4. ..................................................... 4

4 Body form parallel-sided and elongate ( Fig. 3 ); larger, body length 6.1–6.5 mm; antennae filiform. Venezuela (Bolivar State). ............................................ P. elaskanaima sp. nov.

– Body form more evenly rounded and not elongate ( Fig. 5 ); smaller, body length 5.3–5.9 mm; antennae subserrate. Suriname and French Guiana. ................................................... ....................................................................................... P. submaculatus ( Laporte, 1835)

5 Larger, body length 6.6–6.7 mm; brown, usually with two distinct parascutellar maculae ( Fig. 6 ). Venezuela (Bolivar State) and Guyana (Kaieteur National Park). ....................... .............................................................................................................. P. garciai sp. nov.

– Smaller, body length 5.8–6.5 mm; less brown, darker, never with parascutellar maculae ( Fig. 4 ). Suriname. .................................................................... P. tafelbergensis sp. nov.

Figures

Figs 1–6. Dorsal habitus of Platynectes species. 1 – P. meru sp. nov. 2 – P. decemnotatus (Aubé, 1838). 3 – P. elaskanaima sp. nov. 4 – P. tafelbergensis sp. nov. 5 – P. submaculatus (Laporte, 1835). 6 – P. garciai sp. nov. Scale bar = 2 mm.