Platysimus septentrionalis (Paulian)

Platysimus septentrionalis (Paulian) View in CoL

Figs 55, 56

Heteroglymma septentrionalis Paulian, 1945: 188 View in CoL , 191.

Platysimus septentrionalis View in CoL – Thompson 1982: 86, figs 9-18, pls 2, 52, 53 (syn. pauliani , ruteri View in CoL ).

Heteroglymma auberti Paulian, 1945: 188 View in CoL , 192, figs 25- 27 n. syn.

Heteroglymma pauliani Marshall, 1956: 119 .

Heteroglymma ruteri Paulian,1945: 187 View in CoL , 190.

DESCRIPTION. — Male: humeral area in dorsal view concavely curved (sinuous). Flattening or depression of the elytral dorsum to the sides ends normally with stria 7, not with 5 or 6 as in P. insularis , P. planidorsi and P. setiger .

Female: subparallel sides of elytra and a non-excavate ventrite 5 separates P. septentionalis from P. fleutiauxi , but not from other species.

Length: 3.0- 5.7 mm.

TYPE MATERIAL. — No type material present .

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — Vanuatu. Banks Is. (2 exs), Espíri- Erromango (61 exs), Tanna (33 exs), Aneityum (13 exs). In all tu Santo (79 exs), Malakula (90 exs), Ambrym (102 exs), Epi 525 specimens. ( Also on Rennel I. and Santa Cruz of the Solo- (74 exs), Shepherd Group ( Tongariki I., 1 ex.), Efate (70 exs), mon Is., after Thompson 1982) .

HOSTPLANTS. — Specimens were found on Citrus , Colocasia , Hibiscus, Ipomoea ; species not expected to be a specialised feeder.

REMARKS. — The concept of the species is in agreement with that of Thompson (1982) except for the geographical range here extended to include the southern islands of Vanuatu.

ETYMOLOGY. — The Latin epithet ‘septentrionális’, meaning northerly, came from ‘septentrio’ (pl. septentriones) for

the seven brightest stars of Ursa major , the Great Bear Constellation right by the north pole.