420 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol. 117 



Platydema flavlpes (Fabricius) 



Plate 5 (Figs. 45, 46) 



Mycetophagus flavipes Fabricius, 1801, p. 567. 



Platydema flavipes (Fabricius). — Laporte and Brulle, 1831, p. 388. — Horn, 1870, 



p. 382.— Blatchley, 1910, p. 1263. 

 Platydema basalis Haldeman, 1848, p. 101. 



Description. — Elongate oval, subdepressed, black, dull in lustre. 

 Head uniformly arcuate in front, slightly reddish along margin, convex 

 between eyes, epistomal suture poorly defined ; surface coarsely, densely, 

 almost confluently, punctured; eyes moderately strongly convex, 

 feebly emarginate anteriorly, separated ventrally by a distance sub- 

 equal to twice the longer axis of one eye; mouthparts light reddish 

 brown, terminal segment of maxillary palpus short, broadly triangu- 

 lar; basal 3 or 4 antennal segments light reddish brown, the remaining 

 segments dark brown to black. Pronotum twice as broad as long, 

 sides evenly and strongly arcuate, finely margined, basal angles 

 rectangular, apical angles narrowly rounded and moderately prom- 

 inent; surface finely, shallowly but rather densely, punctured on 

 disc, punctures abruptly larger and more deeply impressed laterally. 

 Elytra with sides nearly parallel, striae distinctly impressed, very 

 coarsely and deeply punctured, intervals strongly convex, minutely 

 and sparsely punctulate, punctures discernable only at high mag- 

 nification. Prosternal process convex between coxae, its apex acute 

 and secondarily slightly reflected. Ventral surface of prothorax 

 usually thickened and convex; entire ventral sm-face reddish, coarsely 

 and densely punctured except two apical abdominal sternites, which 

 are finely and sparsely punctate. Male genitalia short, relatively 

 small, constricted between basal sclerite and lateral lobes (pi. 5, figs. 

 45, 46). Measurements: length 3.6-5.4 mm.; width 1.7-2.6 mm. 



Remarks. — The pale basal segments of the antennae immediately 

 distinguish this from any other nearctic species of Platydema. It 

 differs from its nearest relative, P. nigratum (Motschoulsky), in 

 its smaller average size, the uniformly dark antennal club, the much 

 coarser overall punctation and in other more subtle characters. The 

 male genitalia (pi. 5, figs. 45, 46) are quite distinctive. 



Types. — Mycetophagus flavipes Fabricius: not seen; presumably 

 lost; type locality, "Carolina." P/a^?/(/ema 6asaZ?!s Haldeman : MCZ 

 8370. The specimen bearing this type label is hereby designated 

 a lectotype. It is one of six Haldeman specimens incorporated into 

 the LeConte collection under the name P. flavipes, and is the only 

 one labelled P. basalis, presumably by Haldeman himself. It bears 

 an orange "So. St." label and no specific locality is given in the orig- 

 inal description other than that it "inhabits from New York to 



