Andersonoplatus merga, 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 : 95

Andersonoplatus merga sp. n. Figs 19, 20

Description.

Body length 3.51-3.67 mm, width 1.78-1.89 mm, shiny, with sparse, semi-erect hairs, slightly convex in lateral view. Color dark brown.

Head (Fig. 19D): slightly convex in lateral view, shiny, evenly reticulated, generally sparsely punctuated. Frons and vertex forming nearly a 135° angle in lateral view. Antennal callus delimited from vertex by poorly delimited supracallinal sulcus. Antennal callus slightly raised, covered with punctures. Vertex with coarse transverse wrinkles most evident near orbital sulci. Orbital sulcus shallow. Supraorbital absent. Suprafrontal sulcus shallow. Frontolateral sulcus deep. Frontogenal suture well developed. Orbit as wide as transverse diameter of antennal socket. Interantennal space narrower than transverse diameter of eye and wider than transverse diameter of antennal socket. Frontal ridge short, V-shaped. Antenna filiform; second antennomere shorter.

Thorax: pronotum (Fig. 19A, B) narrower than elytra. Anterior margin wider than posterior, posterior margin almost straight, lateral margin sinuated. Anterolateral callosities long, pointed, denticle-like. Surface reticulated, punctuated, pilose. Pronotal disc slightly raised. Scutellum triangular, reticulated, wider than long. Prosternal surface reticulated. Posterior end approximately twice as wide as middle. Procoxae globose. Elytra fused. Elytral surface shiny, with very sparse and short hairs, punctate. Punctures forming nine striae. Interspaces slightly convex. Second and third striae reaching elytral base. Epipleura nearly vertical, pilose. Metafemur 1.6 times longer than metatibia. Metatibia almost straight in lateral and slightly curved in dorsal view. Metatarsomeres one and two of similar size, twice as long as third. Claws appendiculate and long.

Male unknown.

Female genitalia (Fig. 20 A–C): tignum long, narrow, slightly bent, with central canal; anterior sclerotization narrow, posterior sclerotization well delineated, two-pronged pitchfork-like, wider than anterior (Fig. 20B). Vaginal palpi elongate, basally strongly sclerotized, each with approximately eight setae at apex. Palpi narrowly rounded at apex, enlarged at last third but thinned at apex; separated on one third of their length; posterior sclerotization of vaginal palpi concave on side (Fig. 20C). Spermatheca curved, with receptacle and pump not differentiated from each other, receptacle longer than pump. Apex of pump with spoon-like projection relatively thick at base. Spermathecal duct short, widest at base, without coils, making narrow loop (Fig. 20A).

Type material.

Holotype, ♀. VENEZUELA: Merida/ Paramo de La Culata/ 18.5km N.E. Merida, 2950m/ 08°44'34"N, 71°03'44"W / 25.V.1998-037A, R.Anderson/ paramo, streamside shrub litter (MIZA). Paratype (1♀ USNM). Same label as holotype.

Etymology.

The specific epithet is a noun in apposition based on a two-pronged pitchfork-like posterior margin of tignum.

Differential diagnosis.

Andersonoplatus merga is similar to A. macubaji and A. merida . It can be separated from them based on the following characters: vertex with coarse transverse wrinkles most evident near orbital sulci (Fig. 19D); anterolateral callosity of pronotum long curved denticle-like (Fig. 19A). In A. macubaji and A. merida : vertex without coarse transverse wrinkles near orbital sulci (Fig. 17B), anterolateral callosity of pronotum short, not denticle-like (Fig. 17A).